Every week, WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen sums up the exhibitions, theater, movies and music you should check out in and around Boston.
Billy Elliot the Musical, presented at Wheelock Family Theatre through February 26
Wheelock Family Theatre's Synopsis: "The inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true, set in a northern English mining town. Follow Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and community…and changes his life forever."
Jared Says: "If you want to get the kids out of the house this weekend and take them to a terrific show, this is the one!"
City Science: The Science You Live, a new permanent exhibition on view at the EcoTarium
Ecotarium's Synopsis: "Discover the hidden science stories all around us at the EcoTarium’s newest, hands-on interactive exhibit, City Science. ... This new, 2,500 square foot exhibit incorporates live animals, interactive components, and natural history specimens, to give children and families the opportunity to experiment, engineer, and observe the science that is happening on our streets and in our neighborhoods. Experience firsthand that the way we design and build our cities has many impacts on people, animals, civic life, and the larger environment. Inspired by the City of Worcester, City Science features a magnificent three-dimensional, 60-foot long cityscape mural, which highlights iconic structures in Worcester."
Jared Says: "An opportunity not for kids to just learn, but to teach their parents - or arts reporters - something new."
A Revolution in Color: The Work of John Singleton Copley, in stores
Norton Publishers' Synopsis: This bold new history recovers an unknown American Revolution as seen through the eyes of Boston-born painter John Singleton Copley. ... An intimate portrait of the artist and his extraordinary times, Jane Kamensky’s A Revolution in Color masterfully reveals the world of the American Revolution, a place in time riven by divided loyalties and tangled sympathies. Much like the world in which he lived, Copley’s life and career were marked by spectacular rises and devastating falls. But though his ambivalence cost him dearly, the painter’s achievements in both Britain and America made him a towering figure of both nations’ artistic legacies.
Jared Says: "A Revolution in Color paints a very different picture of John Singleton Copley"
The LEGO Batman Movie, in theaters February 10
Warner Brothers' Synopsis: "In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble - LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up."
Jared Says: "The kids will love it, and I think the adults will very much appreciate the satire."
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This post has been updated.
