The Culture Show Podcast

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.”

Last month Orville Peck played to a sold out show in MGM’s Music Hall. Culture Show host and Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen caught up with him ahead of his performance to talk about his path to country music, what it’s like to be regarded as country music’s most mysterious outlaw and his latest album “Stampede,” which includes a duet with Willie Nelson about gay cowboy love.From there Christopher V. Edwars, Artistic Director at Actors’ Shakespeare Project and Director Regine Vital join The Culture Show to talk about their current production, the play “Emma,” An adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. “Emma” is onstage through December 15th at The Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA.

Today on The Culture Show, co-hosts Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Callie Crossley go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review. First up: The Grammy nominations are out. They’ll go over the snoozers, snubs and surprises.From there they’ll remember Boston’s own jazz giant Roy Haynes. The pioneering drummer who earned the nickname "Snap Crackle" died this week at age 99. He was one of the last remaining musicians of jazz’s swing and bebop eras.Then, Simon and Garfunkel break their sound of silence, making amends over lunch in an exchange that brought Art Garfunkel to tears.And, lions and tigers and pornography, oh my! Mattel merchandise for the “WICKED” movie mistakenly sent people to a website with adult only content.Plus, it’s not a satirical headline, it’s for real: The Onion buys Alex Jones’s InfoWars in a bankruptcy auction.

Fresh off his Best Actor Oscar win for Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy produces and stars in the quiet, contemplative, and powerful film “Small Things Like These.” Based on the book by Claire Keegan, “Small Things Like These” is set in 1985, in a small Irish village just before Christmas. The protagonist, Bill Furlong, played by Murphy, is a devoted husband and father to five daughters. A coal merchant, he spends his days hauling truckloads of coal around town. He’s well-liked, very kind and very interior. Especially as he’s flooded with painful childhood memories during one of his routine deliveries to a Magdalene laundry. An institution run by Catholic nuns where so-called “fallen” girls were imprisoned and abused. Cillian Murphy joins the CUlture Show to talk about “Small Things LIke These,” which is in theaters now.From there, famous for its role in the historic ride, Boston’s Old North Church has embarked on its own journey to restore the artwork that graced its walls during the American Revolution. Culture Show Producer Kate Dellis brings us the story with a behind-the-scenes look at this restoration.Finally, artist and sculptor Scooter LaForge uses pop-culture references to address themes such as addiction, gender, and sexuality. While his work is infused with a punk rock attitude, in it you can often find humor and hope. Scooter LaForge is a fixture in New York’s art scene, whose aesthetic has also made it onto the runway, collaborating with fashion designers and crafting bespoke clothing. Now,a mid-career retrospective showcases a selection of LaForge's work, titled “Enchanted Anarchies and Other Realities,” it’s on view through December 1st at Lesley University College of Art and Design. Tonight you can catch him in conversation with artist Jennifer Krasinsiki, 6:00 PM at the Roberts Gallery, Lunder Arts Center as Lesley.

Imari Paris Jeffries, President and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show to talk about his reflections on the 2024 election results. He also recaps Embrace Boston’s 2024 Arts and Culture Summit and he and Jared Bowen share their experiences of both being featured performers in the Huntington Theatre’s production of “Nassim.” From there, longtime journalist Carmen Fields joins us to talk about her new book, “Going Back to T-Town:The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band,” where she pieces together the musical journey of her father, Ernie Fields, a talented and pioneering musician and bandleader who toured the country during the Jim Crow era with his Black orchestra. He was also key to giving so many jazz greats their first big breaks. Carmen Fields is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who has worked at The Boston Globe, local channels 4 and 7 and served as host and producer for the public affairs program “Higher Ground” on WHDH-TV, Boston. She co-anchored WGBH's Ten O'Clock News and wrote the script for the American Experience documentary "Goin' Back to T-Town" which is about the Tulsa Massacre.

Susan Fisher Sterling, the director of The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, joins The Culture Show to talk about the museum’s vision and recent renovation. Founded in 1987, it is the first museum in the world dedicated solely to elevating women’s art and creativity. Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola and Bing Broderick have combined their passions and work experience to open JustBook-ish in Fields Corner. Ahead of its grand opening on November 23rd, they join The Culture Show to talk about their vision for the independent bookstore, literary hub and gathering space. Jim Donahue is the Curator of Historic Landscapes & Horticulture at The Preservation Society of Newport County, and The Newport Mansions. He is known as the genius of holiday glamor. He joins The Culture Show to give us a behind the scenes look at what it takes to decorate the Newport mansions, and to share some decorating tips. To learn more about all the holiday programming at Newport Mansions this season, go here.

Charles Coe’s Cricket Symphony is a new collection of poetry and music based on the poetry of award-winning African American writer and musician Charles Coe, with music including original compositions by Ken Field. They’ll perform tomorrow night at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. Charles Coe and Ken Field join The Culture Show with a preview and in studio performance. To keep abreast of upcoming Revolutionary Snake Ensemble performances, which includes one on November 23rd at Peabody Hall, Parish of All Saints, go here. And to read the latest from Charles Coe, check out his new book “Charles Coe: New And Selected Works”From there mentalist Vinny DePonto discusses his show “Mindplay.” Presented by The Huntington Theatre, “Mindplay” invites audiences to participate in an experience infused with intrigue and mystery. Vinny DePonto guides participants on a jaw-dropping, interactive journey as he reads minds while revealing his own. Mindplay is onstage November 13th through December 1st. Finally, Elsa Mosquera Sterenberg joins The Culture Show to discuss the arts organization she co-founded, Agora Cultural Architects, which has created BoriCorridor, a cultural corridor that connects Puerto Rican artists from the island with the mainland. Borricorrdor 2024 is wrapping up its tour with the production of the play “Quintuples,” onstage at the Emerson Paramount on November 14th,

Today on The Culture Show co-hosts Callie Crossley, Jared Bowen and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up: Remembering Quincy Jones. He influenced popular music for half a century, producing the best selling album of all time: “Thriller.” He scored movie soundtracks, he produced television, launching Will Smith’s acting career with “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and he facilitated the greatest night in pop: producing “We Are the World. “ From bebop to hip hop Quincy Jones did it all. From there it’s the one piece of music Quincy Jones didn’t produce–what has been dubbed “The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet”–well thanks to some cyber sleuths: mystery solvedFinally, Hello Kitty, says hello to the AARP. The feline phenom turned fifty,.

The latest documentary film by Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah Burns and her husband David McMahon is a portrait of an artist as a Renaissance man: Leonardo da Vinci. As the documentary, Leonardo da Vinci, illustrates, he was a man with infinite curiosity about the world and how it works. His passions and obsessions prompted him to study all manner of the world: from the human heart to the complexity of water; flying machines to weaponry. Through his paintings, drawings and writings, this documentary explores one of humankind’s most curious and innovative minds. Ken Burns and Sarah Burns join The Culture Show to discuss. “Leonardo da Vinci” airs on PBS November 18th and 19th.From there graffiti artist Jeremy “Sobek” Harrison joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest mural "Return to Nature" in Dudley Square. “Return to Nature” is Sobek’s mixed medium eco-installation that creates an organic interaction between nature and humans. It’s located at The Food Project’s West Cottage Farm and Langdon Street Farms, 42 Langdon Street in Roxbury.Finally, we get an overview of the new exhibition at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, “Manet: A Model Family.” Nearly 150 years since his passing, this is the first exhibition to explore Manet through the lens of the complex familial relationships between and amongst the artist and his sitters, shedding new light on the life and masterpieces of the “father of modernism.” The exhibition’s curator, Diana Seave Greenwald joins The Culture Show to talk about conceptualizing this show. “Manet: A Model Family,” is on view through January 20th.

Think of a world where Tallahatchie County in Mississippi would publicly apologize for the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. Or where the descendants of Robert E. Lee can come together with descendants of people enslaved by the Lee family. Where they all call it celebration, and make plans for another one. That world exists. It’s happened. And Susan Glisson was key to those efforts.She helps people reckon with the country's fraught racial history and sees the past not as an anchor, but as buoy. As a navigational tool pointing us toward a better way. She joins The Culture Show for her thoughts, and guidance on how to navigate the world post Election Day,She is the founder and president of the Glisson Group, a healing and equity consulting firm and founder and Executive Director of the Welcome Table Collaborative. She is a 2024 Advance Leadership Initiative fellow at Harvard University. From there we are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith. She joins us to talk about her latest book, which is now out in paperback, “To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul.” It is part manifesto, part memoir–and all parts mesmerizing.

Thomas Wilkins, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s artistic partner for education and community engagement and vocalist Renese King join The Culture Show to talk about the BSO’s tribute to Duke Ellington concerts, which includes a free concert on Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m. The performance will take place at Boston’s Basilica in the Mission Hill neighborhood. The all-Duke Ellington program marks the 50th anniversary of Ellington’s death with a selection of the jazz great’s most seminal works, including excerpts from his three Sacred Concerts, featuring vocalist Renese King and a specially formed ensemble of singers. To learn more about the free concert go here. And find out more about the November 7th concert here and the November 9th concert here.From there legendary puppeteer Sara Peattie joins us to talk about running the Puppet Free Library, which lives in the basement of Emanuel Church on Newbury street. Sara Peattie is the co-founder of the Puppeteers’ Cooperative, a nonprofit started in 1976 with the late puppeteer George Konnoff.Finally, we continue our series, Countdown to 2026, with historian Catherine Allgor leading the way, with a focus on the culture, the people on the ground, and the events leading up to the American Revolution. Catherine Allgor is President Emerita of the Massachusetts Historical Society, an author, historian and visiting scholar with the Department of History at Tufts University. On this month’s episode we’re looking at the fight for women’s rights by way of Abigail Adams and her famous letter to John Adams, urging him to “Remember the Ladies.”

Growing up in Southbridge, Massachusetts the acclaimed playwright Mfoniso Udofia rarely saw stories about Africans and African Americans that felt true to her own family. Inspired in part by August Wilson’s Century Cycle, she set out to create a cycle of nine plays that follows one Nigerian American family through three generations. Titled the Ufot Family Cycle, all nine of those plays will be produced as part of a two-year city-wide festival in Greater Boston. Led by the Huntington Theatre Company, a wide range of local cultural organizations will collaborate on the project. With the first play of the cycle, “Sojourners,” onstage now, Mfoniso Udofia and the Huntington’s artistic director Loretta Greco join The Culture Show to talk about launching this unprecedented endeavor. “Sojourners,” is on through December 1st. To learn more, click here.From there the writer Andre Dubus III joins The Culture Show. His nine books include the New York Times’ bestsellers “House of Sand and Fog,” “The Garden of Last Days,” and his memoir, “Townie.” His most recent novel, “Such Kindness,” was published in June 2023, and today he joins the show to talk about his latest work, a collection of personal essays, “Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin,” Andre Dubus teaches writing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. To learn more about his upcoming appearances and events, click here.

November 1, 2024 - Week in Review: Martha Stewart, Teri Garr, and Mariah Carey's early return

St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston will transform into a clandestine location for six intimate performances October 31st through November 2nd, of Concert Theatre Works’ production of “Secret Byrd,” an immersive musical experience celebrating the music and activism of English Renaissance composer William Byrd. Presented by Revels, this is how Byrd intended for his Mass for 5 Voices to be sung- for worship and in strict secrecy. “Secret Byrd,” was created and directed by Bill Barclay, and features The Gesualdo Six, one of England’s leading vocal ensembles, and Abendmusik, New York’s Early String Band. Bill Barclay Artistic Director of Concert Theatre Works and Revels Senior Artistic Advisor, Paddy Swanson join The Culture Show. Tickets and information are at revels.org. From there we get a preview of Porter Square Books’ “Night of the Living Books ( a Halloween Party).” It kicks off at 7:00 PM at the Porter Square Books: Boston Edition in the Seaport District. Assistant Store Manager Jen Fryar joins us for a preview. To see Porter Square Books' staff recommendations, visit their website.Finally Mary Grant, President of Massachusetts College of Art and Design, joins The Culture Show for her monthly appearance to discuss a range of topics, which includes her thoughts on Ballot Question 2, and the recipients of the 2024 MassArt Common Good Award, which celebrates individuals who demonstrate the transformative impact of the arts on civic life.The Culture Show, which presents,Community Canvas, is an initiative at GBH that features artwork from community members on our Digital Mural. Today’s mural, in the spirit of Halloween, is titled Spooky Mookie by Corinn Colford.

Subject:Matter, the Boston-based tap ensemble joins The Culture Show to perform and preview their debut jazz album “Songbook,” which will be released on November 8th. They will also be performing at the ICA on November 8. Ian Berg, a choreographer, composer and founder of Subject:Matter, Dance Captain Sam Emmond and Subject:Matter Music Director Max Ridley discuss it all with Jared Bowen.From there Keith Mascoll previews a live taping of his podcast at the Museum of Science, “Living The Triggered Life Podcast, “ which he co-hosts with his wife Roxann Mascoll. They are a Black couple who have their own trauma histories. On their podcast they talk about love, mental health, relationships and family dynamics. Finally culture show contributor Pedro Alonzo, the Boston-based independent curator and interdisciplinary artist Sam Durant join The Culture Show for our recurring segment AI: Actual Intelligence. Sam Durant, who grew up near Boston discusses how being part of Boston Busing influenced his perspective as an artist.

Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, Executive Producers of FX’s “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,” join The Culture Show to talk about adapting his story to a 10-part limited series.From there Linda Weld, who is a board member of the Associates of the Boston Public Library and co-chair of the Hundred-Year Retroactive Book Award joins us to talk about their Hundred-Year Retroactive Book award and the upcoming deadline to vote for the 1925 literary work that has the most relevance today.Finally, poet Erik Andrade joins us to talk about his work, being included in the prestigious anthology, “Black Fire This Time Vol. 2,” and the tradition of the spoken word as a form of activism. For more information about Andrade's upcoming open mic nights in New Bedford, visit his Instagram page.

Contemporary painter, sculptor and installation artist Titus Kaphar has built a reputation for grappling with history and racism and for exploring whose stories get told, and whose don’t. Now he’s working with a larger canvas–the movie screen–to tell his story. His debut film, “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” is in theaters now. Kaphar joins The Culture Show to talk about this film, which is about family, generational healing, and the power of forgiveness. From there, a perfect subject for people who like a good helping of history with their Halloween. Over 1,100 bodies lie beneath the sanctuary of Old North Church and you can explore this historic site by way of Old North After-Hours Crypt Tours. Nikki Stewart, the Executive Director of Old North Illuminated, joins The Culture Show to talk about the tour and the history of the crypt. The tours run every night through November 2. To learn more about tickets and times, go here.Finally, ahead of Election Day, we get an overview of “Unfinished Democracy: Artistic Reflections,” which is on view at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod through November 5th, which includes an Election Night closing event. Molly Demeulenaere, Executive Director of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod joins The Culture Show.

First up: Actor Idris Elba has a 10 year plan to bolster the film industry in Africa. Born in London to a Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father, he’s on a mission to do this right by moving to several countries, from Accra to Zanzibar, making sure a new generation of filmmakers can tell stories beyond slavery and trauma.Then, If you’re over 40 -years old, no mistletoe for you. Hallmark has been slammed with an age discrimination lawsuit, claiming studio execs wanted to replace their old actors with younger talent. Plus, the Whitney Museum is implementing our favorite four letter word: FREE. there will be no admission for anyone 25 years-old and younger.Finally, it’s time to get fired up for the world’s first museum dedicated to barbecue.

Writer Raj Tawney’s work largely reflects his multiracial American upbringing. Born to an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family, Tawney has explored his identity and family history through personal essays, a memoir and now he’s applying the edict “write what you know” to his forthcoming young adult novel, “All Mixed up.” It’s a coming-of-age story that follows a friendship forged between Kamal, a multi-ethnic American and Jaz, a Pakistani immigrant in the aftermath of 9/11.From there we meet the artist who is brightening our commute, The Public Art Fund and the advertising company JCDecaux have been collaborating to expand public art. One initiative is transforming bus shelters into public exhibition spaces.The latest installation features artist Adrienne Elise Tarver. Her series, recently unveiled at 300 bus shelters in New York City, Chicago and Boston, is titled “She Who Sits.” The panels feature portraits of seated women and are the artist’s consideration of the enduring influence and significance of the Black matriarch. Finally, Boston Circus Guild is taking Halloween to new frights and literally heights, with “Cirque of the Dead.” It is an adults-only spooky spectacular full of aerial arts, acrobatics, and a story about the spiritualist movement of the 1920s. Ellen Waylonis and Eileen Little join us for a preview. Ellen Waylonis is the creative producer of this year’s “Cirque of the Dead,” and you can see her perform in it. Eileen Little is the director of this year’s “Cirque of the Dead,” which kicks off tonight and ends on October 31st. There are a total of five performances at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. For more information go here.

Today we’re having another edition of countdown to 2025, as in countdown to the first Boston Triennial of public art, which opens next year. It’s curated by Culture Show contributor Pedro Alonzo who is also the Artistic Director of the triennial. It will feature dozens of large-scale public art commissions by local, national and international artists, which includes the acclaimed street artist and filmmaker Caledonia Curry aka SWOON. She and Pedro Alonso join The Culture Show for a preview.From there it’s Keefer Glenshaw. The artist has turned playing cello into an endurance sport. In May he performed for 24 hours. In July another work took him into the woods of Lexington. We caught up with him this summer. Now that his debut album, PURITY, has been released, we’re rebroadcasting that conversation and in-studio performance. Glenshaw is also partnering with Leesta Vall to record vinyl singles of the album. You can learn more here.Finally it’s another edition of AI: Actual Intelligence with Mahesh Daas. He is president of Boston Architectural College and the co-author of the graphic novella about artificial intelligence, titled “I, Nobot.” This month he discussed the Walter Hood exhibition, Native(s), which is on view at the BAC McCormick Gallery.

Today on The Culture Show we continue our series, “Countdown to 2026,” with historian Catherine Allgor leading the way. This month she focuses on slavery in Boston and Massachusetts and how much a part of life it was and how central it was to the business of trade and Boston's economic structure. Catherine Allgor is an author, President Emerita of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and visiting scholar with the Department of History at Tufts University. Her book recommendation for this month is “Belonging: An Intimate History of Slavery and Family in Early New England,” by Gloria McCahon Whiting.From there Culture Show’s James Bennett II discusses Project STEP, a rigorous program that trains young, minority students to be professional, classical musicians.Finally, Jenny Johnson joins The Culture Show to talk about a new cookbook that she co-authored with longtime media partner, Billy Costa. “A Taste of Boston!: The Definitive Cookbook of the City We Love,” is filled with recipes from the city's most legendary chefs and restaurateurs. Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa co-host NESN's "Dining Playbook" and "Meet Boston with Billy and Jenny."

Artist Hugh Hayden’s solo exhibition, “Hugh Hayden: Home Work,” is on view at the Rose Art Museum. It surveys Hayden’s extensive body of work over the last decade, including a site-responsive installation newly conceived for the Rose Art Museum. “Home Work” focuses on the artist’s exploration of the “American Dream,” its pathways, and architecture. Hayden states, “All of my work is about the American dream, whether it’s a table that’s hard to sit at or a thorny school desk. It’s a dream that is seductive but difficult to inhabit.” Hayden, who also has a commission currently on view at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, joins The Culture Show to talk about his work.From there we enter the world of wizardry and witchcraft by way of “Harry Potter: The Exhibition.” It’s an interactive experience, on view at CambridgeSide through January 5th. Created and developed by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Entertainment, in partnership with Imagine Exhibitions and Eventim Live, the show celebrates the iconic characters, creatures, and scenes from the “Harry Potter” books and films. Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions joins “The Culture Show,” for an overview.Finally, Culture Show producer Kate Dellis takes us into the old-timey world –and behind the scenes – of The Post-Meridian Radio Players ahead of their upcoming Halloween performances of “The Unseen Worlds of H.G. Wells.”

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: The National Women’s Soccer League Franchise. It made a dangerous play this week when it debuted in Boston. For starters its name, BOS Nation was universally panned, then they added injury to insult with their slogan “Too Many Balls,” considered male-centric and transphobic, the league is now on the defensive apologizing for being so out of bounds.From there they look at the brief but influential life of the singer-songwriter Liam Payne who died at age 31. As a leading member of One Direction he helped to reinvent the boy band, creating one of the most definitive pop groups of his era along the way.Plus, a painting by abstract expressionist Norman Lewis is rescued from a condemned house on Cape Cod.Finally, What’s black, white and ridiculously adorable all over? Pandas.

Nicholas Ma joins The Culture Show to talk about his latest documentary, “Leap of Faith.” It follows 12 Christian pastors who are working to find hope and fellowship even though they hold deeply different beliefs .As they grapple with rifts within the Christian community they’re trying to reconcile that friction with their calling to promote tolerance and connection at the pulpit. “Leap of Faith,” has its opening night at The Coolidge Corner Theatre on Friday, October 18th.From there, Culture Show Contributor Lisa Simmons, artistic and executive director of the Roxbury International Film Fest and program manager at Mass Cultural Council, joins us to talk through the bumper crop of film festivals this season and she’ll offer some recommendations for horror films to take in ahead of Halloween.

Casey Soward has been a force in the performing arts sector. Recently he was named President and CEO of the Boch Center, home to the iconic Wang and Shubert Theatres. He joins us to talk about his vision and what it takes to have one of the most high-profile jobs in Boston’s art scene.From there Imari Paris Jeffries, President and CEO of Embrace Boston, reflects on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. With Election Day on the horizon, he focuses on King’s fight for voting rights and his mission of fostering peace in a nation on edge. He also gives us a preview of this year’s Embrace Boston's Arts and Culture Summit.

“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 the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Nassim Soleimanpour joins The Culture Show to talk about this work, his background and his creative process.

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.

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.

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 an 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.