Boston, MA
Mandy Gonzalez honors Lin-Manuel Miranda with Boston Pops
Mandy Gonzalez knew Lin-Manuel Miranda before he was Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Gonzalez, who won a Drama Desk Award for originating the role of Nina Rosario in the Tony-winning “In The Heights,” came up alongside Miranda as he was honing his unique style.
“On Off Broadway, I remember handing out flyers to people, saying, ‘Please come and see the show, it’s really special and we love it.’ ” Gonzalez told the Boston Herald. “We didn’t know then if it would go all the way.”
“In the Heights” did go all the way. The hip hop, salsa and Latin pop-infused musical became a minor sensation on Broadway in 2008 paving the way for the unprecedented success of Miranda’s “Hamilton” seven years later.
On Sept. 20, Gonzalez will team with the Boston Pops to present the world premiere of “Everything I Know,” a night of Miranda’s music at Symphony Hall.
“Lin-Manuel is not only my dear friend but one of the most transformative voices of a generation, perhaps of this century,” she said. “It’s such a pleasure and gift to present this music. Then when Keith Lockhart said yes to doing it with the Boston Pops, it’s the best of the best, which is what I want the first time I put this show out.”
“And the fact that Lin-Manuel said yes to (me doing) this,” she added with a laugh. “That was the first gift.”
Beyond selections from “In the Heights,” the program will feature Miranda-penned songs from blockbuster movies including “Moana,” “Encanto,” and “The Little Mermaid,” along with lesser known gems such as the mini-musical “21 Chump Street.”
And, of course, there will be songs from “Hamilton,” which Gonzalez knows well from first-hand experience — she played Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway production.
“Javier Muñoz was playing Hamilton at the time… and I remember we were sitting at the back of the house and Javier, who was in ‘In the Heights’ with me, looked over at me and said, ‘We are in Hamilton,’” Gonzalez said. “We were giggling like kids because it was so exciting. It was the show, it still is the show, that everybody wants to get a ticket to.”
Since her breakout in “In the Heights,” Gonzales has been busy. Beyond her work with Miranda, she starred on Broadway as Elphaba in “Wicked,” acted as Nicole Scherzinger’s alternate in the hit “Sunset Boulevard,” had a recurring role on CBS’ “Madam Secretary,” and much more. Whatever comes up in the future, she knows she’ll need to make time for “Everything I Know.”
“Creating my own project was very, very important to me and I feel like there’s always room for everything,” she said with a laugh. “If that means that on this day I do a Broadway show and on another I do ‘Everything I Know,’ hopefully the audience will follow.”
For tickets and details, visit bso.org
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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