February 12, 2026 - Alan Cumming, Billy Bragg, and Penelope at Lyric Stage Company
About The Episode
Actor Alan Cumming returns to the show fresh off receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Tony, Emmy, BAFTA, and Olivier Award winner talks about being a buck naked vegan, the runaway success of his reality series “The Traitors,” now the most-watched unscripted streaming program, and who he thinks is a traitor to American values.
British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg joins us with his new rapid-response protest anthem, “City of Heroes,” written in solidarity with Minneapolis demonstrators and inspired by recent anti-ICE resistance. A legendary voice of political music for more than four decades, Bragg reflects on the role of songs in moments of social upheaval—and looks ahead to this summer, when he’ll reunite with Wilco to perform their Woody Guthrie project Mermaid Avenue at the Solid Sound Festival. To learn more go here.
At the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, the ancient myth of “The Odyssey” gets a mythic makeover in “Penelope,” a one-woman, cabaret-style musical that tells the story of the wife left behind. Composer Alex Bechtel’s intimate song cycle explores patience, loneliness, and resilience. Performed by Aimee Doherty and directed by Courtney O’Connor, they join us to discuss giving a new voice to a timeless tale. Penelope is onstage through March 1. To learn more go here.
