Arts

Our local Tiny Desk search begins
WBUR's Amelia Mason has begun her annual springtime search for our favorite local entry to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, with the help of a panel of local collaborators.

This modern take on 'Hamlet' isn't very witty, but it is brief
Starring Riz Ahmed, director Aneil Karia’s film is a ruthlessly stripped-down modernization of the Bard’s tale set in contemporary London’s South Asian community. It keeps the Elizabethan verse and throws...

Angkor Dance Troupe's 'Swan Lake,' the Khmer way
Tchaikovsky's ballet is reimagined with an original score and Robam Kenor classical Cambodian dance at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, April 8-26. In this ending, the white swan's story trades Western tragedy...

'The Wash' reclaims the forgotten fight of Black washerwomen
The Front Porch Arts Collective will perform staged readings of Kelundra Smith's new play. It draws on the 1881 Atlanta Washerwomen's Strike, one of the first major labor actions led...

5 things to do this weekend, including Arlington Jazz Festival and a book fair for adults
Plus, open studios at the Boston Center for the Arts and the final weekend of "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous" at Lyric Stage.
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Trailer: The Midnight Rebellion
The clock’s ticking. What will you do? Part 1 launches on Earth Day, April 22. Follow The Midnight Rebellion in your podcast app now to get notified when episodes drop

Swift Fox and the Coyote Twins | Ep. 321
This Is Us co-stars (and That Was Us co-hosts) Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan co-star in a multi-cultural legend about two conceited coyotes and the fox who...

Alicia Graf Mack takes the stage as new artistic director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Alicia Graf Mack is leading a 20-city U.S. tour, which began in January and concludes in Newark, New Jersey, on May 10.

‘Frankenstein’ isn’t the only monster in Mary Shelley’s story
When Emily Franklin began her historical fiction novel, “Love & Other Monsters,” she knew only a little about Mary Shelley’s stepsister, Claire: her wit, her relationship with Lord Byron, her...

How PB&J became an American lunchbox staple
What's more accessible, reliable and universally-beloved than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? The roots of this affordable finger food got its start in Boston 125 years ago.

PlayZoomers brings theater to a small screen near you
Ever think your Zoom meeting could be live theater? Well, PlayZoomers brings the theatrical experience online. They've just published "Comedies for the Virtual Stage," a collection of short plays the...
How Berklee College of Music is thinking about AI and the future of music
Mark Ethier runs the Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab, or BEATL. His job is to prepare Berklee College of Music students for an evolving industry where the use of AI...

5 things to do this weekend, including a nighttime frog walk and Wicked Queer film fest
Plus, a NEC tribute concert for Coretta Scott King and a dance performance reimagining tradition.

Boston’s new arts chief wants to keep artists in the city
After a year-long search, Joseph Henry, a native Londoner, has been selected to lead the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. He plans to bring his planning and development experience...

A Tale of Two Neighbors | Ep. 320
Recorded live in Cleveland, OH, this Appalachian tale proves that true friends stick together through thick, thin, and everything in between.

Actress Patrice Jean-Baptiste shines in 'Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous'
At Lyric Stage, the actress plays an aging artist wrestling with her own anxieties, insecurities and the decisions she’s made — good and bad — about her work. Theater critic...

Wedding comedy 'The Drama' is an audaciously uncomfortable affair
Writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s screamingly funny film stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as a Back Bay couple whose lavish wedding plans are thrown into disarray after a drunken confession. "The film...

'A Good Person' is a murder mystery wrapped in a psychological thriller
Set in Boston, author Kirsten King's riveting debut novel is told entirely from the perspective of a "memorable and memorably unreliable protagonist," reviews critic Carol Iaciofano Aucoin.

Boston's folk scene remembers Bob Franke with a tribute concert
The beloved singer-writer died in October at the age of 74 after being struck and killed by a motorcycle in Guatemala, where he had recently retired. Musicians are honoring his...

Gen Z is trading drinks for yoga mats
Young people like are moving from “barstools to barbells,” according to a recent study. Alcohol spending is at its lowest level in 40 years, while spending on fitness is up.