The Culture Show Podcast

Michael C. Thorpe is a storyteller. Using bright colors, textures and geometric shapes, he literally stitches them together to figuratively stitch together scenes from everyday life. He has the eye and instinct of a painter who uses the art and tradition of quilt making. Now his quilted masterpieces are on view in his solo exhibition at the Fuller Craft museum, it’s titled “Michael C. Thorpe. Homeowners Insurance.” He joins us to talk about it.With the Olympics kicking off at the end of the week one of the most talked about topics is the river Seine. It is notoriously dirty and microbiologists are saying it’s not meant for swimming. But given how dirty the Charles River is, who are we to judge? Well, efforts to clean up the Charles – decades in the making –is paying off. Now people can swim in it, one day each year. Edgar B. Herwick III, Culture Show co-host and human guinea pig joins us to talk about what it was like to take that plunge.Finally, Mary Grant, president of MassArt, joins The Culture Show to talk about the college’s collaboration with the City of Boston to bring more public art to the city.

Over the last four years, British Consul General of New England Peter Abbott OBE has represented the UK in a number of incredible moments –from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s visit to Boston for the Earthshot prize, to the coronation of King Charles. Along the way he has traveled across New England to promote trade and political alliances. Last winter, in a true display of diplomacy, he was on Boston Harbor for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Before he leaves for London next week, he joins us to reflect on his time here and to discuss where he thinks the UK and US are best poised to help in world affairs.From there Lindsay Mís, executive director of Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute, also known as DATMA, joins us to talk about their sixth season’s cultural exhibition “Transform: Reduce, Revive, Reimagine,” which is on view now through October 14th in New Bedford. Finally, the play Revolution’s Edge takes into the hours leading up to the Revolutionary war. It was written by Patrick Gabridge for Old North Church by Plays in Place, an organization that works with historic sites and cultural institutions to create site-specific productions. Patrick Greenbridge and Nikki Stewart, executive director of Old North Illuminated, join us.

NALEDI is a vocalist, composer and educator from Johannesburg, South Africa. Her music is grounded in Jazz, the church, and her heritage. Her dreams of studying music in the United States were realized when she landed a full scholarship to New England Conservatory. Then, after receiving a prestigious Kennedy Center Artist in Residence honor, her career took off with performances at storied venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center. She joins us to talk about her debut album BATHO, and upcoming performance at Cambridge Jazz Festival.From there it’s multi-media artist and professional glassblower Morgan Peterson. The Boston native, who recently emerged the winner of the NETFLIX glassblowing competition TV series, “Blown Away,” joins us ahead of her event at the Sandwich Glass Museum.Finally, Grace Elton, CEO of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, joins us to talk about their vast, kinetic, public art installation, “Flora in Flight.”

Today Edgar B. Herwick III, Henry Santoro and Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, the Emmy nominations are out–again. We’ll look at the surprises, snubs and snoozers. From there it is an epic loss of TV personalities and stars, from Bob Newhart, who managed to play unassuming characters while stealing the show, to the self-proclaimed “Clown prince of fitness,” Richard Simmons, to TV sex therapist Dr. Ruth and finally, actress Shannen Doherty who played the bad girl everyone loved to hate, but was also burdened by a real-life bad girl reputation.From there, the MFA’s courtyard concerts are back with a full schedule featuring seven summer shows, plus a climate change commentary comes to the Greenway by way of a new public art exhibit .Finally, it’s follow up Friday with an update on the stories we’ve been tracking, which includes André 3000 and why he feels like an outcast as a jazz musician.

LaToya Hobbs is a painter and a printmaker whose themes are expressions of motherhood, home and cultural identity. While she often reveals her experiences as an artist and an African American woman, her work also has universal resonance.Her monumental series, “Carving Out Time” is both personal and utterly relatable. And it’s massive. She joined The Culture Show ahead of her debut exhibition at the Harvard Art Museum.From there, it’s into the wild world of artist Raqib Shaw. He uses porcupine quills and enamel to create landscapes that are electrified by color. They are lush, opulent and ornate. But, his paintings are also beset by a lurking menace. The Culture Show caught up with him when he was in town to open his exhibition at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.Finally, we get a tour of the Arnold Arboretum’s bonsai collection.

The Grammy Award-winning Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) led by conductor Gil Rose releases Vijay Iyer: Trouble on its eponymous label. Marking his debut recording as an orchestral composer, he joins The Culture Show to talk about this work. In his new book, “Baseball: The Movie,” sportswriter and film critic Noah Gittell takes us through the history of the baseball movie, with a look at how those films have changed–from feel-good, to nostalgic, to cynical–are a reflection of how American values have changed. Finally Zola Simone, who will be performing at Cambridge Crossing Summer Nights Series’ free outdoor concert, joins The Culture Show for a preview.

The Million Year Picnic is the oldest comic book store in New England and since the 1970’s it’s been a fixture in Harvard Square. This summer it marks its 50th anniversary. Tony Davis, the owner, joins The Culture Show to talk about its legacy and how they are marking this moment.Then we’re off to Lowell by way of their annual folk festival, which features a mariachi band, parades, a yo-yo-world champion, Creole music, bluegrass, honky tonk and more. The director, Lee Viliesis, joins The Culture Show for a preview.Finally we plumb the depths of the human imagination by plunging into the depths of the ocean with a look at Sea monsters, the subject of a new exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Peter Girguis, guest curator and Harvard professor of organic and evolutionary biology joins us to talk about it.

Kneecap, a Belfast-based rap group known for their fiery social and political commentary is on the rise…with a new album and biopic starring Michael Fassbender, which has it’s nationwide release on August 2nd. They join us to talk about it all.From there it’s the return of BosTix, the discount theater ticket kiosk. Catherine Peterson, Executive Director of ArtsBoston joins The Culture Show to talk about what its return means for the arts and culture sector.Finally we enter the world of German composer Richard Wagner. Jane Eaglen, president of the Boston Wagner Society, joins The Culture Show to talk about their forthcoming Boston Wagner Institute program, which includes masterclasses, performances and some taproom tippling.

Today on The Culture Show, 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: D is for dismal. The report card is in for the world’s orchestras and they get a capital D on diversity. Then it’s a capital F for flop. Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga,” bombs at the box office. Plus we remember actress Shelley Duvall and her subversive screen presence, from “Nashville,” to “Annie Hall” to “The Shining.”From there it’s follow up-Friday where we catch up on the stories we’ve been tracking, among them, the Beyonce bounce. Did her Texas two step into country music pave the way for Shaboozey’s chart topping hit? Finally, it’s not a summer cookout without–what Callie Crossley calls– the surefire song of joy: “Before I let go” by Frankie Beverly and Maze.

In her book, Muppets in Moscow, Natasha Lance Rogoff pulls back the iron curtain on what it was like to work in Russia as a TV producer in the 1990’s. There were absolute triumphs of Big Bird diplomacy, moments when capitalism collided with the legacy of communism, and a deep realization that a country undergoing radical change, can only change so much . Then it’s a conversation about music as memory.Jeremy Eichler joins us to talk about his new book, “Time’s Echo,” which looks at how Shostakovich and other composers used classical music to not only articulate the unspeakable horrors of WWII but to also memorialize the victims of the Holocaust.

Quilling is the ancient art of coiling long strips of paper around a needle–or going back to its namesake– around a quill. In a twist of fate, Huong Wolf has ended up on a mission to keep this tradition alive. Today she and her husband run the Framingham-based business, Quilling Card, a fair trade company that sells handcrafted cards–and now handcrafted art. She joins The Culture Show to talk about the history of quilling and what it means to bring it into these times. From there, Boston Ballet, by way of a 360 dome, has created a portable portal to dance that’s making its way through Massachusetts. Ming Min Hui, the Executive Director of Boston Ballet, joins The Culture Show to talk about its upcoming appearances at Tanglewood and Woods Hole.Finally, it’s still Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, which means it’s still Jump the Shark Week on The Culture Show – if you think we’ve jumped the shark, Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik is bringing her life boat and her list of what she thinks has just gone too far.

What is a prescription for anxiety or isolation that doesn't need FDA approval and won’t get churned through big pharma to drive up prices? Art and culture.Known as “social prescriptions,” there is a growing movement of physicians writing out prescriptions for dance classes, nature walks or a trip to the museum as a way to help treat mental and behavioral health concerns.Now Massachusetts is the first in the nation to have a statewide program. Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Dr. Priscilla Wang, Associate Medical Director of Primary Care Health Equity at Mass General Brigham join The Culture Show to talk about this new initiative.From there, It’s still “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, which means it’s still “Jump the Shark Week” on The Culture Show, where we look at what in the zeitgeist has gone the way of the Fonz on water skis. Today Culture Show co-host James Bennett II joins us for his list of things that have gone too far.Finally independent curator and Culture Show Curator Pedro Alozno joins us to talk about the latest exhibition he’s curated, “The Objects We Choose,” at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York.

Ben Shattuck’s latest book, “The History of Sound: Stories” is a collection of interconnected stories that examine the lives and landscapes of New England where Shattuck spans centuries in these haunting and often humorous stories. He joins “The Culture Show” ahead of his event at Harvard Book Store.And, it might be “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, but on The Culture Show, it’s “Jumping the Shark Week” where we ask: what in the zeitgeist has gone the way of the Fonz when he took that fateful jump? Culture Show co-host Edgar B. Herwick III joins us for his take.Finally, “The Winter’s Tale.” Shakespeare’s parable of human failings and forgiveness comes to life next week at the Parkman Bandstand by way of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s annual –and FREE–Shakespeare on The Common. Bryn Boice, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Associate Artistic Director, and actor Nael Nacer join The Culture Show for a preview.

Today on The Culture Show, The play “Fat Ham.” It’s a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where the court of Denmark is transported to a backyard barbecue in the South, but the most radical change is the sublimation of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy into an uproarious comedy. Playwright James Ijames won a Pulitzer for Fat Ham in 2022. We caught up with him when Fat Ham was onstage in Boston. From there, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Jaws and the turbulence on the set, from the actors feuding with one another to a mechanical shark that was more blundering than plundering. The actor Robert Shaw, who played Quint , a world-weary shark hunter, used to bring his son Ian to the set of Jaws. In an epic and oedipal twist, Ian Shaw played his dad in the “Shark is Broken,” a play that he also co-wrote. Ian Shaw joins The Culture Show to talk about the making of Jaws and the play that it inspired.

Coming up on The Culture Show….We are steeped in American history, starting with the Boston Tea Party. Fed up with the tyranny of taxation without representation, American colonists took matters into their own hands–literally: tossing three shiploads of tea into Boston Harbor. The theatrics alone made it one of THE most celebrated rebellions. But to understand the true ideals and motivations behind it, we turn to the Massachusetts Historical Society.And in his latest book, writer AJ Jacobs documents living as closely to the original meaning of the Constitution as possible, which includes carrying a musket, and personally delivering a list of grievances to Congress. Although his constitutional immersion is humorous, Jacobs is not in this just for the laughs. He finds a nation losing its hold on the values implicit in the constitution: responsibility, community and civic engagement. Finally, sisters are doing it for themselves. As America prepares to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, Lexington, Massachusetts is telling a story about the women who were a part of this history but were forgotten or erased and never celebrated. Hence, the monument “Something is Being Done.” Jared Bowen talks to Meredith Bergmann, the acclaimed Massachusetts sculptor who created this monument and Jessie Steigerwald, president of LexSeeHer, Inc.

Will Dailey is an independent recording artist, performer and artist advocate. He’s won numerous Boston Music awards, including best album and best artist. He’s shared the stage and studio with some of the greats, such as Eddie Vedder, Willie Nelson and Brandi Carlile. Now he has a new gig: elevating other artists and musicians As artist-in-residence at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, he curates a soundscape for the hotel, orchestrating a lineup of local artists who perform throughout the space. This includes a collaboration with the Boston Jazz Foundation as a way to highlight local jazz musicians.WIll Dailey, and Boston Jazz Foundation’s Vice Chair Moriah Phillips join The Culture Show to talk about their collaboration and concert series.Then, it’s the tiny tugboat that’s making waves. Known as the Boomin’ Beaver, at only 19 feet, it plays a vital part in keeping the Navy’s most powerful vessels safe. Culture show co-host Edgar B. Herwick III explains the starring role it will play this 4th of July.Finally, fresh off the cricket world cup, we keep cricket fever alive. Mahesh Daas, President of Boston Architectural College is also a player and enthusiast. He joins us to talk about its history, its resurgence and the sport’s connection to Boston

Poetry often has a stigma that’s hard to shake. That it’s inscrutable, elite and out of reach. Even with the rhyming. And brevity. But give poetry a chance, explore its roots, its history of experimentation and the beauty of its language and it comes alive.This is what Elisa New has done with “Poetry in America,” the PBS series. She joins The Culture Show to talk about its latest season. Elisa New is the director and host of “Poetry in America” and Distinguished Professor of Practice at Arizona State University.From there actress Denee Benton. She made her Broadway debut in “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” and later went on to take over the female lead of Eliza Schuyler in the Broadway run of “Hamilton.” Now she is in “The GIlded Age,” playing Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer and journalist from a prominent Black family. Aheady, she joins The Culture Show to talk about making Peggy SCott a more well-rounded, authentic character. Finally Ned Hinkle, Creative Director of Brattle Theatre, talks about their special screening of Jaws and why it’s the perfect film for the Fourth of July,

“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July?” That is the question Frederick Douglass posed to an audience of abolitionists at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was July 5, 1852 in Rochester, New York.In that speech, Douglass confronted the hypocrisy of a day celebrating freedom in a country that still endorsed the forced labor and bondage of more than 3 million people. It’s a speech with deep resonance today. This is why Mass Humanities sponsors public readings of this speech, which happen across the region. Brian Boyles, executive director of Mass Humanities, and Paula Elliott, a vocalist and one of the organizers of the first Frederick Douglass reading on the Boston Common in 2009 join The Culture Show.Then it’s another take on Independence Day. On July 5th the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections is hosting an open house, to showcase the multiple original printings of the Declaration of Independence held within the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department. Jay Moschella, Manager & Curator of Rare Books, joins The Culture Show for an overview.Finally, it’s Boston Harborfest 2024, a four-day spectacular with events that mark Boston's heritage. Michael Nichols, President of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and George Comeau who is their senior manager of destination events and the Navy Band Northeast’s Crosswinds Woodwind Quintet pack into The Culture Show studio for an overview.

Mfoniso Udofia. Frustrated as an actor when she didn’t see roles reflecting her or her reality, she picked up the pen, and never let go.In total she wrote a nine-play cycle chronicling three generations of a Nigerian-American family. Now a coalition of local theaters and arts organizations are putting on a two-year festival celebrating and producing these works.Then, it’s a casting conundrum. In 2008 Sean Penn played the openly gay politician Harvey Milk, and won an oscar. Today he says that a “timid and artless” climate makes it impossible for him to play a gay role today.Finally, it’s follow-up Friday, where we update you on the stories we’ve been tracking, which includes the sisterhood of the traveling museum exhibit that’s skirting a gender discrimination suit.

Danza Orgánica, a Boston-based dance company, has been collaborating with members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag in a performance that explores the indigenous people of two islands, Martha’s Vineyard and Puerto Rico, and what the two cultures have in common. Titled, “We Still Dance,” it is a multimedia theatrical performance, making its Boston Premiere this Saturday in a free performance at MassART. Mar Parilla, choreographer and founder of Danza Orgánica, joins The Culture Show for a preview.Then, has the time come to prop up the local theater scene? A proposed theater tax credit could turn Massachusetts into a breeding ground for Broadway if the Massachusetts Legislature passes Governor’s Healey’s economic development bill. Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll has experienced this first-hand. As the former Mayor of Salem, she knows the power of arts and culture tourism. She joins The Culture Show to talk about why this tax credit is included in the economic development bill.Finally, we head to Hancock Shaker Village. Their Executive Director and CEO, Caroline Holland joins The Culture Show to talk about marking the 250th anniversary of Shaker design, which includes the US Postal Service issuing a Shaker Design forever stamp collection.

Percussionist and vocalist .Sheila E. is known for her solo work and her collaborations with Prince, and a setlist that spans R&B, Funk, Jazz, and Latin Pop. Now she's bringing her beats to Boston by way of two shows at City Winery. She joins The Culture Show with the preview.From there, how does Boston, the city of champions, honor the stars who made this town a sports town? With public art. Julia Swanson takes us on a tour of the bronzes and bursts of color celebrating athletic greats. 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.Finally, we get a jump on what is known as the “Met Gala of Massachusetts.” Queer Art +Fashion – a fashion show put on by the nonprofit Love Your Labels. They have their Queer AF kick off tonight, looking for models of all sizes and identities to walk the runway. Joshua Croke, president and founder of Love Your Labels, a non-profit that supports queer and transgender youth in Central Massachusetts.

Today on The Culture Show, contributor Joyce Kulhawik goes over the latest plays and movies to take in. She’s an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. From there we enter the Gilded Age. When families such as the Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts expanded their wealth, they needed to spend it. In the summers, they decided to do that in Newport, Rhode Island, creating one of America’s first resort towns by building mansions on the rugged coastline. This is the Gilded Age most people know. But it’s far from the full story. This was also a time of Black prosperity and Newport was a place where African heritage families were an active part of the community.An exhibition at Rosecliff Mansions places Black history in the context of The Gilded Age. It’s on view through the end of the month. Culture show co-host James Bennett II gives us an overview. Finally, Sebastian Junger. He is an author and award-winning journalist whose reporting takes him–and his audiences- into treacherous places. He plunged us into the horrors of commercial fishing by way of his bestselling book, “The Perfect Storm.” Through his reporting and filmmaking he showed us what war looked like, embedding with a US platoon in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. But it is from his home on Cape Cod where he brings us into his most palpable encounter with death–that would be his own death.It’s the subject of his latest book “In My TIme of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife.”

On The Culture Show we talk a lot about museums and their efforts to be more accessible, but that has been the mission of the Museum of Bad Art. Since its inception it’s been free to the public, with wall text that easy to understand –and entertaining, and now that their home is Dorchester Brewing you can even drink a beer while taking in their collection. With MOBA marking its 30th anniversary, Louise Riley Sacco, Permanent Acting Interim Executive Director of the Museum of Bad Art and MOBA’s Curator- in- Chief, Michael Frank join The Culture Show to talk about the making of MOBA, From there it’s “Dirty Old Boston,” the facebook page with a cult following. Jim Bottielli started it in 2012, uploading photos that captured a city slipping away amid development, construction and gentrification. Two years later it became a book. Now this archival photo project is on view at City Winery through June . He joins us to talk about a city in transition.Finally, we get a preview of this year’s BAMSFest–a massive music festival featuring Black and brown artists playing R&B, funk, soul, hip-hop, house and more. Catherine T. Morris, the founder and artistic director of BAMSFest, joins The Culture Show to talk about it.

Today on The Culture Show, co-hosts Callie Crossley, Edgar B. Herwick III and James Bennett II go over the latest arts and culture headlines on our week-in-review,First up, start spreading the news. Literally. France has opened its first museum of cheese, honoring dairy excellence from their famous cheeses to their traditional cheese makers. From there we reflect on the legacy of Willie Mays - the 'Say Hey Kid' who was considered baseball's best all-around player, and speaking of MVP’s, we consider Jaylen Brown’s role as the athlete activist.From there it’s Donald Sutherland, the towering actor whose off-kilter screen presence spanned decades of movies, from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games.”Then we recap the Tony awards, from the snubs, surprises and usual suspects.And we top it all off with a cherry–that is centuries-old boozy cherries discovered at Mount Vernon.That and more is next on The Culture Show’s week-in-review. Stay with us.

Summertime, and the living is easy. Or, if you’re Audra McDonald, you make it look and sound easy. The award winning singer and actor earned her fifth – of a record-breaking six– Tony awards for her portrayal of Bess in the Broadway hit “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess,” which was mounted right here at The American Repertory Theater. The Culture Show caught up with McDonald when she was in Boston for a one-night only performance.Then it’s another star of the stage Leslie Odom, Jr. His portrayal of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton,” gave us a new way to think about America’s historyAnd if history doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes. In his latest return to Broadway, Odom starred in a play that skewers racism in America. He joined The Culture Show ahead of a one-man show in Boston to talk about how music remains at his core.

Through her poetry, Tracy K. Smith probes the meaning of life, she meditates on what happens to our souls when we die, she communes with the dead. She uses poetry to explore her own role in the world as a mother, making the personal profound. Her poems also scrutinize historical racial oppression, the paradox that is the American dream, and the injustices that plague our nation. All of these themes come together in her new book, “To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul.” She joins The Culture Show to talk about it. In 1761 a young girl crossed the Atlantic on a slave ship. Captured in West Africa, she arrived in Boston where she was purchased by John and Susanna Wheatley. They named her Phillis, after the name of the slave ship that brought her to America. They taught Phillis to read and write. Able to express herself on the page, she went on to become the first African American to publish a book of poetry. Wheatley traveled to England to promote the volume and on her voyage back to America she wrote the poem, “Ocean.”The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture recently acquired this rare, handwritten manuscript along with a trove of other texts that shed light on the life –and the life of the mind—of Phillis Wheatley. Joining The Culture Show to talk about what is the largest collection of Wheatley material in public hands is Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Juneteenth is the annual commemoration marking the end of slavery in the United States. The name is derived from the date June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger informed a Texas audience that all enslaved persons were now free…that was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s an important fact to underscore because justice delayed is justice denied. In this context, Kerri Greenidge, Associate Professor in history in the Department of Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora at Tufts University, joins us to talk about how we consider Black history in 2024.From there, we get a preview of the Mars symphony premiere, created in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Museum of Science. Boston composer David Ibbett, whose score reveals the music of Mars, joins The Culture Show, along with James Monroe, creative director of programming for the Centers for Public Science Learning at the Museum of Science.

In the documentary film “More Than Our Skin,” five women share their stories about what it’s like to live with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease in which the skin loses its pigment cells, resulting in discolored patches throughout the body. As the film details, while the disease can’t kill you, it can kill your spirit as people with vitiligo are more prone to depression, social stigmatization and isolation. Tonia Magras, the producer and director of the film, and Valarie Molyneaux, one of the women featured in this documentary, join The Culture Show to talk about their work.From there it’s Alan Cumming. He’s an actor, singer, and advocate who has starred on Broadway, on network television and now he’s hosting and producing the reality TV series streaming on Peacock, “The Traitors.” However, he is no traitor to his demographic. At age 59 Alan Cumming is a font of wisdom when it comes to America’s obsession with the fountain of youth—breaking down how abstract and absurd ageism is in his cabaret show, “Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age”. He joins The Culture Show to talk about this and a tote bag epidemic, which he says is perpetuated by NPR pledge drives.

Today on The Culture Show co-hosts Callie Crossley, James Bennett II and Edgar B. Herwick III cover the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, greatness recognizes greatness. Who surprised Tom Brady at his Patriots Hall of Fame Ceremony with a pop up performance? JAY-Z.And onto another sports Hall of Famer: Jerry West. We remember the LA Lakers legend whose silhouette inspired the NBA’s iconic logoFrom there, it’s an accidental all-star. Kendrick Lamar, whose track “Not Like Us,” which doubles as a Drake diss, is sweeping sports stadiums across the country.Plus it’s “quiet on the set!” Late Night with Seth Meyers is dropping its live house band amid budget cuts.Finally, it’s follow up Friday, which includes a Battle Royale with protestors vandalizing King Charles’ portrait in the name of animal welfare.

Salvatore Del Deo is a contemporary painter whose 75-year career has been inspired by the light of Provincetown, the landscape, particularly the dunes, and the people who cycle in and out of town.If you don’t know his paintings you likely know his plight.Since the early 1940’s, his part-time home has been a dune shack . But he nearly lost it when the National Parks Service served the Del Deo family an eviction notice. After a lengthy and public fight to stay in the shack –Salvatore and the Del Deo family received a five-year reprieve. He joins The Culture Show to talk about this and his new show at the LaMontagne Gallery.And Rebecca Bradshaw knows the local theater scene. From SpeakEasy Stage to the Huntington and beyond, she’s been a triple threat: producing, directing and developing new work.Now she is bringing her talent and expertise to Gloucester Stage Company. Last year, after a nationwide search, the seaside theater named her its new Artistic Director. She joins The Culture Show to talk about her vision for the company. And its 2024 season which recently kicked off with the comedy Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike playing through June 23rd.

Playwright Jo Clifford performed the first production of her one-woman show, “The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven,” in 2009. The play reimagines the parables of the New Testament as told by a modern day Jesus who has come back to earth as a transgender woman.Fifteen years on, “The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven,” has been translated into seven languages and performed in nine countries. This tour has landed in the United states for the first time, with performances in Northampton, Provincetown and Boston.Jo Clifford is an English-born, Scotland-based award-winning playwright, translator, poet and performer. She joins The Culture Show us ahead of her performances at Provincetown’s St Mary’s of the Harbor and Boston’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul.From there, it’s “Django in June.” Jazz Django Reinhardt was a Gypsy jazz genius. Born in Belgium in 1910, into a French family of Romani descent. After surviving a horrible fire, doctors said he would never play guitar again because his fingers were so severely burned. He didn’t listen. Instead, he created a whole new technique for playing the guitar that made up for the limited use he had of his 4th and 5th fingers.He became a star, and then a legend. And for years he’s been celebrated by way of “Django in June ” in Northampton.Guitarist and composer Jack Soref has been a mainstay of Django in June, where he has been teaching since 2009 . He joins The Culture Show for an overview.

Ken Field is a composer, flautist, saxophonist and the leader of the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble–a New Orleans inspired brass band, which is marking its 35th anniversary this Friday at Regattabar. The celebration doubles as a live recording session of new material. Ken Field joins The Culture Show for a preview, to talk about leading a band for 35 years and the origin of his group’s name.From there Lisa Simmons, artistic and executive director of The Roxbury International Film fest gives us a preview of the largest New England film festival that highlights films by, for and about people of color. It takes place June 20th through June 28th and online June 27th through July 2nd.

What do you call three lost souls left on a prep school campus during the holidays? The holdovers. That’s also the title of Alexander Payne’s film. Set in the 1970’s, Paul Giamatti plays a scrooge-like New England teacher–stingy with good grades and generosity. But over the winter holiday break, his heart thaws –slightly –and he forges an unlikely fellowship with a student and the school cook. The Oscar-winning filmmaker joins The Culture Show to talk about making a quintessential New England film.From there it’s local artist Robert Freeman. He went to see the movie “American Fiction” and to his surprise his paintings played a supporting role, hanging on the walls in several scenes. We talk to him about this 20-feet from stardom moment and what it means to have one of his paintings selected to hang in Governor Healey’s office.Then Edgar B. Herwick III and producer Kate Dellis take us into the room where the movie magic happens: the projectionist’s booth at Somerville Theatre.

Today on The Culture Show it’s our arts and culture week-in-review.GBH’s Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley, and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons, who is artistic and executive director of the Roxbury International Film Fest and program manager at Mass Cultural Council , go over the latest arts and culture headlines.First up, exterior design. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is on a mission to make its Huntington Avenue entrance more representative of what’s happening on the inside. It’s commissioning artists to make public work. And the inaugural one will respond to a controversial bronze sculpture in front of the MFA depicting a Native American man astride a horse with his arms outstretched… suggesting surrender.Then, actress Lupita Nyong’o calls out the junk in press junkets, saying they’re torture!Plus, it’s a breakthrough moment for breakdancing. In a first, as we’ll see in Paris, it’s now an official Olympic sport. Finally, Cyndi Lauper is going to “She Bop” her away around North America one last “Time After Time” with her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell tour.

Berklee College of Music and the Audio Engineering Society are hosting an inaugural international symposium at Berklee on AI in music, exploring the benefits, the ethics and the caveats. Two people instrumental to this symposium join The Culture Show for a preview: The event organizer, Berklee music production and engineering professor Jonathan Wyner and keynote speaker Tod Machover. Tod Machover is a pioneering composer and the Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music and Media and director of the MIT Media Lab's Opera of the Future group. Chris Copeland, Manager of Plant Production at the Arnold Arboretum is also the curator of their Bonsai and Penjing collection. He joins us to talk about these miniature masterpieces, the tradition of Bonsai, what it takes to care for these plants and how people can see them all —for free.Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra music director Federico Cortese joins The Culture Show to preview their 66th season finale concert and to talk about their first permanent home in the orchestra's history, which opened last month.

What does it mean to be a restless soul in-between two worlds? That is the definition of a dybbuk. With an ongoing immigration crisis and refugees displaced by war– a new adaptation of the play “The Dybbuk,” has deep resonance. And who better to wrestle with these themes than the Arlekin Players Theatre, which has a reputation for examining such existential plights. Their artistic director–and director of this production, Igor Golyak and one of the lead actors, Andrey Burkovskiy join The Culture Show.From there Edgar B. Herwick III explains some Bay State and Baseball curiosities.Finally we look at Boston’s housing crisis. It’s one thing to have a home office. It’s another thing to turn an office into a home. Is the push to retrofit commercial real estate into residential real estate feasible and fiscally sound? Boston Architectural College president Mahesh Daas joins The Culture Show for that conversation.

Embrace Boston is gearing up for its third annual gathering to celebrate Juneteenth with the Boston community, and it promises to be more than an event but a conversation about reimaging Boston ahead of its 400th Birthday. Plus, no festival would be complete without a block party, DJ’s and dancing. Imari Paris Jeffries, CEO and President of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show for a preview. From there carnival and colonialism converge in “The Procession,” a large-scale installation making its North American debut at the ICA Watershed. In fact, it’s the only place in the U.S. you can see the show. By large scale we’re talking about some 140 life-sized figures–all of them staged in a march through time. The mastermind behind this monumental work, artist Hew Locke, joins us.And finally, the Boston Waterfront is in full swing. We get an update on the free and accessible events that await us this summer from Luz Arregoces. Director of New England Aquarium’s community engagement and member of the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront.

The three-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky joins us to talk about his new book of poetry, “Proverbs of Limbo.” His book launch is June 11th at the Cambridge Public Library at an event presented by Harvard Book Store.Robert Pinsky is the author of “At The Foundling Hospital”, “The Figured Wheel” and “The Want Bone.” He is also a professor in the graduate creative writing program at Boston University,From there we talk to Dan Cummings, the lead singer of local punk band “Already Dead,” about their latest track “The Spirit of Massachusetts Avenue.” It’s the lead single on their forthcoming album, “Something Like War.”Finally, we talk about the role of the diva and prima donna and explore how often we misuse those words. Grammy-winning dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen joins us to break down opera parlance. She’s on the faculty at New England Conservatory and she’s the President of the Boston Wagner Society. She joins The Culture Show regularly.

First up, Richard Dreyfuss didn’t just make waves, he sent shockwaves through Beverly’s Cabot Theater ahead of a special screening of “Jaws.” Offending audiences by spewing transphobic, misanthropic rhetoric. And it turns out this wasn’t the first time.From there it’s time to meet Josh Gibson, Major League Baseball’s new GREATEST OF ALL TIME PLAYER. With the MLB integrating statistics from the Negro Leagues, they’re also obliged to rewrite baseball’s history.Plus we remember Bill Walton, the Celtics star who created a legacy on and off the court.Then, how conflict and climate change continue to threaten cultural sites and institutions around the world.And, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” the Wu-Tang Clan album you won’t be able to hear for 88 years - unless you go to Australia today.

New York Times best-selling writer Ann Leary’s latest book is a collection of Essays titled “I’ve Tried Being Nice.” In total they are a reflection on her life…on the liberties that come with being older, on moments of mayhem and on scenes from a marriage that has had its ups and downs–on the tennis court, on the red carpet and behind closed doors. The essays are funny and frank. They are personal while also being very universal.Ann Leary and her husband Denis Leary – Worcester born actor and standup comedian – join The Culture Show ahead of their June 5th event at The Cambridge Public LibraryThen it’s Thorgy Thor. She came to international attention on “RuPaul's “Drag Race” and on Ru Paul’s “Drag Race Variety All Stars Show.”.She will be bringing her all star performance to the Boston POPS, kicking off Pride month this Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 at Symphony Hall. It’s a perfect venue for someone who is committed to combining classical music and drag. She joins The Culture Show to preview Boston POPS Pride Night.Finally, we head to Charlestown Navy Yard for a preview of “Lot Lab 2024.” Launched by the Boston Public Art Triennial, their assistant curator Jasper Sanchez joins the culture show to preview this public art exhibition, which opens June 10th.

On this episode of The Culture Show MassArt President Mary Grant joins us for her monthly appearance. Today she talks about the cost of college, if the expense is worth it and what higher-ed institutions need to do to meet incoming students where they are.From there we head to Colby College Museum of Art. Their head curator Beth Finch joins The Culture Show to give an overview of their current exhibit “The World Outside: Louise Nevelson at Midcentury.” Finally, the Grammy and Emmy award-winning film composer and guitarist Claudio Ragazzi previews the Claudio Ragazzi Quartet’s performance on May 30th at Long Live Roxbury.

Writer Percival Everett’s satire verges on prophecy. He is prolific–he has written westerns, mysteries, thrillers, and collections of poetry. You likely recognize his name because of his book “Erasure,” the sardonic take on the publishing industry on which the film “American Fiction” was based.Everett’s latest book, titled “James,” is a retelling of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” from the perspective of Jim, the novel’s enslaved runaway. Everett joins The Culture Show us ahead of his event next week at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.Then we discover an oasis of tranquility tucked away in the bustling Seaport district. Culture Show contributor Julia Swanson joins The Culture Show to talk about Eastport Park on D Street. 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.Finally, it’s Bach to Basics. Emmanuel Music is only one of five ensembles in the U.S. to be invited to this year’s “Bachfest Leipzig,” a sprawling and prestigious music festival. Emmanuel Music’s artistic director Ryan Turner joins The Culture Show us to talk about this honor.

Today on The Culture Show it’s the pharaoh of the opera. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo has made a name for himself starring in the MET’s production of Akhenaten – earning a Grammy award along the way.He’s also figuratively found his voice and the freedom to have fun by collaborating with cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond in their hit performance and accompanying album, “Only and Octave Apart”Now Anthony Roth Costanzo is performing it all–from cantatas to camp, in a one-man recital that ranges from Verdi to Barbra Streisand. From there, will the Grammys ever create a category for best song recorded by a state auditor? If so, Diana Dizoglio’s newly mastered release “This Is The Time” could be a winner. The auditor joins The Culture Show to talk about her relationship to music and how singing has made her voice known –and heard–on Beacon Hill.

Today on the Culture Show, Callie Crossley, James Bennett II and Edgar B Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review. The topics they discuss include, Scarlett Johansson’s feud with Open AI, Elvis Presley’s Graceland having a brush with foreclosure fraudsters, and Apple’s 100 best album list. They also look at a taco stand in Mexico City that has just received a Micehlin star, discussing if this is a burden or a blessing. Plus, they analyze how two antitrust headlines affect the arts and culture universe: the NCAA settlement and the Department of Justice suing Live Nation for having a monopoly on the concert industry.Finally, they deliver another edition of follow-up Friday, bringing listeners up to speed on some of the stories we’ve been covering on our weeks-in-review, which include an update on the American Museum of Natural History, the photography of the late, great Charles Daniels AKA “Master Blaster,” and the public art exhibit that connects Dublin and New York City via a live streamed portal. What can go wrong when you have a huge webcam connecting two major cities? Well, it turns out a lot of nudity and other offenses but the overseers of the portal have decided to give humanity a second chance.

When it comes to opera performances, Boston Lyric Opera is literally putting the wheels in motion. On June first the BLO is rolling out its “Street Stage Series” and by rolling out, we mean driving a semi-trailer that converts into a stage, which will travel to different neighborhoods throughout the summer, offering opera and popular music performances. The BLO’s Brad Vernatter, the Stanford Calderwood General Director and Nina Yoshida Nelsen, the BLO’s Artistic Director join The Culture Show to preview this summer’s series.From there Jared Bowen goes to Wellesley College's Davis Museum to talk with artist Lorraine O’Grady about her first-ever museum retrospective.Finally, Lydia Diamond. Her latest play tells the story of Toni Stone, a sports phenom who is rejected by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League because she is black. Instead she becomes the first woman to play professional baseball on a man’s team in the Negro Leagues. Lydia Diamond joins The Culture Show to talk about bringing this story to the stage.

Aaron Lansky is credited with saving a world of Yiddish literature, language and culture. It started in the late 1970’s when he was studying Yiddish literature at Mcgill University and was having a hard time finding the books he needed to pursue his scholarship. So he organized a nationwide network of volunteer book collectors and launched a campaign, now known as The Yiddish Book Center, to save the world’s surviving Yiddish books. At the time, it was estimated that there were 70,000 Yiddish books to rescue. His team saved 1.5 million. Today the Yiddish Book Center, located in Amherst on the campus of Hampshire College, is one of the largest Jewish cultural organizations in the worldAaron Lansky joins The Culture Show to discuss why he has decided to retire as the center’s president.From there Culture Show co-host James Bennett II joins us with and arts and culture roundup, which includes a photography exhibit at the Boston Athenaeum, “Framing Freedom: The Harriet Hayden Albums,” which features nearly 90 photos depicting Black lives and Black freedomFinally we get a preview of the first-ever Boston Public Art Triennial which will happen in May 2025. It will distinguish Boston as one of the few cities in the U.S. to do this and it could forever change Boston’s relationship to public art.I’m joined by two of the people behind this effort: Kate Gilbert, Executive Director of Boston Public Art Triennial, and culture show contributor Pedro Alonzo. He’s an independent curator who is the Artistic Director of the triennial.

Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show every month.With Memorial Day approaching, we’re going to get his take on the role black military members have played in U.S. history, from emancipation to protecting our democracy, and how recent developments in local government are supporting Embrace Boston’s call for reparations. From there, we’re fashion forward, backward and everything in between. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is making a fashion statement with its new exhibit “Dress Up.” With more than 150 objects on view, it is a survey of the history and histrionics of fashion, from fast fashion, to fashion as fantasy, to fashion as identity. theo tyson, curator of Fashion Arts at the MFA, joins us to talk about the exhibit.Finally, GBH’s Haley Lerner and Molly McCaul–our resident live music experts– give us a preview of “Boston Calling,” one of the region’s largest music festivals.

Writer Flannery O’Connory was a devout Catholic. She grew up in Georgia and eventually lived on a farm among peacocks. She negotiated life under the threat of looming death because she had lupus. But her imagination took her elsewhere. Mostly to peculiar places, often violent ones, where prophets, sinners and outsiders sought truth and redemption.Now her biography, her characters and her life of the mind converge in the new film “Wildcat.” It’s directed by Ethan Hawke, he also co-wrote it with Shelby Gaines and it stars his daughter, Maya Hawke as Flannery O’Connor.Ethan Hawke joined The Culture Show ahead of his event at Coolidge Corner Theatre for a screening, followed by a Q and A on May 23rd and May 24th.From there we meet the artists behind an upcoming exhibit at the South Shore Art Center titled “Young Black Woman|Old White Man.” It shows two very different perspectives and experiences of events that have rattled the world: From the murder of George Floyd to the January 6th insurrection.It features the work of Devyn Casey, an artist and art teacher based in Norfolk, Virginia and South Shore artist James Burke. Opening night is May 30th, the exhibit is on through June 30th. Finally, writer Lucas Mann joins us to talk about his latest book, Attachments: Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances.” Lucas Mann teaches English at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and lives in Providence, Rhode Island where he and his wife co-own Riffraff Bookstore and Bar.

Coming up on the Culture Show, live from our GBH studio at the Boston Public Library, it’s our arts and culture week-in-review.First up, The Red Scare. The new portrait of King Charles III is saturated in reds and sparking controversy. Is it a monarchy masterpiece? Or a monstrosity? Then we remember culinary legend Jasper White who elevated New England’s food scene by taking us out of the era of plain old corn pudding and fish chowder with a series of successful seafood restaurants, including Summer Shack. Plus, a live stream installation connecting Dublin to New York City has been shut down because people are using the exhibition to be exhibitionists baring bosoms, butts, and beyond.

F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said “There are no second acts in American lives.” but there are certainly second acts when it comes to Fitzgerald’s own classic “The Great Gatsby.” Fitting for a story about reinvention, The Great Gatsby has been adapted to the screen and stage countless times. Now the American Repertory Theater is bringing it to life in a world premiere musical “Gatsby: an American Myth.” The score is by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett and the book is by Martyna Majok, whose Pulitzer prize-winning play “Cost of Living” recently had a critically acclaimed run in Boston. Martyna Majok joins The Culture Show to talk about diving into the glittery Gatsby galaxy. From there GBH’s James Bennett II joins us for an arts and culture roundup, from a photo exhibit sparking controversy in Newton for featuring Palestinian refugees to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum giving an 18th century viola d’amore a stress test.Finally, Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons joins us to talk about a range of topics, from a roundup of upcoming film festivals to her take on normalizing 90 minute movies. Lisa Simmons is the artistic and executive director of the Roxbury International Film Festival and program manager at Mass Cultural Council.