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The 25-hour Moby Dick Marathon sails on in New Bedford
Every winter, thousands of fans descend on the New Bedford Whaling Museum to hear the novel out loud.
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February 13, 2026 - Week in Review: Olympic cheaters, Wuthering Heights, and a sad horse plush
On this edition of The Culture Show, Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley, and Lisa Simmons, go over the week’s top arts and culture headlines.First up, the Winter Olympics delivered medals — and meltdowns. Norway’s biathlon star Sturla Holm Lægreid hijacked headlines with a tearful on-air confession about cheating on his girlfriend, while ski jumping faced a surreal scandal dubbed “Penis-gate,” with allegations that athletes gamed suit measurements for an aerodynamic edge. And on the ice, Ilia Malinin’s crowd-roaring backflip revived debate decades after Surya Bonaly was penalized for the very same move.Then we remember James Van Der Beek, who died this week at 48. The former Dawson’s Creek heartthrob later reinvented himself, gleefully skewering his teen-idol image with sharp, self-aware performances that proved he was always in on the joke.Plus nearly two centuries after Wuthering Heights, the mystery of Heathcliff endures. A new film adaptation has revived debate over the character’s racial identity — and how Emily Brontë’s “dark-skinned” antihero should be portrayed today.Finally it’s a week in preview with host recommendations of upcoming events and happenings to take in. Callie offers “Romantasy Trivia” on February 14th at the Trident Booksellers & Cafe; Lisa Simmons highly “Say It Loud: AAMARP, 1977 to Now” on view at the ICA; and Jared suggests “The Moderate,” presented by Central Square Theater. -
February 12, 2026 - Alan Cumming, Billy Bragg, and Penelope at Lyric Stage Company
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. -
February 11, 2026 - The Louvre heist with Elaine Sciolino, Vince Petryk of JP Licks, and Mahesh Daas
Last spring, the Louvre looked untouchable, with a couture exhibition and a grand renovation plan led by director Laurence des Cars. Then came a cascade of crises, including a brazen jewel heist that stole $100 million in French Crown Jewels, along with strikes and a damning security audit. Journalist Elaine Sciolino joins us to discuss the turmoil. Elaine Sciolino is the former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times and a bestselling author. Her latest book, “Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum,” is out in paperback this March. Winter doesn’t slow down New England ice cream fans, and J.P. Licks has new flavors to prove it. Founder Vince Petryk talks about February specials, including Strawberry Cookies ’N’ Cream, and the company’s community programs like its Girl Scout cookie partnerships and sock drive for Rosie’s Place. To learn more go here.Mahesh Daas returns for our feature “AI: Actual Intelligence” with fresh, off-algorithm insights. This month he looks at reconstruction—from replicas of Thoreau’s Walden cabin to rebuilding communities after the California wildfires. Mahesh Daas is president of Boston Architectural College and the co-author of the graphic novella about artificial intelligence, titled “I, Nobot.” -
February 10, 2026 - MFA president Pierre Terjanian, John Sayles on "Crucible," and Ken Urban on "The Moderate"
The MFA recently announced layoffs and voluntary buyouts to close a projected $13-million budget gap. Pierre Terjanian, the Ann and Graham Gund Director and CEO of the Museum of Fine Arts, joins us on what drove the cuts and what they mean for the museum’s next chapter.Filmmaker and novelist John Sayles is back with “Crucible,” a new historical novel set in Henry Ford’s early-20th-century Detroit, where labor, power, and industry collide. You can catch him tonight at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books in Cambridge. To learn more go here.Playwright Ken Urban joins us to talk about “The Moderate,” his new play about a man hired to moderate graphic social media content—and the toll it takes. It’s onstage at Central Square Theater through March 1. To learn more go here. -
February 9, 2026 - "PILLION," Fran Lebowitz, and Super Bowl Postgame
Filmmaker Harry Lighton joins us to discuss his debut feature Pillion, a darkly funny and tender look at a relationship shaped by power, trust, and BDSM. The film premiered at Cannes, where it won Best Screenplay, and stars Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling. Lighton will appear in person tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Coolidge Corner Theatre for a screening, Q&A and to receive the Coolidge Breakthrough Artist Award. To learn more go here.Cultural critic Fran Lebowitz brings her signature wit to the show, talking about aging, cities, manners, and why she avoids football. The author and star of Netflix’s Pretend It’s a City appears live at the Emerson Colonial Theatre on February 19. To learn more go here.It’s Monday afternoon quarterbacking with co-host Callie Crossley and Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik as we unpack the Super Bowl as a pop-culture spectacle. From the halftime show to the commercials, we look at the moments everyone’s talking about. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy Award–winning arts and entertainment reporter and President of the Boston Theatre Critics Association, you can read Kulhawik’s reviews here.
