The Culture Show Podcast

Alton Brown, the television personality, food show presenter, food scientist, author, voice actor, and cinematographer joins The Culture Show to talk about his new book “Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations.” It’s a debut collection of personal essays defined by his flair, wit, and insight. On February 8th at 1:00 you can catch Alton Brown at a book signing event at Harvard Book Store, more details here. Brown will return to Boston by way of his “Last Bite” tour at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on March 14th. To learn more go here.From there Beth Gilligan, Deputy Director at Coolidge Corner Theatre, previews their upcoming series “Cary Grant: The Man From Dream City,” which runs February 4th through February 25th. To learn more go here.Finally Kate Hamill, actor and playwright, joins The Culture Show to talk about “The Odyssey. ” Commissioned by the American Repertory Theater, Hamill turns a contemporary lens on Homer’s “Odyssey,” reimagining the stories of both Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, and asking how we can learn to embrace healing and forgiveness in order to end cycles of violence and revenge. “The Odyssey,” is onstage at ART’s Loeb Drama Center February 9th through March 16th. To learn more go here.

Culture Show co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, the Oscar nominations are out and “Emilia Pérez” breaks the record for the most Oscar nominations for a foreign language film. “Wicked” and “The Brutalist” aren’t far behind, with each movie garnering 10 Oscar nods. We’ll look at the other surprises, snubs and snoozers.And, “The Brutalist” might be shining at the Oscars, but the light is going out on modern architecture with President Trump’s executive order, mandating classical architecture for all federal buildings.Plus it’s a tabloid takedown, with Prince Harry settling a legal battle with Rupert Murdoch –winning an apology and an eight figure sum. Finally, The Doobie Brothers, George Clinton and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins are among the Songwriter Hall of Fame 2025 inductees.

The documentary film, “Resistance: They Fought Back” tells the little-known story of how widespread and prevalent Jewish resistance to Nazi barbarism was during World War II. The film’s Executive Producer Paula Apsell joins The Culture Show to talk about it ahead of its premiere on PBS, January 27th, which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. To learn more about how to watch it, go here. Paula Apsell is a Senior Executive Producer Emerita of “Nova” and “Nova Science Now” and CEO of Leading Edge Productions.From there Chemehuevi photographer Cara Romero joins The Culture Show to talk about her first major solo exhibition at the Hood Museum of Art, Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light). Spanning the past decade of her work, this exhibition presents a thematic examination of Romero's complex and layered images, which celebrate the multiplicity, beauty, and resilience of Native American and Indigenous experiences.Finally we look at the state of the craft brewing industry. In a recent New York Times article, Joshua M. Bernstein writes about its breakneck growth over the decades, and its decline. 2024 marked the first time since 2005 that more breweries closed than opened. Joshua M. Bernstein is an award-winning writer and beer, spirits, food and wine journalist. His latest book is “The Complete Beer Course.”

The dynamic dining duo, Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa join the Culture Show to go over the local restaurant acne, from the latest openings, to the latest closings and must-have meals. Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa are co-hosts of NESN's "Dining Playbook" and "Meet Boston with Billy and Jenny.” Their new book is “A Taste of Boston: The Definitive Cookbook of the City We Love.” From there it’s countdown to the Boston Public Art Triennial. It will feature 18 large-scale public art commissions, by local, national and international artists. Including the artist collective and self-proclaimed “public secret society,” New Red Order, whose work imagines what an Indigenous future could look like. Multimedia artist Jackson Polys is one of the core members. Polys and culture show contributor Pedro Alonzo, who is Artistic Director of the Boston Public Art Triennial, join The Culture Show.Finally, we get an overview of the Boston Public Library’s Winter Reading Challenge to read a book by an author from each of six geographic regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Veronica Koven-Matasy, the reader services supervisor at the central library in Copley Square, joins The Culture Show for an overview.

“Forbidden Broadway,” is a Tony award-winning show that skewers Broadway musicals with love. It’s the brainchild of playwright and parodist Gerard Alessandrini. Debuting in 1982, Alessandrini has created multiple iterations of “Forbidden Broadway.” His latest production is “Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song. “ Alessandrini, a Needham native and founding father of the spoof “Spamilton” joins The Culture Show for a preview of “Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song,” which is onstage at the Emerson Colonial Theatre for three performances, February 8th and 9th. To learn more, go here.From there we’re joined by Mumbai-based writer and director Payal Kapadia, Her debut dramatic feature film, “All We Imagine as Light” has garnered international acclaim, which includes the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Closer to home, she recently received The Coolidge Breakthrough Artist Award. Her film will be opening in multiple theatres across Boston this Friday, January 24th. For a deeper look at the film, on February 9th “All We Imagine as Light,” will be featured at West Newton Cinema’s “Behind the Screen” event. To learn more, go here.Finally, writer Karen Valby joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest book, “The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History,” It is among the New York Times’ 100 Notable books of 2024.

Culture Show co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III discuss President Trump’s inauguration through the lens of arts and culture. They’ll also focus on what Trump’s presidency will mean for the arts and culture sector.From there we mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a conversation about The Embrace memorial and sculpture on Boston Common, which honors Martin Luther King, Jr., Correta Scott King and their fight for civil rights. Jha D. Amazi joins us to talk about the collaborative effort that went into creating The Embrace, which was crafted by MASS Design Group in partnership with artist Hank Willis Thomas. Jha D. Amazi is a senior associate at MASS Design Group, and Director of the Public Memory and Memorials Design Lab. Finally, Culture Show contributor Julia Swanson takes us on a public art tour of the public art throughout Greater Boston that honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. Julia Swanson is a multidisciplinary artist and award-winning photographer who is the creator of The Art Walk Project, a series of self-guided micro tours.

Culture Show co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week in review:First up: the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision upholding a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the platform in order for the app to continue operations in the United States. What could this mean for the social media juggernaut, and for free speech?From there, we remember the legacy of the innovative and industrious filmmaker, artist and composer David Lynch, who died at age 78. He radicalized film and influenced a generation of actors and directors. And California is still ablaze, leaving a number of architectural landmarks in ashes and disrupting awards season, prompting a debate if they should be televised–or even happen– amid the devastation.Finally, Bad Bunny returns to his roots with a concert residency in Puerto Rico.

In 1991 New England Law Professor Mary Joe Frug was murdered in Harvard Square. More than 30 years on, the case remains unsolved. Michael Cassidy was a prosecutor in Massachusetts when the crime was committed. He’s been haunted by the slaying ever since. One way to grapple with it, write a legal thriller based on the case. His inaugural novel is titled “‘When the Past is All Deception.” He joins The Culture Show to talk about writing the legal thriller. Michael Cassidy is a nationally recognized expert in criminal law and legal ethics and a professor of law at Boston College Law School.From there it’s cooking up a new way to teach, literally. Erica Pernice, an adjunct faculty member at Rhode Island School of Design, is teaching her industrial design students product development in the kitchen. It’s a place where they can learn how to Iterate, critique, and control one variable at a time and iterate again, and again.Finally Andrés Holder, Executive Director of Boston Children’s Chorus joins The Culture Show to preview their 22nd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute concert, “Road to Freedom,” which explores the legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. The performance is on January 20th at 4:00 at Symphony Hall. To learn more, go here.

Pianist and composer Barron Ryan joins “The Culture Show” ahead of his January 17th concert at the First Congregational Church in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. His latest album is “There Arises Light in the Darkness.” To learn more about Barron Ryan’s concert go here.Tara Sellios is a Boston based artist whose photographs highlight the beauty of the grotesque. Sellios creates still life vignettes from organic materials including animal bones, insect specimens, and dried flowers which she photographs using a large format 8 X 10 camera. Her new exhibition, "Tara Sellios: Ask Now the Beasts" is on view at the Fitchburg Art Museum January 18, 2025 - January 18, 2026. To learn more, go here.WINTERACTIVE is back. The free, walkable art experience features more than 15 artworks and interactive play elements. Michael Nichols and Mike Geiger join The Culture Show for an overview. Michael Nicols is the President of the Downtown Boston Alliance, which is hosting and producing WINTERACTIVE in partnership with Quebec-based curatorial partners and independent artists working in Boston, Canada, and beyond. Mike Geiger is an artist whose light installation, “Nature’s Glow,” is featured among the WINTERACTIVE works of public art.

Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show to preview Embrace Boston’s Imari Paris Jeffries of Embrace honors MLK gala, which celebrates the legacies of outstanding civic, business, and community leaders in Boston and across the country. The gala is Sunday, January 19th, To learn more, go here.From there we get a preview of Le Prestige’s upcoming show at Lizard Lounge. Chris Forkey, the band's leader, composer and bassist along with John Glenshaw, the band’s drummer, join The Culture Show to talk about their music. Le Prestige will be performing on January 22nd. To learn more, go here. Finally David Malan joins The Culture Show to talk about his vision for Arlington’s Regent Theatre. He is professor of computer science at Harvard university and he recently joined the historic Regent Theatre in Arlington as its operator.

Choreographer Mark Morris joins The Culture Show to talk about “The Look of Love,” which is an homage to the music of Burt Bacharach. The show features music newly arranged by jazz pianist, composer, and Mark Morris Dance Group’s musical collaborator Ethan Iverson. The show is a fusion of dance and music with an ensemble of vocals, piano, trumpet, bass, and drums, led by singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell. The Look of Love is presented by Global arts live. It is onstage at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre January 23rd through January 26th. To learn more, go here.From there we’re joined by contemporary artist Kay WalkingStick. A member of the Cherokee Nation who is also of European descent, her paintings of the American landscape explore relationships between people and the earth. She discusses an exhibition now on view at the Addison Gallery of American Art through February 2nd, “Kay WalkingStick/Hudson River School”Finally Mary Grant, president of MassArt, joins The Culture Show to remember president Jimmy Carter as a president for the arts. She also discusses the Berkshires arts scene, plus her top art experiences of 2024.

The Culture Show's co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III talk through the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up - Southern California is ablaze, and unprecedented wildfires have spared no one. Hollywood celebrities - from Billy Crystal to Paris Hilton – are posting images of how the flames have destroyed their homes. Could their platform help to amplify both the environmental emergency and the heroism of the firefighters in a race to save people’s lives?From there, Amazon is set to release a new documentary about Melania Trump, which promises to be an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at the incoming first lady’s life” Skeptics call it a “vanity project” since the former future first lady is the film’s executive producer. Plus, as Silicon Valley prepares for another Trump Presidency, Mark Zuckerberg is unfriending fact-checks, saying they curb censorship. . Fact-checkers say he’s got his facts on how fact-checking actually works all wrong, From there - Jennifer Coolidge fans are in disbelief as they claim the White Lotus actress dropped her act and used her "real voice" in a recent interview.

The movie “Maria,” the biopic about the famed soprano Maria Callas, has received mixed reviews from movie critics. We want to know what someone familiar with opera thinks about the film. Enter Jane Eaglen, a Grammy-winning dramatic soprano who’s performed on the world’s greatest stages. She joined The Culture Show for her take on “Maria.” Jane Eaglen is on the faculty at New England Conservatory and is the President of the Boston Wagner Society. From there, we look at an underground art movement, literally. Culture Show contributor Julia Swanson takes us on a tour of the MBTA’s subway art scene. Julia Swanson is a multidisciplinary artist and award winning photographer who is the creator of The Art Walk Project – a series of self-guided micro tours of art across Greater Boston.Finally, James Parker joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest book “Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive.” He’s a staff writer at “The Atlantic.” Since 2011 he has been running the Black Seed Writers Group—a weekly writing workshop for homeless, transitional, and recently housed writers–and editing “The Pilgrim,” a literary magazine from the homeless community of downtown Boston.

The City of Lynn, Massachusetts, has opened an application process to select its inaugural Poet Laureate. LaCrecia Thomson, Arts and Culture Planner for the City of Lynn. joins The Culture Show, to talk about how this endeavor will help to deepen Lynn’s cultural legacy. The application process is open through January 31st. To learn more, go here.From there it’s artist and designer Beau McCall. He creates wearable and visual art by hand-sewing clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. Beau McCall’s first-ever retrospective “Buttons On!” is on view at the Fuller Craft Museum through February 2nd. The retrospective showcases pieces from McCall’s nearly forty-year career, the debut of several new works, and select archival material. Organized into several themes, the exhibition explores McCall’s mastery of the button and commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice. To learn more about the exhibition, go here.Finally Mahesh Daas, President of Boston Architectural College, joins The Culture Show for his analysis of “The Brutalist.” The critically acclaimed film centers on a Jewish architect who arrives in America after WWII hoping to build a new life. Mahesh Daas is a Culture Show contributor who joins us monthly. He is co-author of the graphic novella about artificial intelligence, titled “I, Nobot.”

Tomasina Ray, Director of Collections at RMS Titanic Inc., joins The Culture Show with an overview of “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.” The exhibition brings us face to face with the dramatic maritime disaster. Visitors encounter artifacts from all manner of life aboard the Titanic, all recovered from the ocean floor. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” is on view at The Castle at Park Plaza through Memorial Day.Michael Berthaud is a 23 year old video game designer and multimedia artist born and raised in Boston. He joins the Culture Show to talk about his interactive public art installation “Sweet Spot.” It’s on view outside the Nubian Square Library in Roxbury through Jan. 31, as part of the Boston Public Art Triennial Accelerator program.Finally Erica Wall, Director of the Lunder Institute for American Art, an initiative of the Colby College Museum of Art, joins the Culture Show to talk about how she has been convening a conversation among numerous art institutions about the state of American art and what needs to be done to make it more accessible.

The New Bedford Art Museum in partnership with the New Bedford Free Public Library and Look North Gallery presents: “Arctic Voices,” an exhibition representing artistic responses to the arctic region across time and cultures. One of the featured artists, Betsey Biggs, joins The Culture Show along with Suzanne de Vegh, executive director of the New Bedford Art Museum. The exhibition features Betsey Biggs’ piece “MELT,” a remix of her immersive music film, titled “MELT: The Memory of Ice.” "Arctic Voices" is on view through February 23rd. To learn more, go here.From there we talk to Erika Rumbley, co-founder and director of The New Garden Society, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The non-profit is run by horticulturists, landscapers and farmers who are working to expand green industry opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in Greater-Boston. Erika Rumbley is also the director of horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.Finally it’s screen time with Ned Hinkle, the creative director of The Brattle Theatre. He joins The Culture Show to preview their upcoming series “(Some of) The Best of 2024.” The series runs January 15th through January 30th. To learn more go here.

The Culture Show's co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III talk through the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, Popeye the Sailor is famous for his catchphrase “I yam what I yam.” Now he’s whoever you want him to be. Popeye –along with Heminginway’s “Farewell to Arms,” and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” are among the thousands of creations whose copyrights expired this week. From there it’s President Jimmy Carter, the prolific writer. He wrote over 30 books, ranging from poetry, novels and memoirs. We’ll look at his literary legacy. Plus in 2024 moviegoers were truly repeat offenders. Nine of the top 10 box office hits this year were sequels. And number 10 was the prequel, “Wicked.”Speaking of spinoffs, has Walmart bested the Birkin Bag with its budget-friendly “Wirkin Bag"?Finally, the photography of Robert Frank. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has acquired his work capturing life in Paris in the 1940’s.

Curt DiCamillo joins The Culture Show to talk about his new book “A British Country House Alphabet,” which explores intriguing historical events tied to country houses in the UK, with stunning illustrations.Three volumes in total, the first covers the letters A through H. Curt DiCamillo is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British country house. He is also the Curator for Special Collections at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.From there it’s all aboard the Pequod. Amanda McMullen, President and CEO of the New Bedford Whaling Museum joins The Culture Show to preview the 29th annual Moby-Dick Marathon. With related events kicking off on January 3rd, the Moby-Dick Marathon features a 25-hour read-a-thon from Saturday to Sunday, interspersed with exciting Melville-inspired activities. To learn more about the marathon experience, go here. Last but not least, comedian, actor and writer Tony V joins The Culture Show. He discusses the state of Boston’s comedy scene and what it means to be a comedian when comedy, once exempted from cultural norms, has been subjected to political correctness and cancel culture.

The three-time US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky has been lauded as one of the last civic poets. Yes, he’s an esteemed professor and renowned critic of poetry, but he is first and foremost a poet’s populist. It has been his mission to bring poetry to the people and the people to poetry. Robert Pinsky joins The Culture Show to discuss a new collection of work called: “Proverbs of Limbo.” From there, it’s rapper Cakeswagg. By day she is a theater teacher working with youth, and by night, she puts her theatrical skills to use, assuming her larger-than-life alter ego, Cakeswagg. After making a splash at Boston Calling she joins us to talk about her sophomore album, “Michelin Star.”Finally, artist Keefer Glenshaw has turned playing cello into an endurance sport. He’s performed for 24 hours straight. And, with a prompt from Yoko Ono, he performed another work that took him into the woods of Lexington. He joins The Culture Show with a performance and to talk about his creative pursuits.

Coinneach MacLeod is better known as The Hebridean Baker. His simple living, Scottish accent, and photographs of Scotland’s rugged landscape have made him an international bestseller. And then there are his bakes. He joins us to talk about his latest cookbook, “The Hebridean Baker at Home”From there, we head to the North End to find out what makes a perfect meatball and if it’s served with gravy or sauce.Finally, we’ve moved well beyond clam chowder and baked beans. Boston is now a foodie town and a new cookbook, “A Taste of Boston: The Definitive Cookbook of the City We Love,” by Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa, celebrates both our culinary landscape and the chefs who built it.

Today we cross into the underworld by way of “Eurydice.” It’s a hell raising opera, truly. With music by Matthew Aucoin and based on the play “Eurydice,” by Sarah Ruhl, it’s a retelling of the myth of Orpheus, from the perspective of his bride. In this adaptation we follow Eurydice’s descent into the underworld, where her encounters are humorous, and heartbreaking–especially when she reunites with her father…a bond that proves hard to break. Eurydice had its Metropolitan Opera premier in 2021. Then it came here by way of Boston Lyric Opera which debuted a new orchestral arrangement. Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl join The Culture Show to discuss.From there, it’s viva la diva! Have we got it all wrong when it comes to throwing around the terms Diva and Prima Donna? Grammy award-winning diva, I mean soprano Jane Eaglen joins us to break down the opera parlance. Jane Eaglen is on the faculty at New England Conservatory and is the President of the Boston Wagner Society. Finally, countertenor Reginald Mobley joins The Culture Show for an in-studio performance and to talk about his album, Because.

Ben Shattuck’s latest book, “The History of Sound,” is an extraordinary collection of interconnected stories that examine the lives and landscapes of New England. From a farm on Nantucket to the orchards of Hattfield and Barnstable to a logging camp in New Hampshire, Shattuck spans centuries in these haunting, tender and often humorous stories. From there, artist Alex Buchanan, a Coast Guard veteran and former mariner, rope is now his medium of choice. He literally weaves it and other maritime materials together to figuratively weave the threads of waste, ocean health and maritime culture.Finally, artist Jamie Wyeth. He takes us into the darker corners of the world, not to mention his imagination, by way of a collection of works that he says represent unsettling times, from his own personal upheaval to public unrest.

Today on The Culture Show, the one-man media conglomerate: Matt Farley. For him quality IS quantity. The Danvers based singer-songwriter is prolific. He’s written, produced and recorded more than 25,000 songs. He also makes movies, hosts podcasts and writes books. Then, it’s music to environmentalists’ ears. We check in with Adam Gardner. The lead singer of Guster is also leading the way to make the music industry more sustainable. Finally, how many pianos does it take to Celebrate Charles Ives? The pioneer in avant-garde music was recently celebrated at New England Conservatory with a series of concerts marking his 150th birthday. NEC’s Stephen Drury joins us to talk about Ives’ genius and where we can hear his influence today

It’s a story for the past, present and future: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Though it was a reflection of Dickens’ times, the struggle between selfishness and selflessness endures. In Ebeneezer Scrooge, Dickens created both an antagonist and protagonist who went from being a covetous curmudgeon to a repentant man. Today we’re serving up two scoops of Scrooge with actors David Coffee and Karen MacDonald about what it takes to the iconic character.From there we hit the pause button on the Santaland soundtrack to make room for Blue Heron. The vocal ensemble takes us back to 15th century England with medieval music that will put you in the holiday spirit of yore.Finally, the gift that keeps on giving, the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ that’s been wowing audiences in Worcester for years.

Today on The Culture Show Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Callie Crossley are decking the airwaves this hour with a holiday spectacular.First up, the 1946 classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a film about second chances. It’s a film about gratitude. It’s also a great romance story. In Mr. Potter we have one of the best villains in cinematic history. And along the way we get a lesson in banking and New Deal values.From there it’s the film that people love, and actually love to hate: “Love Actually.” The rom com makes people laugh, makes people cry and makes some of you grinches out there cringe. We look at why it’s firmly in the cannon as the ultimate Christmas comfort watch. And Finally, the Christmas colossus known as The Hallmark Channel. It’s only November and Hallmark is already halfway through its “Countdown to Christmas,” broadcasting 40 new holiday films this season. We’ve made our holiday list and we’re checking it twice.

Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson make up the critically acclaimed, genre-defying band DWIGHT & NICOLE. They trace their musical roots through blues, R&B, and soul with a little roots rock, alternative, and Americana sprinkled in. On New Year’s Eve they'll take the stage at Regattabar to perform hits from their acclaimed album, “The Jaguar, The Raven, and The Snake.” Dwight & Nicole join The Culture Show ahead of their Regattabar show for a preview and in-studio performance. To learn more about their New Year’s Eve show, go here.From there we fast track it to Malden. Edgar B. Herwick III takes us to Charles Ro Supply Company. The nation’s largest model train store triples as a museum, a depot for train hobbyists, and a perfect place for holiday shoppers. FinallyCulture Show contributor Lisa Simmons joins us with her list of holiday films: “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey,” “This Christmas,” “Last Holiday,” “The Best Man Holiday,” “Meet Me Next Christmas,” “The Holiday,” and “ The Christmas Chronicles.” Lisa Simmons is the artistic and executive director of the Roxbury International Film Festival and program manager at Mass Cultural Council.

Today Culture Show co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, Boston City Hall. Whether you think it’s a masterpiece or a monstrosity, the Boston Landmarks Commission has voted to recognize one of the city’s most iconic and controversial structures as an historic landmark. But that’s not set in concrete until Mayor Michelle Wu and the City Council weigh in on its artistic significance.From there, a googly eyed bandit is running around Bend, Oregon, outfitting public art with big, cartoonish eyes…and the prankster is still at large.Plus, if you like plunging your hand into a sandworm or the mouth of a wolverine, you’re not alone. We have officially reached peak popcorn bucket with movie theater chains making big bucks by filling novelty items, such as a “Lord of the Rings” hammer or a “Gladiator II” coliseum replica with popcorn.

Ayodele Casel is a trailblazing tap dancer and choreographer. Her tap dancing is at once percussive and poetry in motion. She joins The Culture Show to talk about the world-premiere production, “Diary of a Tap Dancer.” It traces her life – from her first steps in the Bronx and Puerto Rico– and along the way it celebrates the extraordinary and often-overlooked women dancers who broke the tap ceiling. “Diary of a Tap Dancer” is onstage at the American Repertory Theater through January 4th. To learn more, go here.From there we look at the historic restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was made possible by the collective achievement of thousands of craftspeople, builders, firefighters, engineers, and architects. Among them was Will Gusakov. He’s a Vermont woodworker who was part of a New England team helping to rebuild Notre-Dame, working on the timber frame medieval roof system that was first built in 1200. Will Gusakov owns a timber framing company in Lincoln, Vermont, Goosewing Timberworks. He joins us to talk about being part of this remarkable undertaking.Finally, the best-selling author and literary columnist Nina MacLaughlin has written a meditation on the cold, the dark, the solitude that descends on us this time of year in her award winning essay book, “Winter Solstice.” She joins The Culture Show to talk about it.

Today on The Culture Show Mary Grant, President of MassArt, joins us for our recurring feature “AI: Actual intelligence,” where we tap into the most interesting thinkers in our region whose insights and observations are totally original and algorithm free. This month we discuss stories at the intersection of art, society and education, from a recent study on the brain benefits of seeing real works of art, to the MassArt Common Good Awards.From there The Culture Show’s co-hosts Callie Crossley, Jared Bowen and Edgar B Herwick III convene a holiday cocktail party with Jonathan Pogash, founder and owner of The Cocktail Guru, leading the way. Jonathan Pogash will return to GBH on February 14th for Valentine’s Day Soiree. To learn more about that event and how you can attend, go here. For the cocktail recipes featured on the show, visit our Instagram page.

Today on The Culture Show Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins us for his monthly segment: “AI: Actual intelligence,” where we tap into the most interesting thinkers in our region. Their insights and observations are totally original and algorithm free. Today Imari Paris Jeffries discusses President Biden commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes through the lens of Martin Luther King. Jr.’s legacy.. He also previews next month’s Embrace Honors MLK, which is on January 19th. To learn more about the event go here.From there we’re joined by singer-songwriter Les Sampou and composer, musician and songwriter Ed Grenga. Based in Massachusetts, they discuss their new album, “Best Day of the Year: Original Holiday Classics,” and what it’s like to score holiday films for Hallmark and Lifetime.Finally the innovative photographer Abelardo Morell joins The Culture Show to talk about his technique and his exhibition, now on view at the Clark Art Institute through February 17th, “Abelardo Morell: In the Company of Monet and Constable.” To learn more about the exhibition go here.

Tony award-winning musical “Six,” in all of its exuberant defiance, reclaims history for Henry VIII’s six wives. Now the queendom reigns at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre by way of Broadway in Boston. Today two of the queens – Danielle Mendoza who stars as Anne of Cleves and Alizé Cruz who stars as Catherine Howard – join The Culture Show. Six is onstage through December 29th. To learn more go here.From there Edgar B. Herwick III is joined by Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, Peter Sokolowski about the word of the year: “polarization.” They talk about how Merriam-Webster decides on the word of the year, how they track linguistic trends and some history behind the famed dictionary.Finally, we tap into a holiday tradition, “Midwinter Revels.” This year’s theme merges the Irish and Cabo Verdean cultures and seasonal customs in “The Selkie Girl and the Seal Woman.” Director and Revels’ interim artistic director Debra Wise, Revels’ music director Elijah Botkin, vocalist and musician Liz Hanley and David Coffin, Revels’ artist-in-residence, join us for an overview. “Midwinter Revels: The Selkie Girl and the Seal Woman” is onstage at Sanders Theatre through December 28th. To learn more go here.

Today on The Culture Show, Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Callie Crossley go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up this week is Luigi Mangione. As soon as his unmasked face was made public and once people knew the name of the suspected gunman who allegedly killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson – fandom flooded the internet and the memes followed. From look-alike contests to combing through his reviews on GoodReads, Mangione has truly captured this cultural moment. What does that say about us when an alleged murderer becomes an instant movie-star-like celebrity?From there, we'll discuss the Museum of Fine Arts' decision to sell 20 Dutch and Flemish paintings from its collection. The museum plans on selling several deaccessioned Dutch and Flemish pieces. And finally, we'll remember the poet and public intellectual Nikki Giovanni who died earlier this week at age 81.

Engelbert Humperdinck is a multi-platinum legendary singer whose “Last Waltz Farewell Tour,” lands at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford where he performs on December 12th. Engelbert Humperdinck's latest album All About Love, is a collection of his own versions of some of some classic love songs. He joins The Culture Show to talk about it all.From there we get a preview of Revolutionary Spaces’ commemoration of the 251st anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. They’ll be staging with a world-class reenactment of the Meeting of the Body of the People at Old South Meeting House! Experience this pivotal moment in our nation’s history as you watch the vigorous debate that led to the destruction of tea on December 16, 1773. Matthew Wilding, Director of Interpretation & Education at Revolutionary Spaces joins us for an overview. To learn more about the reenactment and to get tickets go here.Finally, Mahesh Daas, president of Boston Architectural College, joins The Culture Show for his recurring feature “AI: Actual intelligence,” where we tap into the most interesting thinkers in our region. Their insights and observations are totally original and algorithm free. This month we’re talking about Notre-Dame de Paris, and the five-year restoration that went into resurrecting it from the ashes after it was damaged by a fire in 2019. Mahesh Daas is the co-author of the graphic novella about artificial intelligence, titled “I, Nobot.”

The chamber ensemble Musicians of the Old Post Road is celebrating the holiday season with “Christmas Far and Wide,” a concert of festive 18th-century yuletide music from across the Western Hemisphere, making stops in Ireland, France, England. Poland, Mexico and more. They have two upcoming performances, one on December 14th at Trinity Lutheran in Worcester and another performance on December 15th at Old South Church in Boston. They both kick off at 4:00 PM. The co-Artistic directors, Suzanne Stumpf and Daniel Ryan join The Culture Show for an overview. Suzanne Stumpf is a flutist. Daniel Ryan is a cellist. We’re also joined by violinist and violist Sarah Darling. To learn more about the upcoming concerts go here.From there we’re joined by designer John Derian. He has a passion for vintage illustration, particularly 18th and 19th century imagery of the natural world. He joins us to talk about his latest book, John Derian Picture Book II. This Friday he’ll be in Roslindale Square at Joanne Rossman purveyor of the unnecessary & the irresistible for a book signing event, which kicks off at 4:00. To learn more go here.Finally, In what has become an annual tradition, the Jewish Arts Collaborative brings the Greater Boston community together to celebrate Hanukkah at the Museum of Fine Arts for “Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights”. Thousands of people gather each year for the annual celebration. And with MFA’s opening of its first gallery dedicated to Judaica last year, there’s even more depth, tradition and culture in the celebration. The Festival of Lights happens tomorrow, December 12th. Laura Mandel, Executive Director of JArts and Simona Di Nepi, Curator of Judaica at the Museum of Fine Arts, join The Culture Show for a preview. To learn more about the event go here.

The United States Postal Service has announced a 2025 postage stamp honoring actress Betty White.The stamp, based on a 2010 photo of White, is a work by Massachusetts artist Dale Stephanos. As an illustrator his clients include “Rolling Stone,” “Mad Magazine” and “The New York Times.” His work is exhibited in galleries across the country. Dale Stephanos joins The Culture Show to talk about his work, what it’s like to work with the USPS and how he managed to honor Betty White’s animal rights activism into the stamp’s illustration.From there we talk to John Flansburgh, one half of the iconic alt-rock duo They Might Be Giants. TMBG have charmed audiences with their eclectic, genre-bending style for decades. They’ve released countless albums, contributed music to TV shows such as “Malcolm in the Middle,” and wriggled their way into the public consciousness with songs like “Doctor Worm” and “Birdhouse in your Soul.” They Might Be Giants will be bringing their “Big Tour” to Boston with a pair of shows this Saturday and Sunday, December 14th and 15th, at the Orpheum Theatre. To learn more go here.Finally we head to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for an overview of their exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore. The co-curators of the exhibition, Courtney Harris and Erica Hirshler join The Culture Show to talk about this major exhibition, which is on view through January 20, 2025.

Two time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole joins The Culture Show to preview “I'll Be Home For Christmas.” By way of Broadway in Worcester, Christine Ebersole and Grammy Award winning pianist Billy Stritch will celebrate the holidays together in a show that features the greatest hits of their twenty year partnership going all the way back to “42nd Street” on Broadway when they first met. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is onstage Wednesday, December 11th at 7:30 at the Jean McDonough Arts Center / BrickBox Theater, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester, MA 01608. From there it;s a holiday celebration at New England Conservatory by way of their family-friendly choral and winds concert showcasing popular holiday tunes, seasonal sweaters, Santa hats, and a singalong. The concert features NEC Chamber Singers, NEC Symphonic Winds, and Navy Band Northeast, led by conductors Erica J. Washburn, William Drury, and Lt. David Harbuziuk. Erica J. Washburn, Director of Choral Activities at the New England Conservatory, and members of NEC Chamber Singers join The Culture Show for a preview. The concert is tonight at 7:30 at Jordan Hall. They will also be performing at Mechanics Hall on December 11th, 12:00-1:00. To learn more about upcoming NEC concerts go here.Finally artist Katy Rodden Walker joins The Culture Show to talk about “Community BLOOMS.” a community focused art and science project that raises awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans, waterways, and food chains, and the natural phenomena of jellyfish blooms. It’s on view at New Bedford Whaling Museum through April 21, 2025.

Today on The Culture Show Edgar B. Herwick III, James Bennett II and Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, this week Mayor Wu announced that the city is expanding its pilot program giving Boston students free access to select arts and culture institutions. Starting in January, it’ll be offered to all Boston students, with more free days and even more institutions participating. From there, famed writer Steven King is sending his independent radio stations to the Dead Zone. After 41 years of operating them, he’s giving Maine the silent treatment, citing sustained financial losses.And, it’s a renaissance in Paris. After going up in flames, Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen this Sunday after undergoing a five-year restoration.

For over 25 years The Pipes of Christmas has been a cherished holiday event, performing concerts that celebrate the Christmas season and the Celtic spirit. Next Thursday at Old South Church they will be making their Boston debut in a concert honoring Brian O’Donovan, and the holiday tradition he created: A Christmas Celtic Sojourn. Lindsay O’Donovan, the wife of Brian O’Donavan. She was central to A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, on the stage and behind the scenes. Lindsay O’Donovan, The Pipes of Christmas Executive Producer Bob Currie and vocalist and musician, Madelyn Monaghan join The Culture Show. To learn more about the concert go here.From there James Bennett II joins The Culture Show to talk about his recent reporting on a missing masterpiece at the Boston Public Library and one of John Singer Sargent’s controversial works.Finally, Just in time for the holidays, Berklee College of Music’s Signature Series presents “Singers Showcase: One Sweet Day–The Music Of Mariah Carey. It is an immersive, highly produced event showcasing the craft and artistry of Berklees students who are breathing new life into the Mariah Carey canon. The event features special musical guest Taylor Deneen, who graduated from Berklee in 2021. Taylor Deneen and Anthony Burrell, an Associate Professor of Dance at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Mariah Carey’s former creative director, choreographer, and dancer consultant, join The Culture Show. The performances are December 5th and DEcember 6th at 8:00 at Berklee Performance Center.To learn more and to get tickets go here.

Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced Boston Family Days, an expansion of the successful BPS Sundays pilot program, which gave Boston Public Schools students and their families free access to several cultural institutions throughout Boston. With today’s announcement, Mayor Wu has expanded this free access experience to include all Boston school-aged children K-12 and their families and three new cultural institutions. Mayor Wu joined The Culture Show to talk about this expansion.From there, Front Porch Arts Collective is back with another serving of “Holiday Feast.” Christmastime episodes from four Black-led TV comedies of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s — “A Different World,” “Amen,” “Family Matters,” and “The Jeffersons” — are performed live in staged readings. Actor Maurice Parent and Dawn M. Simmons, a Co-Producing Artistic Director of Front Porch Arts Collective, joinThe Culture Show.Finally J.D. Scrimgeour joins us to talk about his vision as Salem’s inaugural Poet Laureate. He’s an English professor at Salem State, and the author of five collections of poetry, which includes Banana Bread and Lifting the Turtle. As a dedicated advocate for the arts, he helped establish the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem and he directs the Salem Poetry Seminar, helping future poets.

Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart joins The Culture Show for an overview of the Holiday Pops, which kicks off a series of concerts this Thursday December 5th. This year offers everything from the annual performance of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” to “Home Alone” in Concert to a New Year’s Eve Celebration with Bernadette Peters. To learn about the Holiday Pops season go here.From there, James Beard Award-winning chef Christina Tosi joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest book, “Bake Club: 101 Must-Have Moves for Your Kitchen,” a collection of down-to-earth, sweet and savory recipes inspired by the online community “Bake Club” that Tosi created during the pandemic. She will be at the Brattle Theatre tonight for a book event presented by Harvard Bookstore. To learn more go here. Christina Tosi is a New York Times best-selling author, founder of Milk Bar and host of “Bake Squad."Finally, Grace Elton, CEO of New England Botanic Garden joins The Culture Show to talk about their annual holiday display, "Night Lights: Color Cascade" which is on view through January 5th. To learn more, go here.

HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere,” drops us into Manhattan, Kansas where we meet Sam, a woman who has recently moved back to her hometown to care for her dying sister, and Joel, a colleague at her new workplace who, she learns, was in the high school choir with her. The Peabody Award-winning series is wrapping up with its last episode streaming on HBO December 8th. Actor Jeff Hiller, who stars as Joel Anderson, joins The Culture Show to talk about this beloved series.From there Lisa Krassner, Executive Director of the Concord Museum. joins The Culture Show, to talk about their annual tradition: The Concord Museum’s Holiday House. It’s this Saturday, from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. To learn more go here.Finally Catherine Allgor leads the way on another edition of Countdown to 2026. This month she focuses on colonial women and the role they played on the eve of the American Revolution. The books Allgor recommends this month are Mary Beth Norton’s “Liberty’s Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800” and “Abigail Adams” by Woody Holton. Catherine Allgor joins us every month for “Countdown to 2026.” She is President Emerita of the Massachusetts Historical Society, an author, historian and visiting scholar with the Department of History at Tufts University.

Ethan Hawke joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest film, “Wildcat,” which he directed and co-wrote. It’s about Flannery O’Conor– her imagination, her life and how illness instilled in her an unrelenting awareness of death. Hawke talks about what Flannery O’Conor means to him and what it means to be the face of Gen X.From there, filmmaker Sean Wang. In his uproarious debut feature film, he depicts the agonies of adolescence: alienation, awkwardness and angst. You know, all the things we try to bury and never remember again. But Wang makes them visible and hilarious. Titled DIDI, it’s the story of Chris, a 13-year old Taiwanese-American boy searching for belonging in suburban California – just as Facebook and MySpace are changing everything.

Today on the Culture Show we have a show about food, tradition and culture. First up, writer Raj Tawney. Growing up in a multicultural household, his coming of age story happened in the kitchen, helping his mother and grandmother cook recipes from their homelands. Themes of food, memory and identity come together in his memoir, “A Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey through a Mixed American Experience”From there, it's award-winning pastry chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Cafe and Myers+Chang Restaurant. She joins us with her theory on why there is a comfort food revival, putting her spin on the classics and how, for her, a recipe is always a work in progress.Finally we top things off, by topping one off with mixologist Marsha Lindsey, As the principal bartender at SRV where she also runs the bar program, she raises a glass to Black history by introducing us to some of her favorite black owned spirits–and her craft cocktails.

The Handel and Haydn Society has been performing Messiah every year since 1854. This year there’s a new component: Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen is introducing CitySing which unites 121 musicians on the Symphony Hall stage to perform Messiah November 29th through December 1st. He, along with Steven Marquardt, principal trumpet player, joined The Culture Show for a preview and performance.From there, culture show contributor Julia Swanson of The Art Walk Project, takes us on a tour of the Mayor’s Mural Crew. For 30 years tenagers have been deployed during the summer to make murals that celebrate community and creativity.Finally, “The Thanksgiving Play” satirizes white progressives who want to create a Thanksgiving pageant for children that’s sensitive to Native Americans. What could go wrong? Director Tara Moses, the first Native American to lead a major production of this play, joins us. “The Thanksgiving Play,” is a production of Moonbox Productions, onstage through December 15th at Arrow Street Arts.

Annette Gordon-Reed is renowned for her groundbreaking work on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. She was the first Black person awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History. She was honored with MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, and won the National Book Award for “The Hemingses of Monticello.” Jared Bowen recently caught up with her to talk about her latest book, “On Juneteenth,” at the GBH studio at the Boston Public Library as part of Boston Speaker Series.Next, Nantucket has a history of women-operated businesses because the men were often away at sea, on whaling ships for years on end. That legacy continues to this day with Nantucket Looms, an all-female weaving studio and retail store that has been in operation since 1968. Culture Show co-host Edgar B Herwick III and producer Kate Dellis take us there.From there Mary Grant, President of MassArt joins us for her monthly appearance. Today she discusses how a President Trump administration could affect arts funding, the MassArt Common Good Awards and how there seems to be a literacy problem on college campuses.

Today Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik joins us for our recurring feature, Stage and Screen Time–a look at the latest movies and plays in theaters now. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. You can find her reviews on Joyce’s Choices.From there, Culture Show contributor independent curator Pedro Alonzo joins The Culture Show to talk about Midnight Zone, his latest project, which is a solo exhibition by Julian Charrière inspired by the environmental hazards of deep-sea mining.

Today Culture Show co-hosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, Boston University suspends admissions its PhD programs in the humanities and social sciences.From there something to sing about, Charlestown Rehearsal Studios, home to hundreds of musicians, will stay open and operational And, something to not sing about, literally. AMC Theaters is warning moviegoers that singing along during the musical film Wicked is not allowed..Then, is BU actually onto something? Do we really need degrees in the humanities if AI generated poetry is preferable to works penned by people?Plus, if anyone out there still reads material written by real humans…assuming that Cher is real and not some diva deity, part one of her memoir dropped this week.

Steven Maler, Founding Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, joins The Culture Show to talk about their upcoming production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and how they hope this will become a new holiday tradition. The production is onstage December 8th through December 22nd at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. It stars Will Lymon as Ebenezeer Scrooge, it’s directed by Steven Maler, and the adaptation is by Steve Wargo.From there filmmaker, author and visual artist John Waters joins The Culture Show, to talk about his career and receiving the 2024 Coolidge Award, which recognizes a film artist whose work advances the spirit of original and challenging cinema. Tonight John Waters will be at the Coolidge Corner Theatre at 8:00 in conversation with The Culture Show’s host and GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen. To learn more about tonight’s “Evening With John Waters,” go here.Finally, Janet Eilber, Artistic Director of Martha Graham Dance Company joins The Culture Show. She discusses the enduring legacy of Martha Graham as the mother of modern dance, the Martha Graham Dance Company at 100 and their return to Boston for two performances “American Legacies,” onstage at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre November 22nd and November 23rd, presented by Celebrity Series.

Something Wicked this way comes in many iterations. First, as the 1995 widely acclaimed book by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” then as an entire “Wicked” series, which Maguire has been authoring since 2003, with a forthcoming book to be published next year titled “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.” Along the way “Wicked” has been adapted to a Tony-award winning musical, and this Friday, “Wicked,” the movie, will be in movie theaters nationwide. The best-selling author Gregory Maguire joins The Culture Show to talk all things “Wicked.” From there we get into the spirit of Thanksgiving, with an emphasis on giving, by way of Community Servings. For decades the organization has been providing free home-based nutritional support to persons living with life threatening illnesses. Every November Community Servings hosts their annual Pie in the Sky bakesale to help fund their mission. David Waters, CEO of Community Servings and award-winning chef Joanne Chang, Myers + Chang restaurant and Flour Bakery + Cafe join The Culture Show.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Andris Nelsons will lead a program featuring world renowned soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry in “The Brightness of Light” on November 21, 22 and 23. This BSO co-commission is a song cycle based on the letters between painter Georgia O’Keefe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz. It’s composed by Kevin Puts. The program also includes two pieces by Mozart, the overture to Die Entführung aus dem Serail and his Symphony No. 36, Linz. Renée Fleming joins The Culture Show to talk about “The Brightness of Light.” She also discusses her new book "Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness." It’s a collection of essays edited by Fleming, which feature reflections on the impact of music and the arts on our health from leading scientists, artists, therapists, educators, and physicians. On November 23rd you can join Renée Fleming after the evening concert for a special signing of her new book.From there, we’re joined by writer Patrick Radden Keefe. The new FX series “Say Nothing,” which is streaming now on Hulu, is based on his 2018 book “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.” The book is an epic account of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the bloody sectarian conflict between Catholics and Protestants that extended from the late 1960s to the Good Friday peace accord of 1998. Patrick Radden Keefe is an award-winning staff writer at “The New Yorker” magazine and author of the New York Times bestsellers “Rogues,” “Empire of Pain” and “Say Nothing.”