arts

Anthony Williams’s “Urban Nutcracker” opens on the rowhouse streets of Boston with the iconic Citgo sign in the background and a cast of more than 150 mostly local performers. The reimagining of a classic tale on the streets of our city has been warming hearts in Boston for nearly 25 years. 

For Roxbury resident Philip Lima, there’s something extra special about holiday concerts. Among the spectators are children who bring an “infectious” joy to the event, and the performances draw people from all across town.

Relocation, resettling and assimilation are components of the African diasporic experience that have significantly impacted the artists in “States of Becoming,” an exhibition of contemporary African artists at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College. 

When the Martha Graham Dance Company comes to New England this month, it’ll be for the first time in almost 20 years. As it ramps up to its centennial in 2026, the New York-based institution will bring four performances to Boston celebrating and honoring the legacies of icons like namesake founder Martha Graham.

On a recent weekday, the Boston Children’s Chorus rehearsed for its new season. Gathered in a carpeted church room, more than two dozen young people — basses, tenors, altos and sopranos — sang together harmoniously, accompanied by the piano, rotating through several musical pieces, all linked by the season’s theme: “People, Get Ready.”

"Romeo and Juliet” has been shorthand for epic, tragic love for centuries. Whether it’s Shakespearean storytellers or Leonardo DiCaprio starring in the story, we’re all bracing ourselves for that familiar ending. The musical “& Juliet,” a Broadway tour production landing in Boston next month, flips this classic ending on its head. What if instead of ending it all over a boy, Juliet just moved on?

On Evans Way in the Fenway, there is a large portrait of a beautiful, regal Black woman. She is looking off to her right wearing a striking red and black outfit, while sitting on a loud multipatterned sofa.

The Berklee Music and Health Institute and the Can We Talk… initiative have joined forces to produce a day of workshops, performances, conversations and community connection at the intersection of art and health.

Whenever Francesca McNeely heard “Wade in the Water” as a young girl, she simply thought the African American spiritual was an upbeat song. It’s an easy mistake to make, she said.

Lovers of live jazz in Boston face tough decisions this fall: How to choose among the many shows featuring numerous first-rate performers?

Monday, Oct. 14 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a celebration of Indigenous culture, history and heritage. Cultural institutions around Boston are celebrating with special programming, free admission and live art-making.

Throughout his decades-long career, photojournalist Don West traveled to China, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Central America and South America, capturing local life and moments.