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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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March 6, 2026 - Week in Review: Philip Glass' "Lincoln" at Tanglewood, Iranian cultural landmarks, and RFK Jr vs Dunkin
On this edition of The Culture Show, Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley, and Joyce Kulhawik, go over the week’s top arts and culture headlines.First up, Composer Philip Glass canceled the Kennedy Center debut of his new symphony “Lincoln,” saying the institution’s current leadership conflicts with the work’s message. Now the BSO will give the piece its first performance this summer at Tanglewood.And folks flooded the National Capital Planning Commission’s public comment page in response to President Trump’s proposed White House ballroom renovation. Critics called the design everything from a “gold-plated monstrosity” to “cheap and appalling,” turning the docket into a kind of national design jury.Then, fighting intensifies across the Middle East, cultural landmarks are increasingly at risk. Airstrikes and shelling have threatened historic sites including Tehran’s Golestan Palace and the Bauhaus buildings of Tel Aviv’s UNESCO-listed White City, raising alarms among historians about the loss of cultural memory.Plus, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken aim at ultra-sugary coffee drinks sold by major chains, including Dunkin’. In Massachusetts, the reaction has been swift and caffeinated, with politicians and fans rushing to defend a brand many treat as a regional institution.Finally it’s a week in preview with host recommendations of upcoming events and happenings to take in. Callie offers Maple Days at Old Sturbridge Village; Jared suggests “Masako Miki: Midnight March” at MAAM; and Joyce recommends getting your Oscar ballots in. -
"Stereophonic" Heads to Boston
The Tony Award–winning play “Stereophonic” drops audiences into a 1970s recording studio, where a rising rock band pushes toward greatness — and the breaking point. Now on national tour and heading to Boston, the play captures the obsession, tension, and creative friction behind making an album that could define careers. We speak with cast members Jack Barrett, who plays Grover, and actor Steven Lee Johnson, who plays Charlie, about bringing this behind-the-scenes drama to life. “Stereophonic” is onstage at Emerson Colonial Theatre March 10 - March 15. To learn more go here. -
March 5, 2026 - Boston Pops' Keith Lockhart, To Kill a Mockingbird at Umbrella Arts Center, and Julia Swanson
Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart is being honored with the Third Lantern Award at Old North Church, recognizing his role in using music to connect civic life and shared memory. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, he joins The Culture Show to reflect on the power of orchestral music at historic moments. Keith Lockhart will accept the award on April 16th at Old North Church. To learn more about the ceremony go here. Director Scott Edmiston brings “To Kill a Mockingbird” to life at The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, revisiting a courtroom drama that continues to confront audiences with questions of justice and courage. He joins The Culture Show to discuss why this American classic still resonates. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is onstage through March 22. To learn more go here.Julia Swanson of the Art Walk Project compares WINTERACTIVE and the Boston Public Art Triennial, and explains how placement, context, and play can transform a city block. To learn more about the Art Walk Project, go here. -
March 4, 2026 - Namwali Serpell's "On Morrison," Mary Grant, and the Fitchburg Art Museum at 100
Toni Morrison transformed American literature, reshaping narrative form and placing Black life at the center of her fiction with language both lyrical and unflinching. In her new book “On Morrison,” award-winning novelist and critic Namwali Serpell reexamines Morrison not just as a cultural icon, but as a daring literary architect whose innovations in time, voice, and structure changed what novels can do. Serpell joins The Culture Show to discuss her book and to the radical craft behind Morrison’s enduring work.Mary Grant, president of MassArt, returns for our recurring feature “AI: Actual Intelligence,” where we spotlight original thinking from leaders across our region. Grant joins The Culture Show to share her latest observations on art, education, and the evolving role of creative institutions today.The Fitchburg Art Museum turns 100 this year, celebrating the vision of painter Eleanor Norcross, who believed a mill town deserved world-class art. Director Nick Capasso joins The Culture Show to discuss the museum’s century of growth, its bilingual community focus, and plans for four years of centennial events and free admission. To learn more go here. -
March 3, 2026 - Astronaut Cady Coleman, BSO x NEC Alliance, and Battlemode's Boston Bitdown
Astronaut Cady Coleman spent nearly six months aboard the International Space Station, contributing to scientific research while orbiting Earth more than 2,500 times. A chemist, Air Force officer, and NASA veteran, she helped expand the role of women in spaceflight during a pivotal era of exploration. In her book Sharing Space, she reflects on what life in orbit taught her about curiosity, collaboration, and making room for others to follow. Tomorrow night you can catch her for an author talk at the BPL’s Central Library in Copley Square at 6:00.For generations, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New England Conservatory have shaped classical music — with BSO musicians teaching at NEC and NEC-trained artists stepping onto Symphony Hall stages. Now, a new BSO x NEC alliance formalizes that relationship, strengthening opportunities for mentorship, training, and performance. Chad Smith, President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Andrea Kalyn, President of the New England Conservatory, join us to discuss what this means for the future of music in Boston.The Boston electronic group Battlemode uses Game Boys to create chiptune, a genre built from the 8-bit sounds of early video games. They’re also behind Boston Bitdown, a multi-day festival featuring more than 50 performers from across the country, running March 5 through 8 at venues across Greater Boston. Battlemode joins us to demonstrate how a handheld gaming device becomes a tool for live music. To learn more about Boston Bitdown go here.
