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Film Review: “The Life of Chuck” — More Schmaltz Than Substance

June 2, 2025
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The problem with “The Life of Chuck” isn’t that it’s bad, per se, but it’s nowhere near great, and that’s a waste of a lot of talent and potential. Imagine Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life” turned into a made-for-TV after-schoolspecial.

Jazz Album Review: “Basie Rocks!” — Time Trippin’ for the Boomers

June 1, 2025
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If any of these songs get some airplay and serve as gateway drugs to the glories of the Count Basie band, I’m all for it.

Theater Review: “Two Strangers” — A Confectionary Romance

June 1, 2025
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“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” succeeds as a fun variation on the “buddy” story. The show sometimes ladles on the sugary frosting, but it’s a pretty tasty dessert.

Book Review: “Melting Point” — Promises, Promises

June 1, 2025
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After discarding a conventional draft — lots of explanatory narration from the author as a book’s omniscient narrator — Rachel Cockerell decided instead to create the book entirely as a collage of fragments from the historical record.

June Short Fuses — Materia Critica

June 1, 2025
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Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

Children’s Book Reviews: Cats and Dogs and Babies

May 31, 2025
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This trio of preschool books celebrates new babies, new siblings — and cat lovers.

Opera Album Review: Two Composers — One Vivid French Baroque Opera, Based on Euripides

May 31, 2025
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Two-plus hours of delight  for anybody interested in Baroque opera, or willing to try it. 

Musician Interview: Talking to Suzanne Vega about “Flying with Angels”

May 30, 2025
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Suzanne Vega’s collection of 10 new original songs further solidifies and builds on her reputation as a unique talent among her generation of singer-songwriters.

Jazz Album Review: Larry Goldings’ “I Will” — Clear Sounds to Treasure

May 30, 2025
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Pianist Larry Goldings’ repertoire on this trio album is expertly chosen for its variety and melodic appeal.

Visual Arts Interview: Matthew Teitelbaum — A Decade of Leadership at MFA/Boston

May 30, 2025
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“The MFA is a place that really matters to a lot of people, and it is the safety of this place that matters and its commitment to excellence. These are things that must never be compromised.”

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