Episodes
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October 15, 2024 - Nassim Soleimanpour on his play "Nassim"
“Nassim,” is Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour's audacious new theatrical experiment. Each night a different VIP performs, while the script waits unseen in a sealed box. Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, “Nassim” is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us. Presented by The Huntington Theatre Company, it’s onstage through October 27th at At the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Nassim Soleiman joins The Culture Show to talk about this work, his background and his creative process. -
October 14, 2024 - Billy Bragg, Jeffrey Gibson, and Indigenous public art
Billy Bragg, one of the most outspoken singer-songwriters of his generation, he’s known for his labor activism and for his lyrics that range from romantic to radically political, with a constant throughline of hope for a better tomorrow. He’s released music and toured extensively with Wilco, putting unreleased lyrics by legendary American protest singer and activist Woody Guthrie to music. His latest album, “The Roaring Forty,” compiles dozens of iconic and deep-cut tracks from his now forty-plus year career. Billy Bragg’s “Roaring Forty” tour is well underway. He’ll be performing at the Chevalier Theater in Medford tonight.From there, Boston is now brighter and bolder by way of a new mural by Jeffrey Gibson at Dewey Square on The Greenway. Jeffrey Gibson is a multidisciplinary artist who is representing the United States at this year’s Venice Biennale. And it is historic. Gibson, whose ancestry includes Choctaw and Cherokee forebears, is the first Indigenous American to receive the honor of a solo show in the U.S. pavilion. He is an artist who fuses Indigenous aesthetics, history, politics, and pop culture –packing a powerful punch. Not just for the electrifying visuals but because in Gibson’s work there is a message as it grapples with questions of identity, oppression, and the struggle for freedom. Titled “your spirit whispering in my ear,” the mural is commissioned by The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in collaboration with Mass MoCA. In addition to the mural, Jeffrey Gibson’s project at MASS MoCA, titled “POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT,” will open on November 3rd. Finally, to commemorate Indigenous People's Day, Culture Show contributor Julia Swanson takes us on a tour of public artworks that honor Indigenous culture. She’s a multidisciplinary artist and award winning photographer who is the creator of The Art Walk Project, a series of self-guided micro tours. -
October 11, 2024 - Week in Review: TikTok lawsuits, The Apprentice biopic, and Bond girls
Today Jared Bowen, James Bennett II and Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, more than a dozen states, including Massachusetts, are suing Tik Tok, alleging that its algorithm was deliberately designed to get people hooked – violating consumer protection laws and causing a teenage mental health crisis along the way. We’ll look at what it means to be a society under the influencer.From there, the controversial Trump biopic, “The Apprentice,” is out, following a beleaguered journey to its theatrical release, from legal fights to fighting to find a distributor. Plus it’s the end of an era for Boston's fine-dining scene. Chef Barbara Lynch, whose reputation has been marred recently by reports of being abusive and volatile, is closing all of her remaining restaurants. -
October 10, 2024 - Michael Patrick MacDonald and Every Body Belongs
Writer Michael Patrick MacDonald’s bestselling memoir, “All Souls” is about growing up in South Boston during the 1970’s. It was a place that was ravaged by extreme poverty, Whitey Bulger’s crime ring, drugs and racial strife amid the Boston busing crisis.Published in 1999, Michael Patrick Macdonald is marking the 25th anniversary of “All Souls” with a new edition and a series of events. He joins us to talk about what’s changed and what hasn’t since “All Souls” sent so many readers soul searching about a community in distress. You can catch Michael Patrick MacDonald on October 27th at the Jamestown Arts Center in Jamestown, Rhode IslandFrom there we get a jump on Boston Fashion Week, which kicks off on October 13th. Amid the events is one that is celebrating inclusivity by truly being inclusive, it’s called “Every Body Belongs.” It is a celebration at the intersection of fashion and community, featuring designs from both adaptive and traditional designers, with models of all ages and abilities. Kristie Raymond, founder and owner of HumanKind Casting, which is organizing the event, joins The Culture Show with a preview. “Every Body Belongs” is on October 15th, 6:00-8:00 at Garage B at the Charles River Speedway in Brighton. -
October 9, 2024 - Davóne Tines and the American Repertory Theater's new complex
The bass-baritone Davóne Tines has earned a reputation for challenging traditions in classical music and using art to confront social problems. Now he’s collaborating with the Boston-based chamber orchestra, A Far Cry, on the program entitled CODED, which explores the legacy of Black spirituals.It will be performed in Boston on October 11th at NEC’s Jordan Hall and In New London, CT at Connecticut College on October 13th .And, five years after Harvard University announced plans to relocate and expand the American Repertory Theater, work is underway on the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. Get an inside look here. The new complex will include two performance venues, rehearsal studios and teaching space, and an outdoor performance area designed to host ticketed and free programming. Designed by the British architecture firm Haworth Tompkins with local architecture partner ARC and theater consultant Charcoalblue, Haworth Tompkins associate director and architect Tom Gibson joins The Culture Show to talk about what has gone into designing the multi-use space. -
October 8, 2024 - Steve Locke, Lynn's haunted pirate cave, and Beasties: A Sci-Fi Rock Opera
Artist Steve Locke’s 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. Formerly a fixture in Boston where he was on the faculty of MassArt, Locke is now based in New York where he’s a professor of fine art at Pratt Institute. He joins the Culture Show to talk about his work.From there Edgar B. Herwick III literally goes into the underworld to find out if the cave at Dungeon Rock in Lynn, MA is haunted.Finally Gary Sohmers, the writer, lyricist, creator and producer of “Beasties: A Sci-Fi Rock Opera” joins The Culture Show to talk about its world premier at the Regent Theatre in Arlington. -
October 7, 2024 - BACHtoberfest, Van Leeuwen, and Be the Change
Music Worcester’s THE COMPLETE BACH is an audacious 11 year project, which Music Worcester has launched to present all of the known works of J. S. Bach. Every season, beginning with 2024-2025, will feature a dozen concerts with music from each genre of Bach’s massive compositional output. it will wrap up on March 21, 2035—the 350th anniversary of the Baroque master’s birth.And it all begins with the inaugural BACHtoberfest, which kicks off October 25th and runs through October 27th at Mechanics Hall.Adrien Finlay, Music Worcester’s Executive Director, and Chris Shepard, Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH and also the director of both The Worcester Chorus and CONCORA joinThe Culture Show to talk about it all.From there Ben Van Leeuwen, CEO and cofounder of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, gives us the scoop on the third Van Leeuwen scoop shop to open this month in Harvard Square. In April they opened up a scoop shop in Chestnut Hill and in September they opened a location in the Seaport District and there are more to come.Finally, we look at a public art movement, “Be the Change.” One of the traditions of the Jewish faith is the Tzedakah box, which is used to collect change for those in need as well as being a symbol of a commitment to justice. Now in its third year, “Be the Change” is both a response to global injustices and a call to action. Six artists have created large, outdoor sculptures–a variation on a tzedakah box – which interprets their chosen social justice issues. These are located at 92 Van Ness street in the Fenway. The installation is on view through October 24th and it’s presented by the Jewish Arts Collaborative. Laura Mandel, Executive Director of JArts, joins The Culture Show. -
October 4, 2024 - Week in Review: Gen-Z slang, Kris Kristofferson, and John Amos
Today The Culture Show’s co-hosts Edgar B Herwick III, Callie Crossley and James Bennett II go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review,First up, Merriam-Webster Dictionary adds 200 new words to the lexicon, which includes Gen Z slang such as “touching grass,” and “ FYP,” And after guiding the Celtics to victory, Jaylen Brown lands on the cover of TIME Magazine’s 100 list. From there we remember baseball legend Pete Rose, and the huge asterisk that gambling left on his legacy; we’ll reflect on the career of actor John Amos, known for being outspoken and playing the patriarch on “Good Times,” and we’ll listen to the influence that Kris Kristofferson had on country music. -
October 3, 2024 - Barron Ryan, Guillaume Lethiere exhibition, and Boston's Blessing of the Animals
Pianist and composer Barron Ryan joins The Culture Show ahead of his performance tonight at Mechanics Hall. As part of their “Beyond the Frames: A Series in Jazz,” he will debut an original work inspired by William and Martha Brown, business owners and abolitionists who lived in Worcester in the 1800s.From there Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute, joins The Culture Show to discuss their current exhibition, Guillaume Lethière, which is the first major exhibition of the painter's work.Finally, Father Frank Sevola is Guardian of St. Anthony Shrine, the Church on Arch Street and George Comeau is Senior Manager of Destination Events for the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District join The Culture Show to preview this Sunday’s Blessing of the Animals and the 10th annual Doggone Halloween Parade. Both pet-friendly and pet-centric events will take place at Downtown Crossing. -
October 2, 2024 - Reynaliz Herrera, Urinetown: The Musical, and The Importance of Being Furnished
Reynaliz Herrera is a classically trained percussionist who found her voice when she realized that a bicycle is a wildly versatile percussive instrument. She is a musician, an educator and founder of Ideas, Not Theories, a theatrical percussion company for unconventional percussion instruments. She joins us to talk about her debut album, “BIKEncerto: a concerto for solo bicycle and orchestra”, Reynaliz Hererra has two upcoming performances. One is at the Museum of Science On October 5th, and on November 14th she’ll be performing at the MIT Museum as part of their “After Dark” series.From there Courtney O’Connor, Producing Artistic Director at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, joins The Culture Show to talk about their production of “Urinetown: The Musical,” which is onstage through October 20th. Finally, R. Tripp Evans joins The Culture Show to talk about his book, “The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home.” and the exhibition that he guest curated for Historic New England, The Importance of Being Furnished, which is on view through October 27, 2024. R. Tripp Evans is Professor of the History of Art at Wheaton College.
