Performing in 65 shows over 50 days makes it hard to remember every audience member interaction but Becky Winickoff will never forget an exchange with a young fan after a recent Circus Smirkus show. Winickoff, a soon-to-be Brookline High School senior, did what she and her peers usually do: ask the swarm of kids if… Continue reading Brookline teen flies high in summer tour with Circus Smirkus
Category: Entertainment
Pennsylvania musician tracks down the headstone of America’s first female hit songwriter – in a Brookline shed
Zach King was on an unusual mission when he came to Brookline in January. The Pennsylvania musician was looking for traces of an oft-forgotten American music legend. There were no Billboard Top 100 lists or streaming services to propel music artists fame in the 1800s. But Marion Dix Sullivan managed to become the first female… Continue reading Pennsylvania musician tracks down the headstone of America’s first female hit songwriter – in a Brookline shed
Strummerville Ukulele Club expands to Brookline with monthly jam sessions at the library
Two dozen people strum ukuleles, filling the second floor of the Brookline Village Public Library with the catchy melody of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.” Welcome to the Brookline meetup of the Strummerville Ukulele Club, which invites both seasoned and brand-new ukulele players to jam in a group of 20 to 30 people on… Continue reading Strummerville Ukulele Club expands to Brookline with monthly jam sessions at the library
Brookline celebrates Juneteenth with annual block party
Brookliners, a few wearing glittery cowboy hats and neckerchiefs, waited their turns to ride a bucking mechanical bull outside the Ridley School at this year’s Texas-themed Juneteenth block party. Juneteenth, a federal holiday since 2021, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, received the news they were free, two years after… Continue reading Brookline celebrates Juneteenth with annual block party
How to spend a day in Brookline for less than $30 (according to a college student)
Although Brookline was once a leafy summer retreat for wealthy Bostonians, it’s now home to a growing community of college students who have settled into rentals in Coolidge Corner, Cleveland Circle and beyond. But students on a budget don’t have to head to nearby Allston to find cheap eats and a beckoning street life. Brookline… Continue reading How to spend a day in Brookline for less than $30 (according to a college student)
Crossword capital: Brookline’s solvers and constructors make it a puzzle powerhouse
Some kids grow up peddling cold drinks on a summer day. Owen Bergstein was a little different. “Almost as long as I can remember, I was making crossword puzzles with pen and paper and selling them on the street corner for 50 cents,” the 16-year-old Brookline resident said. “That was my lemonade stand.” Meanwhile, Adam… Continue reading Crossword capital: Brookline’s solvers and constructors make it a puzzle powerhouse
News in brief: Are you Brookline’s next Poet Laureate?
If you’re a poet, writer or musician who lives in Brookline, you might be the town’s next Poet Laureate. The Brookline Commission for the Arts is seeking applications to serve a three year term in the literary position. The next Poet Laureate will be the town’s fifth, part of a program which began in 2012.… Continue reading News in brief: Are you Brookline’s next Poet Laureate?
A pet sitting scare in Brookline inspired this new picture book
An adorable Yorkie named Pepper trotted around her Brookline apartment. Her mom was out, and her aunt was taking care of her. She played with her toys, got lots of pets and tucked herself under a warm blanket. Unbeknownst to her, panic ensued as her aunt frantically searched for her, worried she was lost and… Continue reading A pet sitting scare in Brookline inspired this new picture book
Francis Ford Coppola comes to Brookline to screen his latest epic and talk about the future
Hundreds of moviegoers alternated between silence and laughter as they watched Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “Megalopolis” at the Coolidge Corner Theatre – and then listened to the director himself talk about the film and his vision for the future of society. Jack O’Hara of Roxbury said he and his roommate bought tickets as soon as… Continue reading Francis Ford Coppola comes to Brookline to screen his latest epic and talk about the future
Coolidge Corner Theatre thrives on nostalgia as repertory films draw crowds
An eruption of laughter bursts from the crowd of more than 400 people as Paul Newman cracks a raw egg into a beer and starts drinking it. “That is disgusting,” a man in the audience says. Newman loudly burps, and a second wave of laughter erupts. The audience had gathered for a March 29 screening… Continue reading Coolidge Corner Theatre thrives on nostalgia as repertory films draw crowds
Thousands of competitors stream through Brookline as crowds cheer them on in Coolidge Corner, the ‘perfect spot’ to watch the race
With colorful posters held aloft and cowbells clanging, hundreds of people packed Coolidge Corner on Monday to watch Boston Marathon runners enter the final stretch of the race. Dan Verderamo, who lives on Beacon Street, is hoping to start a tradition of tailgating the race. He and a group of friends spent the day route-side… Continue reading Thousands of competitors stream through Brookline as crowds cheer them on in Coolidge Corner, the ‘perfect spot’ to watch the race
Introvert-approved: a Brookline library book club where silence isn’t awkward – it’s the point
Bring any book you want to this book club. There are no assigned chapters, no fishbowl discussions – just readers enjoying one another’s silent company, lost in their own books. Here, reading is a social activity – but not one where there’s pressure to share your thoughts on your reading, said Brookline resident Kaarkuzhali Krishnamurthy,… Continue reading Introvert-approved: a Brookline library book club where silence isn’t awkward – it’s the point
Since the 60s, an unassuming Boylston Street shop has made some of the most famous recorders in the world
The screeching sounds of cheap plastic recorders may conjure up chaotic memories of elementary school music class, but a finely lathed wooden recorder and a semi-decent plastic one can produce a wide range of melodies in the hands of a trained musician. And for that, many of those musicians find themselves in Brookline. For six… Continue reading Since the 60s, an unassuming Boylston Street shop has made some of the most famous recorders in the world
A new type of rock band comes to Brookline
School of Rock, which was popularized by the 2003 Jack Black film and now bills itself as the largest musical school franchise in the country, has come to Brookline. The school offers classes in the different genres that inspired rock music: blues, R&B, gospel, country and jazz. It employs a performance-based approach that places students… Continue reading A new type of rock band comes to Brookline
Brookline’s poetry scene thrives in local venues
Walk into any café, bookstore, or library in Brookline, and you’ll find writers at work—graduate students on theses, aspiring novelists, and poets lost in their lines. These spaces offer more than just coffee and quiet; they foster a symbiotic relationship between local businesses and the writers who bring them to life. When Angela Divaris first… Continue reading Brookline’s poetry scene thrives in local venues
Growth through challenge: How director Chi-Sun Chan transformed the Brookline Community Band
Over the last eight years, the Brookline Community Band has undergone a transformation led by Chi-Sun Chan, a tuba player and band conductor who has performed around the world. When Chan took over as its conductor in 2017, the community band was a 20-piece group that performed by request at senior homes and community events.… Continue reading Growth through challenge: How director Chi-Sun Chan transformed the Brookline Community Band
Coolidge Corner Theatre names Indian director Payal Kapadia its ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’
When Payal Kapadia was growing up in India, she used to see her mother sit at their kitchen table, editing for her “video arts” that she filmed on VHS tapes. She was fascinated, as if “the matrix had been revealed,” watching movies in a different light, always on the hunt to find the rips that… Continue reading Coolidge Corner Theatre names Indian director Payal Kapadia its ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’
Short on decorum and long on charm, John Waters accepts Coolidge Award
What to expect at “An Evening With John Waters?” A better question might be what not to expect. It won’t be mundane or formulaic, and certainly nothing approaching conventional, as anyone who has seen his movies can attest. On Nov. 21, the Coolidge Corner Theatre recognized Waters’ inimitable place in film, photography, literature and art… Continue reading Short on decorum and long on charm, John Waters accepts Coolidge Award
Step by step: Local artists paint dance lessons on Brookline sidewalks
Caitlyn Kwan stood on the balls of her feet, as instructed by the footstep silhouettes painted on the ground beneath her and the directions that told her to “travel on your toes.” With her arms held out in front of her in a semicircle, she lightly walked four steps — right, left, right, left —… Continue reading Step by step: Local artists paint dance lessons on Brookline sidewalks
Brookline Interactive Group, a hub for community and creativity, faces an uncertain future
After his father died in 2023, Jonathan Mande borrowed some equipment from Brookline Interactive Group, the town’s nonprofit community media hub, to film and photograph the funeral. That experience provided a creative outlet that changed Mande’s life. “It became a source of healing for me. I would go on long photo walks,” said Mande, who… Continue reading Brookline Interactive Group, a hub for community and creativity, faces an uncertain future