The Arts Fuse

In the hands of @companyone.org, writes editor Bill Marx, #keikogreen’s play "You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!" is a robust vaudevillian entertainment that delivers a vital message about the climate crisis.
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The Arts Fuse Newsletter, March 11 A commentary on BSO conductor Andris Nelsons' fall from grace. Reviews of "The Bride," Ibsen's "Ghosts," a roundup of recent jazz albums, Cat Power, and the book"The Alibi of Capital."

The weekly newsletter is launched! Links galore to new reviews and features. My column asks "What, for our playwrights, is “the problem of the day”? And how are they addressing it?"

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Jon Garelick reviews live performances by bands led by flutist and composer Jamie Baum and saxophonist Miguel Zenón.

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Arts Commentary: The Nelsons Case - The Arts Fuse Ultimately—and regardless of one’s take on Andris Nelsons as an artist—it’s hard to see how the institution’s long-term interests are served by last week’s developments.

Ultimately—and regardless of one’s take on Andris Nelsons as an artist—it’s hard to see how the Boston Symphony Orchestra's long-term interests are served by last week’s developments, writes Jonathan Blumhofer

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Film Review: Echoes of Passion - Arnaud Desplechin’s “Two Pianos” Plays on the Keys of Loss and Love - The Arts Fuse Here’s a drama that explores with uncommon pathos the ways that people confront—with grace or with fury—what they’re compelled to give up.

Erica Abeel adores Arnaud Desplechin's "Two Pianos": Here’s a film that explores with uncommon pathos the ways that people confront—with grace or with fury—what they’re compelled to give up.

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Film Review: “Hoppers” - Pixar’s Madcap Eco-Fable Hops Between Absurdity and Alarm - The Arts Fuse "Hoppers"' climax is a valuable reminder that none of us --  from mammal to ant -- are safe from the fury of a Mother Nature we have badly wronged.

@sarahminaosman.bsky.social on #Pixar's latest animation, "Hoppers": the film's climax is a valuable reminder that none of us — from mammal to ant — are safe from the fury of a Mother Nature we have badly wronged.

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Jazz Concert Review: Kris Davis Trio at Arrow Street Arts — Bold, Inventive, and Fearlessly Fluid - The Arts Fuse Kris Davis appeared with her current trio of acoustic bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake, a simpatico unit that clearly responds to both the pianist’s genre-pushing forms and spontaneous...

Paul Robicheau on an appearance by pianist Kris Davis, who appeared with her current trio, a simpatico unit that clearly responds to both the pianist’s genre-pushing forms and spontaneous sense of adventure. Presented by @vivoperformingarts.bsky.social

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Brooks Geiken on Mexican writer Brenda Navarro's novel "Eating Ashes": Sliding back and forth between the past and the present, the narrative paints a gritty, emotional, and forceful vision of a family traumatized by disconnection. @wwnorton.com

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Concert Review: Cat Power Reclaims “The Greatest” with Soulful Grace and a Touch of Sorrow - The Arts Fuse Fun may seem like a relative term for a singer who performs fragile, melancholy songs in dim stage light and doesn’t allow photographers, though cell phones rose like stars in her galaxy to record vid...

Paul Robicheau reviews Cat Power at Roadrunner: Fun may seem like a relative term for a singer who performs fragile, melancholy songs in dim stage light and doesn’t allow photographers, though cell phones rose like stars in her galaxy to record videos.

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Vincent Czyz writes that Gary Lippman’s latest offering, "I Wish, Therefore I Am," is whimsical, funny, thought-provoking, nostalgic, wise, and painful. It is the least classifiable of his books so far.

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Ed Meek highly recommends Timothy Mitchell's "The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow " @versobooks.bsky.social. Capitalism's strategy: steal the future and conceal the theft.

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Tim Jackson on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s "The Bride!.".The film’s intellectual friskiness is everywhere, and at times it takes centerstage at the expense of the story. But Gyllenhaal deserves considerable credit for pulling off this ambitious, cerebral monster mash.
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Robert Israel talked to director Scott Edmiston about what's happening in Boston's theater scene. Edmiston is currently at the helm of a production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at Concord's Umbrella Arts Center.

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Editor Bill Marx reviews "Ghosts" at The Gamm Theatre: Director Tony Estrella’s version of Ibsen’s modern tragedy carves out an energetic path — the action moves along with compelling alacrity.

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Film Festival Review: Sundance 2026 - Sayonara - The Arts Fuse Reviews of "Josephine,: the film that won Sundance’s top award for 2026 and of "Aanookibijigan" and "The Gallerist".

David D'Arcy on the @sundancefilm.bsky.social: the festival as we knew it is over. The event is moving to Boulder, Colorado. Reviews of "Josephine," the film that won Sundance’s top award, and of "Aanookibijigan" and "The Gallerist."

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Weekly Feature: Poetry at The Arts Fuse - The Arts Fuse This week’s poem: Jillian Boger's "I Never Learned How to Speak"

This week’s poem: Jillian Boger’s “I Never Learned How to Speak”

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The weekly newsletter is here -- links to Coming Attractions, March Short Fuses, reviews of Richard Hell's "Godlike," the Elvis Presley doc "EPiC." and two splendid commentaries on how the arts can strengthen democracy. artsfuse.substack.com/p/the-arts-f...

Book Review: Francis Spufford’s "Nonesuch" - Magic, Mathematics, and the Blitz - The Arts Fuse This hybrid narrative laces romantic adventure with a bit of horror, the supernatural, and mathematical derring-do—all within an increasingly realistic depiction of the times and of the people who sur...

Clea Simon on Francis Spufford's novel "Nonesuch" @groveatlantic.bsky.social. This hybrid narrative laces romantic adventure with a bit of horror, the supernatural, and mathematical derring-do in Blitz-era London.

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Book Review: Richard Hell's "Godlike" - Punk Passion and the Gospel of Damnation - The Arts Fuse Richard Hell is the only New York artist of the past fifty years to give Lou Reed and Patti Smith a run for their money.

Michael Londra on Richard Hell's second novel, 20025's "Godlike" -- a @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social. Hell is the only New York artist of the past fifty years to give Lou Reed and Patti Smith a run for their money.

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Visual Art Commentary: Silence Is Complicity - Why Museums Must Use Their Voice to Defend Democracy - The Arts Fuse At a moment when arts and culture, public education, historical memory, and American democracy itself are under coordinated attack, silence is not a neutral posture. It is a decision with consequences...

A commentary from Julie Trébault. She argues that, at a moment when arts and culture, public education, historical memory, and American democracy itself are under coordinated attack, silence is not a neutral posture. It is a decision with consequences.

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Time to schedule your arts intake for the next two weeks. Our expert critics supply a guide to film, visual art, theater, author readings, television, and music. More offerings will be added as they come in.

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Tim Jackson writes that #ÓliverLaxe's "Sirāt" is a heart-stopping, surreal reflection of our contemporary moment. Screening at @thecoolidge.bsky.social

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March Short Fuses — Materia Critica - The Arts Fuse Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

March Short Fuses is up and at 'em. Reviews from, among others, me, Ralph Locke, Steve Provizer, Steve Erickson, Mark Favermann.

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Concert Review: Rare Boston Revival - Steve Reich’s Minimalist Epic Thrives with 20 Musicians - The Arts Fuse Steve Reich's 1976 minimalist masterpiece, performed by Ensemble Signal, was a special event to see and hear live.

Paul Robicheau on a very special evening at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Steve Reich’s 1976 minimalist masterpiece "Music for 18 Musicians” performed by Ensemble SIGNAL.

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Film Review: “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert" – The King’s Still the Thing - The Arts Fuse Director Baz Luhrmann’s exhilarating documentary-concert film gives us Elvis in his prime.

Ed Symkus adores director #bazluhrmann’s exhilarating documentary-concert film, "EPiC: Elvis Pressley in Concert," gives us #elvispresley in his prime.

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Film Review: "Deepfaking Sam Altman" – the "Roger and Me" of the AI Age - The Arts Fuse "Deepfaking Sam Altman" is an entertaining, off-beat deep dive into the hands-on tech needed to generate deepfakes. It also sounds the alarm about the growing imitative power of AI.

The documentary "Deepfaking Sam Altman" is an entertaining, off-beat deep dive into the hands-on tech needed to generate deepfakes, writes Preston Gralla. It also sounds the alarm about the growing imitative power of AI.

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Doc Talk: Keeping Time at the Boston Baltic Film Festival - The Arts Fuse Admiring looks at a wealth of illuminating documentaries in this year's gathering.

@pkeough1.bsky.social offers admiring looks at a wealth of illuminating documentaries at this year's Boston Baltic Film Festival.

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Short Fuse Podcast #85: Oarabile Ditsele - Reimagining Theater for Gen Z - The Arts Fuse In this episode, Elizabeth Howard speaks with Oarabile Ditsele, a South African actor, filmmaker, writer, and multidisciplinary creative artist.

In this episode of The Short Fuse Podcast, host Elizabeth Howard speaks with Oarabile Ditsele, a South African actor, filmmaker, writer, and multidisciplinary creative artist.

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Film Review: Escapism and Entrapment Collide in "Kiss of the Spider Woman” - The Arts Fuse The ratio between fantasy and real life felt off in this uneven film version of Kander and Ebb's 1990 musical.

For @sarahminaosman.bsky.social, the ratio between fantasy and real life felt off in this uneven film version of Kander and Ebb’s 1990 musical, though #JenniferLopez and #Tonatiuh shine.

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Book Review: Losing the Flavor - Allegra Goodman and the New Jewish-American Family - The Arts Fuse What Allegra Goodman's stories serve up could be called a vision of Jewish American Life Lite.

Robert Israel reviews Allegra Goodman's "This Is Not About Us." What is served up in this collection of stories — it is not a novel, although it aspires to be -- could be called a vision of Jewish American Life Lite. @thedialpress.bsky.social

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