Summer entertainment in Boston: 19 things you absolutely have to see
From musical classics to free summer movie nights to Matt Damon’s newest ‘Bourne.’
Theater + Performance ArtShow Boat
Presented by Fiddlehead Theatre Company, Show Boat, based on Edna Ferber’s novel, showcases the work of two all-time greats: Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story follows the crew and performers aboard the Cotton Blossom, a show boat in the Mississippi River, between 1887 and 1927. The characters handle love and heartbreak during a time when racial segregation is happening in America. (Wednesday, June 22 to Sunday, July 3; various times; Shubert Theatre; $53+; all ages)
Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with Warren Haynes
For those who’ve ever wondered what would happen when a symphonic orchestra behaves like a jam band. Garcia, with famed guitarist Haynes, will join the Boston Pops for a special program at Tanglewood featuring works like “Bird Song” and “Morning Dew.” (Friday, July 1 at 8 p.m.; Tanglewood, Lenox; $25-$109; all ages)
For some kid-friendly summer fare, head up to Beverly and introduce a new generation to “Chim Chim Cer-ee” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” care of North Shore Music Theatre’s production. (Tuesday, July 12 to Sunday, August 31; various times; North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly; $54-$79; all ages)
Tony Award winner Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues and memoir In the Body of the World, wrote this production, presented by the Hub Theatre Company of Boston. The show examines women’s minds and bodies and their struggle with forming a concept of societal beauty. The best part: All tickets are pay-what-you-can, and the theater company will be collecting toiletries for local women’s shelters. (Friday, July 15 to Saturday, July 30; times vary; Club Cafe; pay what you can; all ages)
One of the Bard’s greatest comedies is showing for free (free!!) on Boston Common for two and a half weeks this summer, courtesy of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Remember to get there early if you’re looking to score a good seat in the house. (Wednesday, July 20 to Sunday, August 7; various times; Parkman Bandstand at Boston Common; free; all ages)
Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education
On stage, the mesmerizing performer Anna Deavere Smith recreates interviews she’s conducted with dozens of subjects, as part of the American Repertory Theatre’s 2016/2017 season. Her show will cover the relationship between the education system and the criminal justice system. (Saturday, August 20 to Saturday, September 17; Loeb Drama Center; prices TBD; ages 14 and up)
Raiders of the Lost Ark with Orchestra
Relive Indiana Jones’s epic adventure at Tanglewood with John Williams’s score, performed live by the Boston Pops. (Friday, August 26 at 8 p.m.; Tanglewood, Lenox; $22-$124; all ages)
Museums + Tours
Thanks to the return of Highland Street Foundation’s series, 80 museums, zoos, and cultural destinations are completely free on Fridays this summer—from Boston Children’s Museum, to the Hall at Patriots Place, to the Boston Athenaeum. See which museums are open on which Fridays here. (Friday, June 24 to Friday, August 26; visit each venue’s website for applicable opening and closing times; free; all ages)
Movie Series + Film Festivals
Summer in the City at Boston Harbor Hotel
So many free movies! These screenings take place Friday nights by the waterfront, and the summer-long lineup includes a diverse selection of films—from horror (Jaws on June 17) to kid-friendly (Toy Story on August 12) to musicals (Mamma Mia! on September 9). See the list of movies and dates here. (Select Fridays, June 10 to September 9; Boston Harbor Hotel; free; all ages)
The festival that showcases and honors the work of filmmakers of color is back at the end of June. The RIFF has more than 600 movies of many genres and lengths, as well as workshops and panels. Some interesting films include A Girl Like Grace, about a high school student handling bullying (starring Raven Symone), and Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future, which spotlights black athletes and ice hockey. See more films on the schedule here. (Wednesday, June 22 to Friday, July 1; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; $12 per film for members $15 for nonmembers; or $152 for festival pass for MFA members, $15 or $190 for nonmembers; all ages, but viewer discretion for some films is advised)
Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell
WBZ Radio is also sponsoring free movie nights a few times per month, but this series will be shown on the Esplanade. The lineup, which includes Star Wars: The Force Awakens (July 29) and Jurassic World (August 12), can be seen in full here. (Select Fridays, June 24 to August 28; Charles River Esplanade; free; all ages)
Family Film Festival at the Pru
The Prudential Center has movies lined up every Saturday night this summer, curated just for the kiddos. You’ll find your kids’ favorites as well as your own, from Minions (July 2) and Inside Out (July 30) to The Wizard of Oz (July 9) and Marry Poppins (August 27). See the schedule here. (Every Saturday, July 2 to August 27 at 6 p.m.; The Prudential Center; free; all ages)
The Museum of Fine Arts’s 21st edition of its annual festival celebrating French cinema is returning July 7 to 24. This year, the museum’s lineup is spotlighting female perspectives, as well as the lives of immigrants in France. See works like Fatima, an award-winning film about a Moroccan-born single mom, and Les Deuz Amis, a dramedy love story. (Thursday, July 7 to Sunday, July 4; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; $9 per film or $152 for festival pass for MFA members, $11 or $190 for nonmembers; all ages, but viewers discretion advised)
Summer Movie Series at Assembly Row
Somervillians can also get their taste of free movies this summer with a lineup of flicks fit for kids and grown-ups. Grab your friends or yours kids for screenings of films like Disney’s Cinderella (July 16) and Ant-Man (August 27). See the schedule here. (Every Saturday at dusk, July 9 to August 27; Assembly Row; free; all ages)
Coming to Cinemas
In case you haven’t heard, the reboot of the beloved classic was filmed right here in Boston (see some of the locations we spotted in the trailer here). The new cast—Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy—will surely make you laugh your butts off. (In theaters July 15)
Steve Carell, our favorite Acton-bred actor, stars in the new Woody Allen movie about a New Yorker (Jesse Eisenberg) who moves to Hollywood and falls in love with the secretary of his powerful uncle. Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg (aka the girl from Twilight and the villain in Batman v Superman) also star. (In theaters July 15)
Cambridge’s own Matt Damon reprises his role as CIA assassin/badass Jason Bourne, after briefly leaving the franchise following its third movie. In the fifth installment, Bourne is back to take on the world—and punch everyone in the process (really). (In theaters July 29)
The anticipated DC Comics film, which exists in the same universe as Batman v Superman, stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto as captured villains recruited by the government to execute black ops missions. Hell, yeah. (In theaters August 5)
This indie flick, about a man who returns to his hometown when his mom becomes sick, stars (and is directed by) Newton’s John Krasinski. It originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. (In theaters August 26)
Music
Music is a hefty category in and of itself. For a more in-depth look at concerts, festivals, and venues to see this summer, we’ve got you covered over here.
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