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MUSIC REVIEW

Seven operatic doors and the secrets behind them

On Wednesday night at Flynn Cruiseport, Boston Lyric Opera presented a rare staging of Bartok’s one-act opera ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’ alongside four songs by Alma Mahler.

BOOK REVIEW
Loss, feminism, snail metempsychosis, death: the best of Margaret Atwood in ‘Old Babes in the Wood’
The collection is nothing if not various, and it provides ample runway, in its myriad surfaces and angles, for Atwood to show herself as nothing if not vital and virtuosic.

BOOK REVIEW
In ‘Dust Child,’ Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai uses a silken touch in a tale of those left behind after the occupation of Vietnam
The exquisite novel was sparked by a BBC story chronicling an American vet’s search for his Amerasian child.

BIBLIOPHILES
Clint Smith on the poetry of parenthood and reading to his children
In his new poetry collection, “Above Ground,” the award-winning writer explores the transformative experience of becoming a father.

BIBLIOPHILES

Clint Smith on the poetry of parenthood and reading to his children

In his new poetry collection, “Above Ground,” the award-winning writer explores the transformative experience of becoming a father.
BOOK REVIEW

‘Once We Were Home,’ by National Jewish Book Award finalist Jennifer Rosner, conjures the ravaged inner terrain of children displaced by World War II

In straightforward prose adorned with a poetic sensibility, Rosner intertwines three narratives about displaced children ping-ponging across Europe and Israel during the war and its aftermath.
NEW ENGLAND LITERARY NEWS

‘Echo: A Survey at 25 Years of Sound, Art, and Ink on Paper’; ‘Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World’s First Author’; and Kari Percival’s Ezra Jack Keats Award

Literary news from around the region.

In Lynn Nottage’s ‘Clyde’s,’ comedy is on the menu at a hard-luck cafe

The play centers on a beleaguered kitchen staff, all formerly incarcerated folks, who toil in a truck-stop sandwich shop. It begins a month-long run at the Huntington starting Friday.

Apple to splash $1 billion a year on films to break into cinemas

It is part of an ambitious effort by Apple to raise its profile in Hollywood and lure subscribers to its streaming service.

‘Rye Lane’ is for lovers

Director Raine Allen-Miller’s feature debut, set in South London, is a meet-cute that breaks the mold.
Documentaries

‘Reggie’ tells a parallel story of race and baseball

Alexandria Stapleton’s documentary on Prime Video traces the career of Reggie Jackson, a.k.a. ‘Mr. October.’

New documentary ‘American Bolshevik’ looks at the vilification of the coyote

Rhode Island-based fillmmaker Julie Marron grew fascinated with the debate over what to do about the growing coyote ‘problem’ in her home state.

‘Bill Russell: Legend’ is a complex portrait of a sports icon and his impact on and off the court

Much like the late Celtic himself, Sam Pollard’s documentary doesn’t flinch at the truth.
ART REVIEW

At the MFA, enslaved Black potters’ work brings lives into the light in ‘Hear Me Now’

“Hear Me Now” just opened at the Museum of Fine Arts. It would be a riveting history lesson, chilling and mournful, if that’s all it was. It aspires to, and achieves, so much more.
Enslaved potter David Drake searched for his family. More than 150 years later, they’ve found him.‘Hear Me Now’ tells the story of enslaved Black potters

MORE RECENT ARTS HEADLINES

TV CRITIC'S CORNER

In ‘Accused,’ time works against one-off episodes

An hour — well, really, 40-something minutes — is not enough time to set up and look into some of the complex issues the writers are addressing.

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

In ‘Spin,’ Rebecca Caprara recasts the story of Arachne for a generation of young activists

“A large part of my character studies arose from thinking about her backstory [and] what would make a young woman brazen enough, bold enough, to stand up to a god,” she said.

BOOKS

Local bestsellers for the week ended March 19

Based on reporting from the independent booksellers of the New England Independent Booksellers Association and IndieBound.

BOOKINGS

Author readings around Boston March 26-April 1

All author appearances are in person and free unless otherwise noted.

MUSIC

The Sugar Shack brings back sweet memories for these R&B veterans

An all-star group of veteran Boston R&B artists is staging a salute to the famed nightclub, which not only brought the likes of James Brown, George Clinton, and Stevie Wonder to the city but also provided a showcase for local funk and R&B acts.

Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial set for family testimony

The daughters of a man suing Gwyneth Paltrow are expected to appear on Thursday as a trial about the pair’s 2016 ski collision continues.

New music ensemble Wild Up welcomes listeners where they are

The Los Angeles-based group makes its first Boston appearance on March 30.

Odie Henderson Review | ★★

Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman are great in ‘A Good Person’

But Zach Braff’s tale of tragedy and addiction doesn’t quite hold up to their performances.

most read

At the MFA, Hokusai’s oceans of influence

The Sugar Shack brings back sweet memories for these R&B veterans

Stop the presses: ‘Alaska Daily’ to return March 2

In ‘Accused,’ time works against one-off episodes

TELEVISION REVIEW

Brawl in the family: The final season of ‘Succession’ is as fierce as it gets

The gloves, always off, have been cut to shreds.

‘Can my dog be an extra?’: Filming for Damon, Affleck movie begins at North End’s Bova’s Bakery

The 24-hour bakery shut its doors for the first time in its 97-year history to accommodate the shoot for “The Instigators,” sending loyal fans of its signature cannolis to competing bakeries — if only for the week.

Odie Henderson Review |★★★½

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ is wicked fun — and extremely violent

Keanu Reeves and company bring a rousing, fitting end to the series that started in 2014.

PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW

At the Met, comparing and seriously contrasting

Two legendary photographers, Berenice Abbott and Richard Avedon, go to extremes — of scale, that is.

TV CRITIC'S CORNER

In musical series ‘Up Here,’ cutesy trumps catchy

The eight-episode Hulu rom-com comes from a pedigreed creative team whose resumes include “Dear Evan Hansen,” Frozen,” “tick, tick… BOOM!,” and “Hamilton.”

Doctors expected to testify in Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial

Gwyneth Paltrow is expected to appear in court for the second day of a trial in which she’s accused of crashing into a skier at Deer Valley Resort, leaving him concussed and with four broken ribs.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial begins over 2016 ski collision

A court case began on Tuesday involving Gwyneth Paltrow and a man with whom she was in a ski accident in 2016.

ENTERTAINMENT

Reborn Ringling Bros. circus to leap on tour — minus animals

The Ringling Bros. show will bring a modern circus, with live camera feeds and virtual reality, to Providence.

WINTER ARTS PREVIEW

10 TV shows we’ll be watching this winter

Highlights this season include Mel Brooks helming "History of the World, Part II," a drama about a Fleetwood Mac-like rock group in 1970s LA called "Daisy Jones & The Six," plus new series starring Natasha Lyonne, Bob Odenkirk, Damian Lewis, and Connie Britton.

From SZA to the Boss, 10 concerts to heat up winter
Other highlights include Maggie Rogers, Margo Price, Ari Lennox, and Dropkick Murphys' annual run of St. Patrick's Day shows.

10 delightful dance picks to carry you through to spring
Hip-hop, ballet, flamenco, contemporary, and even acrobatics are on tap in Boston this season.

After all these years, Rennie Harris’s classic hip-hopera ‘Rome and Jewels’ leaves space for improvisation

Original dancers and young company members come together for the 2020 work that put Rennie Harris Puremovement on the international map. The performance will be held at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre on Jan. 28.

New England Philharmonic music director Tianhui Ng shares music through ‘human stories’

The volunteer ensemble premieres a new piece by Medfield-raised composer Matthew Aucoin during its next concert on Feb. 18.

A creator of experimental theater steps anxiously into the spotlight with ‘Made in China 2.0’

In Wang Chong's solo show, receiving its world premiere at ArtsEmerson, the director becomes the performer.

Aoife O’Donovan traverses the sparse terrain of Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’

The Grammy-nominated singer will play songs from the album at Sanders Theatre on March 17.

Explore all our winter arts critics' picks

At the MFA, ‘Hear Me Now’ tells the story of enslaved Black potters

Another first for Marlee Matlin with her directorial debut on ‘Accused’

10 dynamic classical concerts to wake you up this winter

10 delightful dance picks to carry you through to spring

10 TV shows we’ll be watching this winter

From SZA to the Boss, 10 concerts to heat up winter