The Wheelock Family Theatre brings new life to “Annie,” the classic musical rooted in the 1924 comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” Set against Depression-era New York, the show blends breadlines, political intrigue, and a young girl’s unwavering belief in “tomorrow.” Featuring Sky Vaux Fuller as Annie and De’Lon Grant as Oliver Warbucks, they join us to talk about how this production explores resilience, hope, and what it means to rise to the moment. “Annie” is onstage through December 21. To learn more go here.

At the Native Plant Trust in Wayland, more than 10 million seeds from rare and endangered New England plants are now preserved—an unprecedented milestone for the nation’s oldest native-plant conservation organization. Sourced from meadows, wetlands, shorelines, mountain slopes, and even military training grounds, these seeds safeguard biodiversity against development, invasive species, and climate threats. Director of horticulture Uli Lorimer joins the show to discuss how this growing seed bank helps protect the region’s ecological future. Uli Lorimer is the author of “The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.”

Culture Show contributor and independent Curator Pedro Alonzo takes us inside the museums of Glasgow and the transformed Frick Collection in New York. After a five-year, $330 million renovation, the Frick has reopened with expanded galleries, restored architectural splendor, and unexpectedly intimate encounters with masterpieces by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Alonzo shares how these spaces balance tradition and reinvention—and what visitors can expect from their renewed cultural impact.

We continue our “Countdown to 2026” series with a preview of next July’s Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. It will headline the Commonwealth’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Boston Symphony Orchestra Julian and Eunice Cohen President and CEO Chad Smith join us to talk about what this expanded Fourth of July tradition will mean for the Esplanade and beyond.

Frank Gehry, who died at 96, was one of the most influential architects of his generation, responsible for landmarks like the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and MIT’s Stata Center. Boston Architectural College president Mahesh Daas joins us to reflect on Gehry’s legacy and how his sculptural buildings changed the conversation around architecture. Mahesh Daas is the author of four books including “Towards A Robotic Architecture” and “I, Nobot,” a graphic novella exploring relationships among artificial intelligence, robotics, and cities.

Martin Puryear, one of the most important American sculptors — and one of the most significant Black sculptors working today — is known for large, hand-built forms in wood, metal, and wire. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s exhibition, “Martin Puryear: Nexus” gathers major works from six decades. Ian Alteveer, Beal Family Chair, Department of Contemporary Art, joins The Culture Show for an overview. “Martin Puryear: Nexus” is on view through February 8, 2026, to learn more go here.

Patti Smith, National Book Award–winning author of “Just Kids,” joins The Culture Show to discuss her latest memoir, “Bread of Angels.” The book traces her imaginative postwar childhood, her life with Fred “Sonic” Smith, and the years of loss and renewal that shaped her return to writing and performance. She appears at The Chevalier Theatre on December 17 for a Brookline Booksmith event exploring the new work. To learn more go here.

Susan WIlson, the official house historian of the Omni Parker House, takes us inside Charles Dickens’s remarkable 1867 residency at Boston’s Omni Parker House — the hotel where he rehearsed, wrote, and prepared for readings that sent the city into a literary fervor. She traces how Boston became a temporary home for Dickens and why “A Christmas Carol" still resonates here during the holidays. If you want the full Dickens experience this holiday season, Crescendo Productions is presenting a “A Christmas Carol,” at the Omni Parker house December 19th -December 21st. To learn more go here

Boston-based Americana country artist Elisa Smith recently earned a Josie Music Award for Female Song of the Year for “Nashville Don’t Forget Me,” an honor presented at the Grand Ole Opry. She joins the show to talk about the new recognition and her forthcoming album, “Perfume,” which will be released this spring with a portion of proceeds supporting Rosie’s Place. To learn more go here.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl joins The Culture Show to discuss writing the book for “Wonder,” the new musical premiering at the American Repertory Theater. Adapted from the bestselling novel and acclaimed film, the production follows Auggie Pullman, a boy with a facial difference navigating the trials of middle school with courage and compassion. “Wonder,” is onstage December 10-February 8, to learn more go here.

The Worcester Art Museum has reopened its Arms and Armor Galleries after a decade of renovation and reinterpretation, unveiling a global collection that spans medieval Europe to Japan, India, Africa, and beyond. Featuring swords, helmets, shields, and full suits of armor, the galleries illuminate the artistry, engineering, and cultural histories behind these objects. Executive Director Matthias Waschek and curator Jeffrey Forgeng walk us through the museum’s ambitious reimagining and what it means to bring this collection back to public view. To learn more go here.

Finally, we go inside “Unsent,” a new indie video game set in a 1970s-inspired post office where lost letters and feelings pile up. We’ll talk with creative director Brien Rondeau about conjuring this surreal bureaucracy. To learn more, go here.

And a familiar holiday argument has resurfaced, thanks to a ruling from across the Atlantic: British regulators have declared that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. The verdict has reignited a seasonal debate that refuses to melt away.

Then JPMorgan’s new Midtown tower has made a dramatic entrance on the New York skyline, promoted as a sleek, future-forward skyscraper. Critics, however, see something very different—calling it an environmental “eco-obscenity” that overshadows its sustainability claims.

Finally, Playwright Tom Stoppard, who died at 88, leaves behind one of the most influential bodies of work in modern theater. With five Tony Awards and screenplays like Shakespeare in Love, he brought precision, wit, and intellectual curiosity to both stage and screen. His legacy is defined by a rare ability to put language to the complexities most of us only sense.

Tony Award–winner Matt Doyle brings a burst of holiday warmth to Worcester with “Make the Season Bright,” a concert filled with seasonal favorites. Known for standout roles in “Company,” “Spring Awakening,” and “The Book of Mormon,” Doyle also has deep ties to Massachusetts, where he spent part of his childhood. He joins The Culture Show to talk about returning home, embracing the holidays, and the music that shaped him. “Make the Season Bright” is onstage December 10th at the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center. For tickets and information, go here.

Levain Bakery’s cookies have earned a national cult following — oversized, craggy, irresistibly rich — but the story behind them is just as compelling. Co-founders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald reflect on 30 years of friendship, baking, and building a community around a single, unforgettable cookie. They join The Culture Show to discuss their new book, “Levain Bakery: A Story of Friendship, Community, and Cookies,” and the phenomenon their tiny shop sparked. You can catch them tonight at 7:00 at Lovestruck Books and Cafe in Harvard Square. To get tickets go here.

Cirque du Soleil reimagines a holiday favorite with “’Twas the Night Before” a high-velocity blend of circus artistry, dance, and storytelling. The production transforms Christmas Eve into a world of motion where nothing — and no one — stays still for long. Cirque dancer and dance captain Artem Tikhonenko joins The Culture Show to share how the troupe brings this kinetic twist on the classic tale to life. “’Twas the Night Before” is onstage at the Boch Center Wang Theatre through December 14th, to learn more go here.

Actor Will Lyman takes on Ebenezer Scrooge in Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s “A Christmas Carol"at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, stepping into one of literature’s great holiday transformations. His daughter, actor and producer Georgia Lyman, is simultaneously shepherding “Yellow Bird Chase” to the stage with Liars & Believers, a whimsical, family-friendly piece that blends clowning, puppetry, and physical theater. Together, they talk about sharing a season, a craft, and a lifelong pull toward the stage. “A Christmas Carol” is onstage Dec. 6 - Dec. 23 at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. To learn more go here. “Yellow Bird Chase” is onstage at Central Square Theatre Dec. 12-Dec 21–two weekends only. To learn more go here.

The Boston Public Library’s exhibition “REVOLUTION! 250 Years of Art + Activism in Boston” looks at how images, objects, and ephemera have captured moments of protest and possibility from the American Revolution to the present day. Drawing on the library’s vast archives, it asks whose struggles are remembered, whose are ignored, and how visual culture shapes our understanding of change. Curator Kristin Parker joins us to talk about the stories she wanted to bring forward and why this is a timely reexamination.

This year’s “Midwinter Revels” turns to “Matchless,” Gregory Maguire’s reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl.” Directed by Debra Wise, the production weaves Maguire’s story into Revels’ signature mix of music, ritual, and communal celebration. Debra Wise, Interim Artistic Director for Revels and bestselling author Gregory Maguire join us for an overview. “Midwinter Revels” is onstage at Sanders Theatre, December 12–28 followed by a virtual encore. To learn more go here.

“Stand by Me,” the classic coming-of-age film, is turning 40. To commemorate the film’s anniversary, “Stand By Me: The Film and its Stars 40 Years Later,” takes place at the Lynn Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, December 6th. There will be a screening followed by a conversation with three of the film’s stars - Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton, and Jerry O’Connell. Ahead of this event actor and television host Jerry O’Connell, who starred in the film as Vern Tessio, joins us to reflect on the film, what made it a classic and his reunion with his castmates. To learn more about the anniversary event go here.

Joyce Kulhawik joins The Culture Show for our recurring feature, Stage and Screen Time–a look at the latest movies and plays in theaters now. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. You can find her reviews on Joyce’s Choices.

Brian McCreath, director of production at GBH Music, host of CRB’s Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcast, and host of The Bach Hour on CRB Classical 99.5 and The Bach Channel stream joins The Culture Show for a preview of “Illuminate Bach: A Holiday Celebration!” Recorded live in GBH’s Fraser Performance Studio on December 3 at 8:00 PM, “Illuminate Bach” brings together sacred and secular works by Bach, performed by Emmanuel Music under Artistic Director Ryan Turner. It will first air as a radio program during In Concert on Sunday, December 14 at 7 pm. On television, "Illuminate Bach" will next air four times across Massachusetts on both GBH2, GBH44, and NEPM on these dates: Friday, December 19 at 9 pm. - GBH2 and NEPM Premiere, Saturday, December 20, at 8 pm on GBH44, Thursday, December 25, at 4 pm on GBH2 and NEPM, and Thursday, December 25 at 6 pm on GBH44. The full program will also be available for on-demand streaming on Classical.org and Passport.