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Author Percival Everett talks 'American Fiction' and his new book 'James'
Author Percival Everett will be at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on June 4 to discuss "James," followed by a showing of "American Fiction." Ahead of his appearance at the Coolidge, Everett sat down with executive arts editor and "The Culture Show" host Jared Bowen to discuss his work.
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June 12, 2024 - Jo Clifford and Django in June
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. -
June 11, 2024 - Ken Field and the Roxbury Int'l Film Festival
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. -
June 10, 2024 - Movies in Massachusetts
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. -
June 7, 2024 - Week in Review: University of the Arts closing, Hollywood, and concert cancellations
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. -
June 6, 2024 - AI in music, Bonsai trees, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra
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.
