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STAGE REVIEW

‘Fat Ham,’ at the Huntington, updates ‘Hamlet’

James Ijames’s Pulitzer-winning play turns Shakespeare’s tragedy upside down and gives it a vigorous shake.

Seu Jorge goes back to bossa nova with Antônio Carlos Jobim’s grandson
Jobim and the singer perform on Friday night at John Hancock Hall.

BIBLIOPHILES
Matthew Desmond finds that Dickens cuts closer to the truth of how poverty really works than nonfiction
For the author of “Poverty, By America,” economics has a human face

BOOKS
Hummingbird Books ships challenged titles to readers in South Carolina
The Chestnut Hill bookstore joins with Beaufort County organizations to combat literary censorship

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

Fall is for great films: 40-plus movies to look forward to this season

From Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Sofia Coppla’s “Priscilla” to a new adaptation of “The Color Purple,” here are some of the highlights.
A less colorful fall for TV viewers, but there’s still plenty to see10 shows that add up to a vibrant fall for theater-goers10 visual feasts at New England museums this fall10 comedy shows for a fun-filled fall10 classical music attractions to enliven your autumn
RI COURTS

‘Survivor’ winner Richard Hatch representing himself in federal court in R.I.

Legal experts say the Newport resident faces a disadvantage in serving as his own lawyer.
TV CRITIC'S CORNER

‘Only Murders in the Building’ renewed for another season

Some good news amid the recent spate of TV cancellations.

A new office tower for a new office era

One Congress may show a way forward for commercial real estate.
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

An MFA exhibition is a reminder that bigger isn’t always better

"Tiny Treasures: The Magic of Miniatures" proves that size matters, but not in the way you might think.

Selma Blair helps White House salute landmark disability legislation

Actor and disability rights advocate Selma Blair has helped President Joe Biden salute the legacy of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, displaying a touch of the comedic timing that made her a star in Hollywood hits like “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions.”

Novelist Rhonda DeChambeau persisted for many years. Finally, recognition.

For the Boston Public Library’s most recent writer-in-residence, perseverance leads to a two-book deal.
Documentaries

‘Stop Making Sense’ in IMAX: Same as it ever was, but bigger and even better

Our film critic dons his own Big Suit and revisits Jonathan Demme’s 1984 musical masterpiece, the greatest concert film ever made.

‘The Busing Battleground’ revisits a painful chapter in Boston’s history, one that still reverberates

Violence erupted in the wake of an order to desegregate Boston public schools in 1974 — and a long struggle for educational equity preceded it. On PBS, "American Experience" tells the story.

True-crime docuseries ‘Never Let Him Go’ chronicles Cambridge man’s quest for justice

In 1988, Scott Johnson, a gay American man, was found dead in Australia. His brother, Steve Johnson, has been trying to piece together what happened ever since.

MORE RECENT ARTS HEADLINES

Maine’s historic Colonial Theatre will get a second life when it reopens in November

After it went dark last year, moviegoers feared this charming and historic venue might be lost forever. But it will reopen under a new owner next month.

Late-night shows return after writers strike as actors resume talks that could end their standoff

Comedian John Oliver got his first take on the strike out, exuberantly returning Sunday night to his “Last Week Tonight” show on HBO and delivering full-throated support for the strike.

Spiro Veloudos, larger-than-life force in Boston theater, dies at 71

The longtime producing artistic director of Lyric Stage Company played a central role in the rise of midsize theaters as a vital force in Boston.

Boston’s infamous ‘Cop Slide’ video featured on John Oliver’s show

The popular video of a Boston police officer taking a bumpy ride down a slide in Government Center was featured John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” show on Sunday.

Whenever the Rolling Stones were in town, photographer Ted Gartland was there, too

Gartland shot the Stones at least once every decade at various venues around Boston — the Garden, the Orpheum, in Foxborough — up until their most recent visit in 2019. Now you can see some of those photos in an exhibit at a Kenmore Square gallery.

Taylor Swift watches Travis Kelce’s Chiefs take on the Jets at MetLife Stadium

Taylor Swift’s appearance came a week after she was at Arrowhead Stadium — decked out in red and white — to watch the Chiefs play the Chicago Bears at home in a suite alongside Donna Kelce.

Mariah Carey announces Christmas tour with a date at TD Garden

The singer announced her Merry Christmas One and All Tour on Monday with 13 stops across the US, including TD Garden in Boston.

BOOK REVIEW

Olga Ravn, in ‘My Work,’ turns a jaundiced eye on the experience of giving birth

When motherhood splinters the self, the work of Ravn’s narrator involves gathering up the pieces.

most read

A new office tower for a new office era

‘Survivor’ winner Richard Hatch representing himself in federal court in R.I.

Spiro Veloudos, larger-than-life force in Boston theater, dies at 71

Allegations of discrimination and harassment roil Worcester Art Museum

STAGE REVIEW

‘The Full Monty’ takes a while to show what it’s got

The North Shore Music Theatre production about a group of unemployed men who put on a strip show to pay the bills doesn't click into place until the second act.

Foo Fighters announce 2024 summer tour, Fenway Park date

The Foo Fighters' Everything or Nothing at All Tour will swing through Boston in July 2024 with a show at Fenway Park, the band announced Monday.

Friends of rocker Justine Covault offer a fitting farewell

Covault, who fronted two Boston bands and founded Red on Red Records, died suddenly in June at the age of 59. On Friday, her daughter and her friends in the local music scene are honoring the rocker with a show at the Crystal Ballroom.

Allegations of discrimination and harassment roil Worcester Art Museum

A pair of complaints paint a picture of a “hostile” workplace under director Matthias Waschek.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour is over. But it’s coming to movie theaters soon.

A documentary chronicling Beyoncé's just-concluded 39-city Renaissance World Tour will premiere in North American theaters Dec. 1, AMC Theaters announced Monday.

TV CRITIC'S CORNER

Lakers legend Magic Johnson pans ‘Winning Time’

The retired Lakers superstar is a key figure in “Winning Time,’’ played by Quincy Isaiah. “I never watched it because nobody in this world can tell the Lakers story [like it needed to be told],” Johnson has said of the HBO miniseries.

RI FOOD & DINING

Providence’s beloved Riffraff bookstore and bar have new owners that plan on keeping it just the same

Just three months after it hit the market for $250,000, the ever-popular RiffRaff Bookstore and Bar in Providence’s West End neighborhood has been purchased by Ottavia De Luca and Lucas Mann.

MUSIC REVIEW

‘A New World’ doesn’t make the most compelling case for ‘Final Fantasy’ music

Eager listeners flocked to Jordan Hall to hear live performances of music from the game franchise, but the performance had several glitches.