Boston, MA
Craig Winberry brings George Michael back to Boston
When actor-singer-songwriter Craig Winberry would do cabaret shows, he always put some George Michael in the set.
Sometimes the Michael song came with some cheek — after returning from Carnival in Brazil one year, Winberry closed a show in a speedo and headdress singing Wham’s “I’m Your Man.” Sometimes it came with tender sincerity, such as the big ballad “One More Try.”
So when Winberry saw a casting call for something called “The Life and Music of George Michael,” he felt he’d been preparing for the audition for years.
“The summer of 2021, I’m having a horrible day, I turn on my phone and I see this casting notice,” Winberry told the Boston Herald. “I was like, ‘That’s me.’”
“It was like I’d already been working toward this project,” he added.
“The Life and Music of George Michael” went out in 2022 and built some buzz. By 2024, it had grown into a sensation — crisscrossing the States and Canada, touring Australia, selling out Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theater. The show returns for two performances at the Colonial on Nov. 1.
The show features two Michaels — Connor Antico covers the Wham era; Winberry takes on the more weighty solo stuff. As a longtime fan, Winberry understands that Michael’s legacy is nuanced, complex, and massive.
“That poppy, teeny bop sound was Wham,” Winberry said. “But George knew he wasn’t always going to be that 19-year-old bouncing up and down. He said, ‘I have other parts of my life that I want to show you.’”
That means this performance gives you bubble gum such as the irrepressible “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” But it also dives into 1998 international hit “Outside” — the singer’s bold declaration of gay pride (and a hell of a dance jam).
“I grew up with (Michael’s music) so I understand it, especially some of the coded language,” Winberry said.
Winberry says he would never call himself an impersonator, but he and the band have an ear and eye for the icon’s meticulous approach to pop. Lyrically and musically, artistically and emotionally, nobody matured through finely-crafted Top 40 masterpieces like Michael did from Wham’s “Freedom” to “Faith” to “Freedom ’90” to “Outside” (all of which are in the show). Oh, and that band, half of them are Berklee alums with mighty chops.
Between tours, Winberry has made time for his own voice. Earlier this year, he released an album of his music, “Sidewalk Survival Guide.” And if you dig GM’s electronica-touched ’90s stuff, you’ll want to give it a spin.
“It’s for anyone who is on their way to somewhere else but still trying to find themselves,” Winberry said. “And there’s all types of music, gospel, a nice ballad, some bossa nova, there’s pop.”
(C’mon, how GM is all of that?)
When not spending time on his own stuff, Winberry is thrilled to bring this show to Michael’s ever-expanding fan base. No matter where you are on your journey, you’ll find something to dance to — and something to think about — at “The Life and Music of George Michael.”
For tickets and details, visit thelifeandmusicofgm.com
FIFA World Cup host cities lay out security plans ahead of matches
Host cities ramp up security and anti-human trafficking efforts ahead of FIFA World Cup matches across the U.S.
The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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