Episodes
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July 25, 2025 - Week in Review: Coldplaygate, Ozzy Osbourne, Hulk Hogan, and Malcolm Jamal-Warner
Today Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest arts and culture headlines on our week-in-review.First up, the latest developments in Coldplaygate. From there it’s onto Netflix, which has decided to not renew their $100 million contract with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The Streaming network also has a hit on its hands with “K-Pop Demon Hunters”Then we review UNESCO’s 2025 list of World Heritage Sites, which doesn’t include anything in the United States because the Trump administration has withdrawn from the organization for a second time.Finally, it’s a huge loss for pop culture this week. We reflect on the legacies of three major figures who died this week starting with actor and director Malcolm Jamal-Warner who was best known as the teenager Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show;” Ozzy Osbourne, The Prince of Darkness who was a heavy metal icon and reality TV star; finally, Hulk Hogan, the man who became the face of pro-wrestling and popularized the theatrical sport. -
July 24, 2025 - Elisa New on Walt Whitman, Robin Givhan on Virgil Abloh, and the legacy of Steve Ross
Elisa New joins The Culture Show to talk about her recent op-ed in the New York Times, “Walt Whitman Would Have Hated This,” a reflection on how the poet would have responded to federal cuts to humanities education. Elisa New is the Director and Host of the PBS series “Poetry in America,” and she leads the Educational Media Innovation Studio at Arizona State University.From there Robin Givhan joins The Culture Show to talk about her new book “Make it Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.” Robin Givhan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and the Washington Post’s senior critic-at-large, writing about politics, race and the arts. To learn more about “Make it Ours,” go here.Finally former Boston City Councillor Mike Ross joins The Culture Show to talk about his father, Holocaust survivor Steve Ross, When Steve Ross was 14 years-old he was liberated from the Dachau concentration camp. One of the first people he encountered was Lt. Steve Sattler, an American tank commander. Lt. Sattler embraced Steve, offered him food, and gave him a small American flag. Now Mike Ross and his sister Julie Ross are donating this flag to the Holocaust Museum Boston. -
July 23, 2025 - Jaws at 50: A Deeper Dive, Joyce Kulhawik, and Zara Anishanslin
Anna Barber, Curator of Exhibitions at Martha's Vineyard Museum joins The Culture Show for an overview of their sprawling exhibition “Jaws’ at 50: A Deeper Dive,” It’s on view through September 7th. To learn more go here.From there Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik joins us for our recurring feature, Stage and Screen Time–a look at the latest movies and plays in theaters now. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. You can find her reviews on Joyce’s Choices.Finally we continue our “Countdown to 2026,” with Zara Anishanslin on her latest book “The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution.” Zara Anishanslin is a Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware. To learn more go here. -
July 22, 2025 - Worcester's industrial history, As You Like It in Boston Common, and Pedro Alonzo
Vanessa Bumpus, Exhibit Coordinator at Museum of Worcester, joins The Culture Show for an overview of their permanent installation celebrating Worcester’s industry since the early 19th century. It’s an expansive survey of the innovators, workers, investors who have made industry the story of Worcester. To learn more go here. From there, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings “As You Like It,” to the Parkman Bandstand for their annual - and free - Shakespeare on the Common production. Actress Nora Eschenheimer, who stars as Rosalind, and actor Michael Underhill, who stars as Orlando, join The Culture Show for an overview. “As You Like It” runs July 23rd through August 10th. To learn more go here.Finally, Culture Show contributor Pedro Alonzo takes us on a tour through Europe, with stops at museums and art installations in rural Spain, Berlin and beyond. Pedro Alonzo is an independent curator and the Artistic Director of the Boston Public Art Triennial. -
July 21, 2025 - William Jackson Harper, Richard Russo, and Ming Fay: Edge of the Garden
Actor and playwright William Jackson Harper is known for his Emmy Award-nominated performance as Chidi Anagonye on “The Good Place.” He also has an esteemed film and theater career. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Dr. Astrov in the Broadway revival of “Uncle Vanya.” He joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest role, playing Jim in Tennessee Williams' rare prison drama, “Not About Nightingales." It’s onstage through August 3rd as part of Williamstown Theatre Festival’s current season. To learn more about Williamstown Theatre Festival and “Not About Nightingales,” go here.From there Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Richard Russo joins The Culture Show, to talk about his new book "Life and Art.” It’s a COVID-era meditation on his childhood, adulthood and what it means to be an artist. Finally we head to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for an overview of their exhibition “Ming Fay: Edge of The Garden.” Gabrielle Niu, the Gardner’s Assistant Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions, leads the way. To learn more about the Ming Fay exhibition go here. -
July 18, 2025 - Week in Review: Public Broadcasting defunded, Emmy nominations, and Stephen Colbert's cancellation
Today Edgar B. Herwick III, Callie Crossley and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest arts and culture headlines on our week-in-review.First up, we look at the future of public media now that Congress has stripped more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.From there it’s “Fight for America!,” a live, immersive performance centered around a large-scale tabletop wargame that explores the events of January 6th at the U.S. Capitol. It’s onstage in London and will land in Washington DC next January.Then we review the notable Americans who president Trump will honor in his National Garden of American Heroes. And speaking of heroes, how the super hero “Superman” movie is sparking controversy among conservative critics who say it’s a super woke.Finally a piece of cinematic history, Rosebud the sled from Citizen Kane, sells at auction for $14.75 million. -
July 17, 2025 - Chris Berdik, Janie Barnett on "She's So Unusual," and Emi Ferguson
Science Journalist and author Chris Berdik joins The Culture Show to talk about his new book “Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World and How We Can Take It Back.” It details our chronic exposure to noise, how it's affecting our health, and the people who are working to bring the noise down and improve our quality of life.From there it’s another episode of “Sound Files.” Our ongoing series when we invite local musicians and cultural critics to zero in on one of their favorite entries in the US National Recording Registry. On tap today, Janie Barnett has chosen to go deep on Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual.” Janie Barnett is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her latest album is “Under My Skin: Reimagining Cole Porter.” Finally, the acclaimed flute player Emi Ferguson joins us to talk about her collaboration with the baroque ensemble Ruckus. They’ve released a new album “Fly the Coop: Bach Sonatas and Preludes.” On July 25th they'll be performing at the Jean McDonough Arts Center. The show is presented by Music Worcester. To learn more go here. -
July 16, 2025 - Adam Aleksic, "Back to The Future - The Musical," and Steve Locke
Adam Aleksic—founder and former president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society, and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd”—joins The Culture Show to talk about his new book “Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language.” Tonight he’ll be at the Harvard Book Store. To learn more go hereIn 1985 Marty McFly skateboarded onto the silver screen — and into cinematic history — with the blockbuster, “Back to The Future.” In this sci-fi classic, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown turns a DeLorean into a plutonium-powered time machine. Then, in an experiment gone awry, Marty McFly finds himself taking a ride of his lifetime, going back to 1955 where he meets his parents when they were teenagers. Now audiences can time travel back to 1985 by way of “Back to the Future, The Musical.” It’s onstage at Citizens Opera House by way of Broadway in Boston through July 20th. To learn more go here.Finally, artist Steve Locke. His exhibition at Mass MoCA, “The Fire Next Time,” is a nod to James Baldwin’s 1963 book by the same name. Like Baldwin, in this exhibition Steve Locke contemplates American history, racism and violence directed at Black and queer people. Steve Locke is a professor of fine art at Pratt Institute. He joins The Culture Show to talk about his work. -
July 15, 2025 - Gregory Maguire, Margaret Cho, and Jane Eaglen
What happened to young Elphaba before she was saddled with the wicked mantle? Almost 30 years after the publication of “Wicked,” Gregory Maguire offers readers Elphaba’s origin story in a new book titled “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.” He joins The Culture Show to talk about it.From there comedian, actress and singer-songwriter Margaret Cho joins The Culture Show to talk about her new album “Lucky Gift.”Finally, the film “Maria,” tells the story of a diva in decline: Maria Callas, one of history's most celebrated opera sopranos. The reviews from film critics are mixed, but what does Jane Eaglen, the Grammy award-winning soprano think about the biopic? Jane Eaglen is on the faculty at New England Conservatory and is the President of the Boston Wagner Society. -
July 14, 2025 - Reginald Dwayne Betts, David Grann, and Chelsea Handler
Reginald Dwayne Betts is an award-winning poet, a lawyer and founder of Freedom Reads, a first of its kind organization working to transform access to books in prisons. He joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest book “Doggerel: Poems.” From there David Grann, author of “The Wager,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon," is a #1 “New York Times” best selling author and an award-winning staff writer at “The New Yorker” magazine. He joins The Culture Show to talk about his writing and reporting process, and adapting his work for the screen.Finally comedian, television host, advocate and New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Handler joins The Culture Show to talk about her new book “I’ll Have What She’s Having.” It’s a collection of hilarious and heartfelt essays that detail what it took for her to become the woman she always wanted to be.
