Boston, MA
Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond – The Boston Globe
ERIC BENET Holiday cheer abounds at this pair of shows by the R&B smooth-talker, who released the seasonally celebratory “This Christmas” earlier this autumn. The collection — his first holiday offering — includes traditional cuts like “Oh, Holy Night” and “Please Come Home for Christmas” as well as two originals: The call for grace “Christmas Morning,” which features two of his daughters, and the swinging “It’s Christmas,” a duet with jazz-soul vocalist Stacey Ryan. Dec. 8, 6 and 9:30 p.m. City Winery Boston. 617-933-8047, citywinery.com/boston
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER “LOTTO,” the latest full-length from this Philly sludge-gaze outfit, attempts to make sense of the world’s chaos by unpacking modern society amid gargantuan riffs and rumbling drums. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Arts at the Armory, Somerville. artsatthearmory.org
PINK MOUNTAINTOPS This side project of Stephen McBean, who fronts the hulking prog-punk outfit Black Mountain, adds a bit more power-psych twinkle while still hitting hard. Dec. 10, 7 p.m. Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge. 617-864-3278, mideastoffers.com
MAURA K. JOHNSTON
JASON RINGENBERG Ringenberg has traveled some in his musical career, from the high-test, slash-and-burn alt-country of Jason and the Scorchers to the music he makes for kids (and grown-ups) as Farmer Jason. Along the way, he picked up a Lifetime Achievement award from the Americana Music Association. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. $17. The Parlour, 1119 North Main St., Providence. 401-383-5858. www.theparlourri.com
THE TALKING HEARTS’ HONKY TONK HOLIDAY It’s a holiday dance party with these local purveyors of ’60s- and ’70s-vintage country music. And if you need to learn some moves or freshen up what you’ve got, show up a half hour early for free dance lessons. Dec. 6, 8 p.m. $30. Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-776-6896. www.burren.com
ANNA TIVEL AND JEFFREY MARTIN These partners, both with recent records (Tivel: “Animal Poem”; Martin: “Thank God We Left the Garden”) are touring together again. Tivel describes the proceedings as follows: “I kick things off nightly with new songs in old pants. Then Jeffrey reminds us all how to access the very good molten core of humanity.” Dec. 9 and 10, 8 p.m. $35. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. 617-492-7679. www.passim.org
STUART MUNRO
TIGER MOAN BATTLE OF THE SAXES Singer and multi-instrumentalist Amy Kucharik and her vintage blues outfit hold a first Sunday residency featuring special guests each month. This time, it’s a duel between two local saxophone stars: John Clark and Erica Risti. Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. The Burren Back Room, 247 Elm St., Somerville. burren.com/music
ERIC MINTEL QUARTET’S A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS Mosesian Arts Centers’ Chords and Cocktails series presents pianist-composer Mintel’s group featuring saxophonist-flutist Nelson Hill, bassist Jack Hegyi, and drummer Dave Mohn, well known for their Dave Brubeck tributes, performing Vince Guaraldi’s beloved score for 1965’s classic “Peanuts” animated special. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. $29-$40. Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. mosesianarts.org
DAVID LEACH QUARTET GBH Jazz Nights presents pianist, composer, and poet Leach with saxophonist Lihi Haruvi, drummer Dor Herskovits, and ubiquitous bassist John Lockwood, performing originals rooted in jazz improvisation, while incorporating influences from American folk, 20th-century classical, progressive metal, and more. Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m. Free, registration encouraged. GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square. wgbh.org/events
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
TALLIS SCHOLARS Under the leadership of founding director Peter Phillips, the sterling British vocal ensemble makes its customary Adventide appearance on the Boston Early Music Festival concert stage. This year’s program features English music dedicated to the Virgin Mary, by composers including Tallis, Taverner, Byrd, Britten, and Matthew Martin. St. Paul Church, Cambridge. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. 617-661-1812, www.bemf.org
BOSTON BAROQUE Former Boston Baroque assistant conductor Filippo Ciabatti makes his public company debut leading the company’s annual historically informed performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” featuring soloists Amanda Forsythe, Paula Murrihy, Thomas Cooley, and Roderick Williams with the Boston Baroque Orchestra and a 25-voice chorus. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 7, 3 p.m. NEC’s Jordan Hall. 617-987-8600, baroque.boston
MISTRAL MUSIC This local ensemble helmed by Julie Scolnik welcomes the holidays with its traditional Baroque Big Band program, featuring a large baroque ensemble and several assorted soloists performing music by Bach, Handel, Rameau, and more. Dec. 6, 5 p.m. St. Paul’s Church, Brookline; Dec. 7, 4 p.m., West Parish Church, Andover. 978-474-6222, www.mistralmusic.org
A.Z. MADONNA
BLACK NATIVITY One of the most vibrant and cherished holiday traditions hereabouts, “Black Nativity” tells the Nativity story through the lens of the Black experience, with a cast of more than 75 performers. At the helm once again is Roxbury native Voncille Ross, who has been directing “Black Nativity” for nearly two decades. The production combines the “song-play” of legendary poet and playwright Langston Hughes with the music of Boston composer-arranger John Andrew Ross. All of it is gloriously sung by talented sopranos, baritones, and tenors, punctuated by percussion and expressive dance under the leadership of ballet mistress and principal dancer Desiree Springer. Narrating the show is Milton Wright, who also serves as the adult chorus director, working with his associate Marilyn Andry, while Steven Hunter Sr. is the orchestral director. Dec. 5-21. Presented by the National Center of Afro-American Artists at Robert J. Orchard Stage, Emerson Paramount Center. 617-824- 8400, www.blacknativity.org
SWEENEY CLAUS: THE DEMON FATHER OF SLEET STREET It says something heartening about our fair city that so many Bostonians make room on their holiday calendars for Ryan Landry’s brand of inspired mayhem. His new show is a marriage of the Santa Claus story with “Sweeney Todd,” the 1979 Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler classic about a vengeful barber whose dotty helpmeet turns his victims into meat pies. While incorporating video more prominently than he has in the past, Landry blends the melodies of musical-theater classics with his own deranged lyrics, in a combination of homage and desecration. Directed by Kiki Samko and featuring a stellar performance as Sweeney by Thain Bertin in his first outing with Landry’s Gold Dust Orphans. Playing Sweeney’s accomplice, Mrs. Leaveit, is Landry himself. Through Dec. 21. Production by Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans. At Iron Wolf Theatre, South Boston Lithuanian Citizens’ Association, South Boston. Age guideline is 18-plus. www.tickettailor.com/events/thegolddustorphans/1732579/
MIDWINTER REVELS: A SCANDINAVIAN STORY FOR CHRISTMAS In Revels’s annual celebration of the winter solstice, inspired this year by Gregory Maguire’s “Matchless,” a young boy finds “warmth and light in the darkest days” on an island “so far north that it snows from September to April.” Cast members perform Scandinavian songs and dances, accompanied by an intergenerational chorus. Directed by Debra Wise, with music direction by Elijah Botkin and a script by Wise, Patrick Swanson, and Nicole Galland. On hand will be such performers as David Coffin, David Keohane, Kristian Espiritu, Joshua Wolf Coleman, and Eliza Fichter. Dec. 12-28, with a “virtual encore viewing window” Dec. 28-Jan. 11. Sanders Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617-496-2222, boxoffice.harvard.edu
DON AUCOIN
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE… The celebrated Canadian troupe’s Christmas show illuminates the joy of the season with a show filled with spectacular lighting, lively (loud!) music that transforms familiar tunes, and feats of physical prowess that range from the riotous to the breathtaking. A sweet story line based on the titular book is icing on the cake. Great for all ages. Through Dec. 14. $36 and up. Boch Center Wang Theatre. www.bochcenter.org
JOSÉ MATEO BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER Now in its 37th year, this charming, intimate, and affordable production boasts a simplified story line, Tchaikovsky’s luminous score, and more than 100 children joining in a cast of professionals. This one tends toward warm and cozy, which makes it especially accessible for some younger viewers. Dec. 6-Dec. 21. $25 and up. Strand Theatre, Dorchester. www.ballettheatre.org
SEÁN CURRAN COMPANY / DECENT DANCE Boston native Seán Curran fosters his hometown connections with this collaboration involving one of his company’s founding members, Tony Guglietti, alongside his longtime partner Kristin Wagner (collectively Decent Dance) plus Brian Feigenbaum for “Through Lines.” Celebrating legacy, lineage, and connections, the intergenerational concert features members of Curran’s New York-based company joined by dancers from Boston and beyond. Dec. 6-7. $25.31 and up. Dance Complex, Cambridge. www.dancecomplex.org
UNITED DANCE COMPANY Championing inclusion and working with the Down syndrome population, the company showcases rigorously trained artists of diverse abilities in “The Extraordinary Nutcracker.” An original interpretation billed as the area’s only version of the ballet that is narrated, the family-friendly production transforms a young girl’s holiday journey into a tale about courage, creativity, and love. Dec. 6-7. $46.75. Calderwood Pavilion. www.uniteddance.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
MARTIN PURYEAR: NEXUS Puryear represented the United States at the Venice Biennale in 2019 with a display of enigmatic sculptural works that, taken together, echoed the fractious unease of a country at war with itself, confronting old ghosts thought long laid to rest. So, what now? “Nexus,” not quite so pointed — it spans several decades of the artist’s 50-plus-year career, the first long-view survey in almost two decades — but it isn’t afraid to connect the obvious dots. Included in this show is “A Column for Sally Hemings,” made for that 2019 Venice display, which pays homage to the enslaved woman who bore Thomas Jefferson five children; in it, an iron rod topped with a leg shackle embeds in a fluted classical column, an emblem of a fire that never seems to go out. Through Feb. 8. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, mfa.org
AN INDIGENOUS PRESENT For a long time — and until very recently — “Indigenous” and “present” might have been regarded by the broader public as anathema. The dynamic culture of Indigenous peoples has survived years of assault, neglect, and disregard as archeology, but it’s risen in recent years to greater and greater prominence to arrive at a moment when its vibrance is undeniable. This exhibition takes in much of that arc: Spanning 100 years of art made by Indigenous people, it underscores cultural resilience over generations of hardship to arrive on triumph in the here and now. Through March 8. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org
GRACE HARTIGAN: THE GIFT OF ATTENTION In 1958, Hartigan was the only woman selected for “The New American Painting” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, the launching pad for Abstract Expressionism as a popular movement and the foundation of the biggest careers in American art history (Jackson Pollock, anyone?). Hartigan enjoyed a few fruitful years of wide acclaim, but her star fell as others became ensconced in the firmament. Why is anyone’s guess, though being a woman was rarely good for one’s career. Hartigan’s restless energy compelled her to stray far stylistically from the tried-and-true AbEx herd, which made her harder to pin down — also not a great career move, perhaps, but ultimately far better for the soul. Through Jan. 11. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, Maine. 207-775-6148, portlandmuseum.org
MURRAY WHYTE
OBJECTS OF DEVOTION In the best circumstances, art is made with singular intention and a surrender to process. Art-making, in that light, can be seen as spiritual; time in the studio, with its own ritual practices and altars, is like going to church. In this show, curator Stace Brandt explores the kinship between art and spirituality, from how pragmatic limitations like space, time, and money shape artwork to how personal history entwines with it. Artists include Jon Doucette, Jamieson Edson, and Virgilijs Tilks. Through Jan. 17. Distillery Gallery, 516 East 2nd Street, South Boston. www.distillery-gallery.com/exhibitions/2025/objects
CATE McQUAID
COMEDY FOR JAMAICA FEATURING KAM PATTERSON One of the newest “Saturday Night Live” cast members for season 51, Patterson headlines this benefit to help Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Dec. 7, 6 p.m. $51.55. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
CRISTINA MARIANI “I’m just sensitive, emotionally. I’ll cry in movies when my favorite character dies. Like when Leonardo DiCaprio died, I cried so hard they kicked me out of ‘Django Unchained.’” Dec. 5-6, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $28.95-$31.95 The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge. www.thecomedystudio.com
POPCORN COMEDY Peter Liu, who cofounded this monthly show, recently moved to New York City, but is back to headline the last edition of the year. Hosted by Guerby Laguerre and Jason Fishman, with Nicholas Stubblefield, Shelby LeCuyer, Sarah May, and Kevin Lemory. Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. $23.18. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. www.eventbrite.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
The Boston Red Sox were expected to have a busy offseason to build on their short 2025 playoff appearance, their first in four seasons. Boston delivered, albeit not in the way many reporters and fans expected — Alex Bregman left and no one was traded from the outfield surplus.
Roster construction questions have loomed over the Red Sox since last season. They were emphasized by Masataka Yoshida’s return from surgery rehab and Roman Anthony’s arrival to the big leagues. Boston has four-six outfielders, depending where it envisions Yoshida and Kristian Campbell playing, and a designated hitter spot it likes to keep flexible — moving an outfielder makes the most sense to solve this quandary.
The best case-scenario for addressing the packed outfield would be to find a trade suitor for Yoshida, which has proven difficult-to-impossible over his first three seasons with the Red Sox. Red Sox insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive think Boston may have to make an extremely difficult decision to free up Yoshida’s roster spot.
“You wonder, at what point does this become a — not Patrick Sandoval situation — but a Pablo Sandoval, where you rip the Band-Aid off and just release,” McAdam theorized on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast (subscription required).
Red Sox insiders wonder if/when Boston will release Masataka Yoshida, as it did with Pablo Sandoval in 2017
Pablo Sandoval is infamous among Red Sox fans. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2015 season and he only lasted two and a half years before the Red Sox cut him loose. His tenure was marked by career lows at the plate, injuries and a perceived lack of effort that soured things quickly with Boston. Yoshida hasn’t lived up to the expectations the Red Sox had when they signed him, but he’s no Sandoval.
McAdam postulated that the Red Sox may be waiting until there is less money remaining on Yoshida’s contract before they potentially release him. Like Sandoval, Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2023 season, which has only just reached its halfway point. The Red Sox still owe him over $36 million, and by releasing him, they’d be forced to eat that money.
The amount of money remaining on Yoshida’s contract is just one obstacle that may be preventing the Red Sox from finding a trade partner to move him elsewhere. Yoshida has never played more than 140 games in a MLB season with 303 total over his three-year tenure, mostly because he’s dealt with so many injuries since moving stateside.
Maybe the Red Sox could attach a top prospect to him and eat some of his contract money to entice another team into a trade, like they already did with Jordan Hicks this winter. But that would require sacrificing a quality prospect and it would cost more money, just to move a good hitter who tries hard at his job.
There’s no easy way to fit Yoshida onto Boston’s roster, but the decision to salary dump or release him will be just as hard. Yoshida hasn’t been a bad player for the Red Sox and he doesn’t deserve the Sandoval treatment, but his trade value may only decrease if he spends another year with minimal playing time. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have a real dilemma on their hands with this roster.
Boston, MA
Thirteen states have adopted a simple criminal justice reform. It’s time for Mass. to join them. – The Boston Globe
That law is not just right. It’s also smart. But we have been lousy about putting it into practice.
Only 10 percent of those eligible to have their records sealed here have actually done it, according to The Clean Slate Initiative, an advocacy group. That’s because we’ve made it impossibly complicated.
Having a criminal record is an enormous obstacle for people who have done their time and are trying to rebuild their lives. A conviction, even a minor one, even from long ago, can mean being rejected by employers and denied by landlords. Cases that were dismissed, or which prosecutors dropped, and even many that ended in not guilty findings also show up on criminal background checks. That can keep someone from getting life insurance, credit, a real estate license, and other professional certifications. It also means they can’t volunteer at their kids’ schools or coach Little League.
“I have grown men in my office crying because they can’t get housing,” said Leslie Credle, who heads Justice 4 Housing, which helps move formerly incarcerated people into permanent homes. “Individuals who were once breadwinners come home and now they’re a burden to their family. It’s a lifetime sentence … even if you have done your time.”
Maybe you’ve gotten this far and are thinking this doesn’t affect you. It does.
Nearly half of US children have at least one parent with a criminal record. People with solid jobs and stable housing are more likely to support their families and communities. They are more likely to fill vacancies at all kinds of businesses that need more workers to thrive. They are also way less likely to reoffend, or to rely on public benefits.
So why have we made the process so much harder than it needs to be?
Right now, a person who has served her time and stayed out of trouble for the waiting period must petition the commissioner of probation in writing, or go before a judge. It’s needlessly complex, requiring time and familiarity with a backlogged and sometimes hostile system. And that’s if they know they can get their records sealed in the first place.
“It’s like double jeopardy,” said Shay, 36, who finally got hers sealed a few years ago. “You can’t try somebody twice for the same crime, but you can double punish them. In my case, I was punished triple.”
Shay, who asked that her last name be withheld, was 22 when she was convicted of carrying a dangerous weapon — a misdemeanor. She did six months in jail, paid thousands in fines and other costs, and had a successful probation. Since then, her record has held her back in ways big and small.
“I had to keep explaining it to people when I wanted to get a job and apply for housing,” she said. “I could not go on any field trips with my daughter, so now she had to suffer.” They had to stay on other people’s couches for months because a landlord ran a background check and gave an apartment to someone else.
Shay knew she could seal her record, thanks to Greater Boston Legal Services. But doing it, even with an attorney’s help, was a whole other thing. Her first application got lost somewhere between the post office and the probation department, which cost her a year. It took two years to process her second application, she said.
“Now here we are, years later, and it’s no longer a burden I have to worry about,” said Shay, who now works to help those with records get into the cannabis industry.
She’s doing well now, but why should it ever be this hard?
In 13 other states — including Oklahoma, Michigan, and Utah — they automatically seal criminal records after someone has met the conditions. It’s embarrassing that Massachusetts hasn’t joined them yet. Legislators have introduced measures to automatically seal eligible criminal records a bunch of times since 2019, but they’ve gone nowhere.
Clean Slate Massachusetts is working to make this time different, with the help of a huge coalition of community partners, including business leaders who understand we all thrive when more people can find work and stability. Yet again, legislators have proposed two bills that would require the state to automatically seal records in cases that are already eligible under the law.
So much about this country is messed up right now. Here is something we can actually fix.
What the heck are we waiting for?
—–
This story has been updated to correct the charge of which Shay was convicted.
Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham can be reached at yvonne.abraham@globe.com.
Most of the MBTA is back to regular service after Monday’s blizzard, but one commuter line remains on a modified schedule.
Riders of the Fall River/New Bedford MBTA Commuter Rail Line are hoping for things to be back to normal soon. The overwhelming amount of snow was still slowing things down Wednesday.
Ana Berahe is back in Brockton after traveling abroad. She’s never heard the word “delay” so many times in her life, from flights to train rides.
“I’m super happy, because it’s been three days that I was supposed to be home,” she said.
Phillip Eng, general manager of the MBTA and interim secretary of MassDOT, speaks about transportation in the wake of a major blizzard.
In Fall River, streets remained blanketed and cars buried with snow on Wednesday afternoon. Crews are working around the clock to make roads passable.
Keolis shared video of crews clearing train tracks Wednesday.
“I’m waiting on the train, or I’m waiting in the cold, out here, in the slush,” said commuter Aaliyah Alba.
“It was a little bit of a problem, just because they were doing the bus from Fall River to Taunton,” said Jeremy Williams of Brockton. “It was a little delayed, but other than that, it was fine.”
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