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New limited series adapts Patrick Radden Keefe’s investigation of The Troubles
Dorchester native Patrick Radden Keefe joins The Culture Show to talk about the FX series "Say Nothing," an adaptation of his bestselling book.
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September 27, 2024 - Week in Review: Maggie Smith, a New England treasure hunt, and SNL at 50
Today Edgar B. Herwick III, Jared Bowen and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up: we remember actor Dame Maggie Smith, who has died at age 89. A legend of the British stage, she also won Oscars, Tonys and Golden Globes. She enchanted new generations by way of Harry Potter. And, then of course, she was the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey everyone wanted to sit next to for her delicious courses of wit. From there it’s a new narrative for the videogame The Legend of Zelda. It’s the princess who’s now doing the saving. Then Project Skydrop, which sounds like a quest you’d find in The Legend of Zelda. Superstar video game designers have invented a real life event that has sent people scouring the woods of New England for golden treasure.And, Saturday Night Live turns 50. Now old enough to have an AARP membership, does it still have its edge and cultural relevance.First up: Project Skydrop. It’s what happens when superstar video game designers invent a real life event – a treasure hunt, which now has people scouring the woods of New England in search of buried treasure.. From there, a spin on cancel culture. Called “click to cancel,” a new law in California makes it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. Plus, if less is more, are Americans ready for a super-downsize –me movement, as the restaurant industry considers serving up smaller portions?Finally, SNL turns 50. Now old enough to have an AARP membership, does it still have its edge and cultural relevance? -
September 26, 2024 - Liz Cheney, Poetry Downtown Festival, and Joyce Kulhawik on Boston theatre
Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She has become an astute observer of the ever widening cultural divide in American politics. Now in her memoir, “Oath and Honor,” she paints a scathing portrait of the Republican party, condemning her former colleagues and party leaders who after the 2020 election were willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump. From there, it’s poetry in motion. A traveling festival, celebrating the legacy of Edgar Allan Poe kicks off in Boston, launching its four-city tour. Dutch artist Erik van Loon, founder of the Poetry Downtown Festival joins The Culture Show with a previewFinally, Joyce Kulhawik is here for Balancing Acts, a look at the latest plays in the area with a focus on what to prioritize amid the bounty of productions. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter, president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association and you can find her reviews on joyceschoices.com -
September 25, 2024 - Uzo Aduba, Fall Into Dance, and Pedro Alonzo
Uzo Aduba, the award-winning actress spans television, film, and theater. Her road to success is explained in her debut memoir “The Road is Good: How a Mother’s Strength Became a Daughter's Purpose.” In the book, Aduba tells her own coming-of-age story, growing up in Medfield, Massachusetts and studying the Arts at Boston University, by simultaneously telling the story of her late Mother. She joins us ahead of her Harvard Book Store event this Friday.From there, we leap into the Dance Complex’s fall programming. Now in its 34th year, New England’s largest dance hub is kicking off its fall season this Friday with Fall Into Dance, a free public celebration in collaboration with Boston Dance Alliance. Peter DiMuro, Executive Artistic Director of the Dance Complex, joins The Culture Show to talk about the legacy of the Dance Complex and what is in store for dance enthusiasts this fall.Finally, Culture Show contributor, Pedro Alonzo joins us with an update on the Boston Triennial and a new public art installation that’s making a splash in Central Wharf Park, “Whale Song,” by artist Jean-Marie Appriou. -
September 24, 2024 - Mamma Mia!, The Chinese Way cookbook, and Paul Revere's copper legacy
“Mamma Mia!” The musical’s 25th anniversary tour has arrived at the Citizen’s Opera House by way of Broadway in Boston. “Mamma Mia!” is full of surprise appearances, comic situations and misunderstandings that culminate in an unexpected wedding. It has all the makings of a Shakespearean comedy, only it’s told through ABBA’s greatest hits. Phyllida Lloyd, a theater powerhouse, known for putting women center stage, directed the hit musical and then the 2008 film. She joins us to talk about 25 years of “Mamma Mia!”From there, in her latest cookbook, “The Chinese Way,” Betty Liu debunks the myths about traditional Chinese cooking, breaking down the fundamentals and showing us how we can apply them to everyday meals.Finally, Paul Revere risked every farthing he owned to open the country’s first copper mill in the early 1800’s. A new exhibit at the Paul Revere Museum honors his innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Joyce Stenmon, the exhibition’s curator, joins us for an overview. -
September 23, 2024 - Amor Towles, CineFest Latino Boston, and the Countdown to 2026
Writer Amor Towles is the bestselling author of “Rules of Civility,” “A Gentleman in Moscow,” and “The Lincoln Highway.” Now he has another bestseller, “Table for Two.” His latest book is a collection of short stories that land us in New York. The second part of the book moves us to Los Angeles in a novella set during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Towles joins The Culture Show ahead of his appearance at the Emerson Colonial Theatre on September 24th to talk about “Table for Two,” his creative process, and what it was like to see “A Gentleman in Moscow,” come to life by way of a Paramount+ limited series starring Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.From there Independent filmmaker Sabrina Aviles, founder and executive director of CineFest Latino Boston joins us for an overview of the annual film festival highlighting the Latino experience with films made by Latinos about Latinos. The festival kicks off on September 25th and runs through September 29th.Finally, as we wind up the countdown clock to America’s 250th anniversary, we’re launching a new series with historian Catherine Allgor leading the way. In her inaugural appearance she focuses on what Boston was like on the eve of the American Revolutionary War, and the people on the ground who ultimately became “we the people.” Allgor also has some book recommendations: “A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence” by Ray Raphael; “The Boston Massacre: A Family History,” by Serena R. Zabin; “This History of Boston,” by Daniel Dain.
