The Riff-Off returned for a sequel this past Friday as Tufts’ a cappella groups once again vied for the top spot at the musical competition.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Red One.”What do you get when you have an evil Christmas witch kidnap Santa Claus (nicknamed ‘Red One’) on Christmas Eve so that a Santa Claus Enforcement Logistics and Fortification operative and a hacker have to save Christmas? Movie magic.
For Andrea Arnold, breaking onto the international cinema scene as a director was not an entirely straightforward task. Before creating her debut short film “Milk” (1998), the Kent-born Englishwoman built her career writing, presenting and dancing on television. Now, multiple highly acclaimed features later, Arnold has fully emerged as a filmmaker with a clear vision and provocative style. In her last narrative feature, the visually-striking yet slightly underdeveloped “American Honey” (2016), Arnold shifted from her usual British settings to the American heartland, yet she retained her signature style of tightly-packed frames and rhythmic pacing to deliver another compellingsociopolitical commentary.
The current exhibit spotlighting Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore at the Museum of Fine Arts is wonderful in many ways. Among other things, it offers a variety of works by these two artists; it displays models of the artists’ studios, which provide a window into their creative process, and it meditates in a particularly delightful way on how both artists use negative space.
Ten a capella groups. Only one victor. The Riff-Off brought all Tufts a capella groups under one roof at Cohen Auditorium in a competition sponsored by the Tufts University Social Collective. The Ladies of Essence defended last year’s win with another first-place finish on Friday night. The next-most votes went to the Jackson Jills while S-Factor landed in third place.
“Agatha All Along,” while far from perfect, marks a step in the right direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The stakes are high yet self-contained, which is refreshing compared to other MCU films and TV series that concern the state of the entire multiverse. The show also contains plenty of moments of humor, and it manages to maintain a spooky and intense vibe while not taking itself too seriously.
The Tufts Beelzebubs debuted their 33rd studio album release on Oct. 11. With a run time of 39 minutes and featuring 11 songs, “Delirium” is a project two years in the making. The Beelzebubs, also known as the Bubs, are a nationally acclaimed a cappella group founded in 1963. In addition to live performances on and off-campus, the Bubs produce an album roughly every two years.
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners performed to a sold-out crowd at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on Oct. 27 as part of their October Moon tour. RMCM and their opening band, Atta Boy, had the flannel-clad sea of rock hipsters in the palm of their hand.
When I walked into the theaters to watch “Anora,” I honestly had no clue what I was in for. I did not look at the plot, the themes or even the movie runtime. Instead, I went in with rave reviews from my harshest film friends, a bag of over-buttered popcorn and some old-fashioned faith. Two hours and 20 minutes later, I left the theater with a new front-runner for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Four Greek columns tower over the barren sand, imposing an ancient and unfamiliar world on the actors and audience below them. Balch Arena Theater has been transported from American modernity to Athenian antiquity. “The Furies” is a tragedy written by the Greek playwright Aeschylus as the third piece in his “Oresteia.” The “Oresteia” was first performed in Athens in the fifth century B.C.E. Despite the millennia that have passed, “The Furies” still stands as a stirring and culturally relevant drama.
Claire Cottrill, known by her stage name Clairo, performed three highly-anticipated shows at the Roadrunner in Boston to celebrate her third album, “Charm,” which was released in July. The tour kicked off with five nights in Los Angeles and then gigs in New York, Dallas, Houston, Portland and countless more.
On Nov. 6, the Huntington Theatre celebrated the opening night of “Sojourners,” written by Nigerian-American playwright Mfoniso Udofia. However, this was more than just the opening of a single show: In partnership with more than 30 theater companies, arts organizations, universities, and non-profits, the Huntington is staging nine of Udofia’s plays throughout Greater Boston over the next two years. Collectively, these nine plays make up the Ufot Family Cycle, an epic story that chronicles the life of one Nigerian immigrant family across three generations as they navigate their lives in America. “Sojourners,” which serves as the origin story of the cycle, is a remarkable tale of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Sammy Rae & The Friends are a genre-bending collective of musicians known for their electric live shows and empowering lyrics. Their creative process is intertwined with a sense of joy and belonging, and the band’s community-oriented fanbase is united by inclusive camaraderie and a dedication to expressive musicianship.
Thousands of book lovers attended the Boston Book Festival on Oct. 26, getting the chance to connect with fellow readers and famous authors by attending sessions spread out in multiple buildings near Copley Square.
With all the movies I see, I am constantly bombarded with just how much the theater scene has changed over the past several years. Much like live theater, it’s almost as if society returned from our unprecedented times and immediately decided to throw out all the rules. So for those who have forgotten or were maybe never taught, here’s an idiot’s guide to movie theater etiquette.
Tufts and New England Conservatory dual degree alum Chad Smith was appointed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra as their newest CEO in May 2023. Smith is one of the country’s leading orchestral music executives and previously served a four-year period as Chief Executive at the Los Angeles Philharmonic where he worked closely with famed maestro Gustavo Dudamel to establish some of the most impactful orchestral programs of the 21st century.
The National Ballet of Ukraine opened the U.S. leg of their tour in Washington D.C. on Oct. 8, bringing their talents to Boston on Oct. 10 in the historical Shubert Theater. The tour marks the company’s first U.S. appearance in over 30 years, making it a monumental moment for the ballet world. It has amassed a reputation as one of the top ballet companies in the dance world and is a pioneer in the development of the Vaganova ballet method. The production lived up to the company’s history: full of delicate pointe work, awe-inspiring partner lifts and characteristic elegance and grace. However, the chance to perform itself is so much more than an artistic gift.
This influence was perhaps most formally acknowledged at the Democratic National Convention in early August. The national party’s nominating convention welcomed five influencers to speak at the convention: Deja Foxx, Nabela Noor, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Olivia Julianna and John Russell. Combined, they have a total of more than 24 million social media followers.
Is there anything surprising left about former President Donald Trump? Ali Abassi, a filmmaker, would say yes. In his latest film, “The Apprentice,” Abassi rakes the muck that is the rotten underbelly of Trump’s formative New York years under the guidance of Roy Cohn, a malignant tumor of a lawyer who lays out three Machiavellian rules to a young and malleable Trump: “Attack, attack, attack,” “admit nothing, deny everything” and “no matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.”
Theater has always been political. Some of the biggest Broadway hits of the last few decades have explored political issues, like “Rent,” “Come From Away” and “Hadestown.” Others have taken on the American political system itself, including “Hamilton,” which focuses on the Founding Fathers, and “Suffs,” a new musical about the women’s suffrage movement. But Broadway’s latest political story comes from one of the most unexpected sources — a play so campy and absurd that for just 90 minutes, you’ll forget about the political chaos we’re living in and find some joy in the chaos onstage.
