Arts - The Boston Globe

Police investigated Charles Stuart's car and the shooting scene on St. Alphonsus Street in Mission Hill where Carol Stuart was murdered on Oct. 23, 1989. "Murder in Boston," the Globe's nine-part original investigative podcast on the case, debuts Dec. 4.

‘Murder in Boston’ podcast explores lasting impact of Stuart case on Mission Hill’s Black community

Globe associate editor and columnist Adrian Walker, who hosts the podcast, talks revisiting the case more than three decades later.

TV CRITIC'S CORNER
Oscars to start an hour early next year
Rather than starting, as usual, at 8 p.m. on the East Coast, and 5 p.m. on the West Coast, the March 10 ceremony will begin here at 7 p.m. (after a half-hour preshow) and there at 4 p.m.

Your Week Ahead
Five things to do around Boston, Dec. 4-17
Dance the night away at the Rose Art Museum, shop for holiday pottery gifts at Harvard, spread the holiday spirit caroling along the Greenway, and more.

MOVIE REVIEW
‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé’ illuminates a superstar in command of her artistry, onstage and off
The film is not only an opportunity to catch another glimpse of Beyoncé's dazzling vocals and radiant charisma — it’s a chance to go behind the scenes of her "Renaissance" tour and see how the woman at the center of it all executed her vision.

Eddie Murphy in Amazon's "Candy Cane Lane."

HOLIDAY ARTS PREVIEW

10 TV specials for some merry holiday viewing

Eddie Murphy, Barry Manilow, Hannah Waddingham, and enough '80s divas to fill a sleigh are channeling the season.

From Mike Birbiglia, a generous helping of ‘Christmas Parmesan’For organists, Boston is a city of (pipe) dreamsTree lightings, holiday markets, and more family-friendly events for 202310 pop concerts that are beginning to look a lot like ChristmasJazz pianist Christian Sands loves a good Christmas story

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum recently acquired a rare first edition of Phyllis Wheatley's poetry collection.

NEW ENGLAND LITERARY NEWS

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum acquires first-edition copy of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry collection; new book offers complex portrait of Henry David Thoreau; Rumspringa Books opens in Springfield

A weekly roundup of literary news from around the region

A statue of Phillis Wheatley on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

PREVIEW

‘Faces of Phillis’ imagines Phillis Wheatley’s life for the 250th anniversary of her poetry collection

Work by playwright Ade Solanke and poet Porsha Olayiwola will be performed at the fifth annual Pierce Performance on Dec. 4.

Elena Palladino (”Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley: Drowned by the Quabbin”) will discuss her book Thursday at noon at the State Library of Massachusetts.

BOOKINGS

Author readings around Boston through Dec. 9

Patricia Cornwell, Tatiana Johnson-Boria, Rachel DeWoskin, Robert Pinsky, and Kirun Kapur are among those appearing at local bookstores this week. All author appearances are in person and free unless otherwise noted.

MATTHEW GILBERT

The 10 best TV shows of 2023

A sibling rivalry for the ages. A road-rage incident. A restaurant’s struggles. A chaotic cross-country journey. And many murders in many buildings. They all add up to a rewarding year for television viewers.

Why Spotify thinks you belong in Burlington, Vt.

Spotify released its annual Wrapped feature on Wednesday, giving listeners a chance to review what songs, artists, podcasts and albums they frequently played throughout the year.

Darren Criss brings "A Very Darren Crissmas" to the Emerson Colonial Theatre Dec. 7.

Darren Criss is having himself a merry little ‘Crissmas’

Mixing old favorites, unusual covers, and a few originals, the singer and actor brings his holiday concert to the Emerson Colonial Theatre Dec. 7.

Documentaries

Photographer Evgeniy Maloletka picks his way through the aftermath of a Russian attack in Mariupol, Ukraine, Feb. 24, 2022. Still from "Frontline" PBS and AP’s feature film "20 Days in Mariupol."

‘20 Days in Mariupol’ captures the devastating early days of the war in Ukraine

AP journalist and filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov’s early 2022 footage is the basis of a new documentary on PBS.

Pastor Seungeun Kim, left, and Soyeon Lee are featured in the documentary "Beyond Utopia," which traces the journeys of North Korean defectors.

‘Beyond Utopia’: a documentary that takes viewers on an escape from North Korea

The film, which has collected a variety of festival awards this year, screens Saturday at the Brattle as part of the GlobeDocs Film Festival.

Fifteen documentary features and 13 shorts make up this year’s GlobeDocs Film Festival, now in its ninth year.

‘Journalistic eye’ guides GlobeDocs Film Festival, now in its ninth year

This year’s slate includes true stories of Black space pioneers, victims of deepfake porn, and the first female Episcopal priests. Plus: Errol Morris’s portrait of a certain British spy novelist.

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MORE RECENT ARTS HEADLINES

TV CRITIC'S CORNER

‘Slow Horses’ cast hits its stride in season 3

The characters, and particularly Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, are more entertaining than ever. 4:48 p.m.

Six takeaways from Liz Cheney’s book assailing Trump and his ‘enablers’

Former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney's new book offers a rare peek inside the Republican cloakroom at what she heard from her colleagues about “the Orange Jesus,” as one wryly called Donald Trump. 4:37 p.m.

ART REVIEW

Installation view of "Like Magic" at MASS MoCA. Foreground: Gelare Khoshgozaran, "U.S. Customs Demands to Know", ongoing. Courtesy of the artist. Background (from left): Raven Chacon, "Compass," 2021. "Score," painted on wall. Courtesy of the artist. Raven Chacon, For Zitkála-Šá, 2017–2020. Courtesy of the artist.

In ‘Like Magic,’ 10 artists conjure shadowy refuge at MassMoCA

A new show explores arcane faith and ritual as a counter-curse against troubled times. 4:35 p.m.

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

Countertenor soloist John Holiday singing in Handel and Haydn Society's annual performance of "Messiah" on Nov. 24, 2023. (Robert Torres)

Why has ‘Messiah’ been so popular for nearly 300 years?

The oratorio is ubiquitous — and while it’s associated with Christmas, the music has proven to transcend faiths. 4:06 p.m.

STAGE REVIEW

Judy Song (left) and Jenna Agbayani in Lloyd Suh's "The Heart Sellers," now at the Huntington.

Alone together in a new world

At the Huntington, Lloyd Suh’s ‘The Heart Sellers’ illuminates the assimilation experience of two Asian immigrants in 1970s America. 3:57 p.m.

Odie Henderson review | ★

In John Woo’s ‘Silent Night,’ all is neither calm nor bright

Joel Kinnaman plays a grieving father on a vengeful journey. 2:20 p.m.

In his chaotic live shows, Eric Andre detonates a comedy ‘explosion’

The Adult Swim star, who cut his teeth in Boston clubs during his student days, aims to create "the most dangerous comedy show I think that’s ever been." He comes to the House of Blues Tuesday. 1:55 p.m.

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

Otis Young, Randy Quaid, and Jack Nicholson in "The Last Detail."

‘The Last Detail’: How Hal Ashby’s 1973 Navy movie gave me a portal into my Pops’ past

The film starring Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid turns 50 this year. 1:27 p.m.

‘Murder in Boston’ podcast explores lasting impact of Stuart case on Mission Hill’s Black community

The 10 best TV shows of 2023

Author Ben Mezrich at his Newton home in the room where he often writes.

Ben Mezrich’s new book is on Elon Musk and how Twitter broke the billionaire

Katherine Marsh, author of “The Lost Year," a National Book Award finalist for young people's literature.

Katherine Marsh, National Book Award finalist for young people’s literature, has thoughts on how to get kids to read

Santa and Pops conductor Keith Lockhart high-five at a 2022 Holiday Pops performance at Symphony Hall.

On Holiday Pops’ 50th anniversary, Keith Lockhart feels joy — and a surge of adrenaline

The Pops conductor says, "It's a great time to make music." There's plenty in store, with a packed calendar of 44 performances in four New England states over 24 days, beginning Friday. 11:52 a.m.

COMMENTARY

Sylvia Plath’s botanical interests offer a fresh perspective on the poet’s life and work in a Smith College exhibit

'The Bell Jars'' immersive approach stirs up questions about intellectual opportunities for women at midcentury. 11:41 a.m.

podcast | say more with shirley leung

Ben Mezrich’s new book is on Elon Musk and how Twitter broke the billionaire

Fans of Mezrich will recognize his penchant for dramatic narrative nonfiction that Hollywood loves to make into movies and TV series. 11:24 a.m.

Lakecia Benjamin comes to the Berklee Performance Center on Friday.

With ‘Phoenix,’ jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin soars to a new realm

Lakecia Benjamin recorded her new album after recovering from a near-fatal 2021 auto accident. It recently earned the saxophonist three Grammy nominations. 10:56 a.m.

Actress Frances Sternhagen attended the premiere of "Julie & Julia" in New York, on July 30, 2009. Sternhagen died at age 93 on Monday, according to a statement from her family.

Frances Sternhagen, Tony Award-winning actor who was familiar maternal face on TV, dies at 93

The veteran character actor won two Tony Awards and appeared in shows such as “Cheers,” “ER” and “Sex and the City." 8:03 a.m.

STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

Writing the book she ‘didn’t want to write,’ Amanda Peters tells ‘a story for the collective history of Indigenous people’

The author of "The Berry Pickers" found the spark for her novel in her father’s memories. 8:00 a.m.

Irish singer Shane McGowan played with the Pogues during a concert at London's Brixton Academy.

Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan dies at age 65

Mr. MacGowan was the singer-songwriter and frontman of The Pogues, best known for their ballad “Fairytale of New York.” 7:25 a.m.

Books

These recent titles deliver juicy plots that will keep you reading.

A dozen thrilling new page-turners to give you goosebumps this winter

With New England-based authors and/or plots, these 2023 releases and new-in-paperback titles enthrall. 5:38 p.m.

‘Murder in Boston’ podcast explores lasting impact of Stuart case on Mission Hill’s Black community

TV CRITIC'S CORNEROscars to start an hour early next yearRather than starting, as usual, at 8 p.m. on the East Coast, and 5 p.m. on the West Coast, the March 10 ceremony will begin here at 7 p.m. (after a half-hour preshow) and there at 4 p.m.

Your Week AheadFive things to do around Boston, Dec. 4-17Dance the night away at the Rose Art Museum, shop for holiday pottery gifts at Harvard, spread the holiday spirit caroling along the Greenway, and more.

10 TV specials for some merry holiday viewing

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum acquires first-edition copy of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry collection; new book offers complex portrait of Henry David Thoreau; Rumspringa Books opens in Springfield

‘Faces of Phillis’ imagines Phillis Wheatley’s life for the 250th anniversary of her poetry collection

Author readings around Boston through Dec. 9

The 10 best TV shows of 2023

Why Spotify thinks you belong in Burlington, Vt.

Darren Criss is having himself a merry little ‘Crissmas’

‘20 Days in Mariupol’ captures the devastating early days of the war in Ukraine

‘Beyond Utopia’: a documentary that takes viewers on an escape from North Korea

‘Journalistic eye’ guides GlobeDocs Film Festival, now in its ninth year

FROM OUR PARTNERS

MORE RECENT ARTS HEADLINES

‘Slow Horses’ cast hits its stride in season 3

Six takeaways from Liz Cheney’s book assailing Trump and his ‘enablers’

In ‘Like Magic,’ 10 artists conjure shadowy refuge at MassMoCA

Why has ‘Messiah’ been so popular for nearly 300 years?

Alone together in a new world

In John Woo’s ‘Silent Night,’ all is neither calm nor bright

In his chaotic live shows, Eric Andre detonates a comedy ‘explosion’

‘The Last Detail’: How Hal Ashby’s 1973 Navy movie gave me a portal into my Pops’ past

most read

‘Murder in Boston’ podcast explores lasting impact of Stuart case on Mission Hill’s Black community

The 10 best TV shows of 2023

Ben Mezrich’s new book is on Elon Musk and how Twitter broke the billionaire

Katherine Marsh, National Book Award finalist for young people’s literature, has thoughts on how to get kids to read

On Holiday Pops’ 50th anniversary, Keith Lockhart feels joy — and a surge of adrenaline

Sylvia Plath’s botanical interests offer a fresh perspective on the poet’s life and work in a Smith College exhibit

Ben Mezrich’s new book is on Elon Musk and how Twitter broke the billionaire

With ‘Phoenix,’ jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin soars to a new realm

Frances Sternhagen, Tony Award-winning actor who was familiar maternal face on TV, dies at 93

Writing the book she ‘didn’t want to write,’ Amanda Peters tells ‘a story for the collective history of Indigenous people’

Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan dies at age 65

A dozen thrilling new page-turners to give you goosebumps this winter

TV CRITIC'S CORNER
Oscars to start an hour early next year
Rather than starting, as usual, at 8 p.m. on the East Coast, and 5 p.m. on the West Coast, the March 10 ceremony will begin here at 7 p.m. (after a half-hour preshow) and there at 4 p.m.

Your Week Ahead
Five things to do around Boston, Dec. 4-17
Dance the night away at the Rose Art Museum, shop for holiday pottery gifts at Harvard, spread the holiday spirit caroling along the Greenway, and more.