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Martha’s Vineyard reflects on ‘Jaws’ impact, 50 years after the iconic film’s release
Martha’s Vineyard is in the middle of an invasion this summer — one inspired by a 50-year-old mechanical shark and the movie that made it famous.
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June 16, 2025 - Frederick Douglass in opera, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and the Battle of Bunker Hill at 250
Frederick Douglass had a life that could be described as operatic. The late composer Ulysses Kay, in his last major work, saw that it was. The Boston Modern Orchestra Project, in partnership with Odyssey Opera, is presenting the New England premiere of “Frederick Douglass ” on June 20th at Jordan Hall. The piece centers on a fictionalized account of the final year of the renowned Black abolitionist and statesman. It’s conducted by Gil Rose, who is the founder and conductor of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and founder and General-Artistic Director of Odyssey Opera. The lead vocalist is bassist Kenneth Kellogg as Douglass. They join The Culture Show at GBH’s Fraser Performance studio to talk about the work and to perform. To learn more about the opera go here.From there we head to the Berkshires for the 93rd annual Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, which runs from June 25 to August 24 in Becket, MA. Pamela Tatge, the Executive & Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow, joins The Culture Show for an overview. To learn about their lineup go hereFinally we continue our countdown to 2026 with a look at the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill and the upcoming reenactment. Sheila Green, the MA 250 Coordinator for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and Annie Harris, CEO of Essex National Heritage Commission join The Culture Show for an overview. The Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment is June 21st at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA. To learn more go here. -
June 13, 2025 - Week in Review: Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, and the return of smoking
Culture Show cohosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, they remember and celebrate the legacies of Brian WIlson, the musical genius behind the Beach Boys and Sly Stone, the frontman, singer and songwriter of Sly & the Family Stone. From there they recap the latest developments in the legal feud between Justin Baldoni and superstar couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds; they discuss pioneering ballerina Misty Copeland who has decided to retire and they look at the return of the cigarette, no longer a taboo people are lighting up on the big and small screens.Finally, it’s Follow up Friday, an update on the stories they’ve been tracking, which includes the financial future of public media as the House of Representatives votes to claw back 1.1 billion dollars of federal funding. -
June 12, 2025 - The work of David Drake, Hello Dolly, and the Roxbury International Film Festival
The American Revolution frame by frame. Today we continue our series with the Museum of Fine Arts, looking at works in their collection that give us insight into the people and pivotal moments that shaped America's fight for freedom. Today, it’s where poetry meets pottery with the work of David Drake. Joining us to discuss Drake's work and what it symbolizes are Ethan Lasser, John Moors Cabot Chair, Art of the Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts and Charmaine WIlkerson, a New York Times bestselling author. From there, Hello Dolly. We won’t let the parade pass you by on a new production of the classic musical about the toiling matchmaker with designs on her own romance. We're joined by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, the show's director, and Elliot Norton award winner Aimee Doherty, who stars as the larger than life Dolly Gallagher Levi. For more information, click here.And, it’s screen time. We get a preview of the Roxbury International Film Fest. Rox Film is the largest New England film festival highlighting films by, for and about people of color. This year's program includes features, documentaries, shorts, and the largest number of local films ever. Artistic and executive director Lisa Simmons joins us. For more information, go here. -
June 11, 2025 - Adam Met, Ian Shaw and Mike Glier
Adam Met—member of the multi-platinum band AJR, climate advocate, and educator—joins The Culture Show to talk about his book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World. On June 13th he’ll be at the First Parish Church in Cambridge for a Harvard Book Store event. To learn more go here.From there we continue our celebration of the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” with playwright and actor Ian Shaw, son of late “Jaws” star Robert Shaw. He brought the story behind the movie to the stage with the play “The Shark Is Broken,” which he co-wrote with Joseph Nixon.Finally Artist Mike Glier joins The Culture Show to preview the inaugural Arrival Art Fair in North Adams. Arrival Art Fair kicks off on June 12th and runs through June 15th and is situated at the TOURISTS hotel. To learn more about Arrival go here. -
June 10, 2025 - Dr. Robert Waldinger, Penguin Retirement Home and Lauren Stowell
Since 1938 researchers at Harvard have been studying the lives of hundreds of people and their families to discover what makes us happy. Some of the key findings were in the New York Times bestselling book, “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness,” by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Marc Shulz. Now out in paperback, Dr. Robert Waldinger joins The Culture Show to talk about this research. He is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.From there we get an overview of the New England Aquarium’s “retirement home” island for aging penguins. Kristen McMahon, the aquarium's curator of pinnipeds and penguins, joins The Culture Show.Finally Emmy Award-winning director Lauren Stowell joins The Culture Show to talk about the HBO documentary series “Celtics City,” which is available to stream on Max.
