Cambridge | Somerville Independent

'T: An MBTA Musical'
2026-02-20 21:30 - 2026-03-01 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville, 02144, United States
Three 20-somethings whose lives have been derailed by MBTA incompetency discover a secret map that will let them overthrow the transit system’s corruption. John Michael Manship and Melissa Carubia craft a musical – with stops around town since 2011 – with songs such as “The Shuttle Bus Song (We Can’t Handle It),” “The People on the T” and “The Bro Song.”

February Boston Comedy Blowout!
2026-02-20 19:30 - 22:30 | Norwood Theatre, 109 Central St., Norwood, MA, 02062
Features Tony V (Seinfeld), Kelly MacFarland (DryBar), Mark Riley (TikTok), Corey Manning (Amazon Prime), Erin Maguire (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert).

Mardi Gras party
2026-02-20 18:30 - 2026-02-21 00:00 | Lamplighter CX, 110 N. First St., Cambridge, MA, 02141, United States
New Orleans comes to the taproom for a (belated) Mardi Gras celebration with live jazz; King Cake cupcakes; Crazzy Tacos, mocktails and beer cocktails for sale; and

plenty of beads to go around. Dress up or come as you are, no RSVPs required (but they are helpful).This event is for people 21-plus.

Comedy roast battle
2026-02-19 22:00 - 23:30 | The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, 02138, United States
Host Logan O’Brien brings in some of the area’s best comedians for a head-to-head roast battle, in which friends become enemies for a verbal sparring match. The audience helps decide the winner of each battle. The show is for people 18-plus.

Niia
2026-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Niia (pronounced Nye-uh) is a prodigious Italian-American musician with a jazz vocal & classical piano background. Her unparalleled voice paired with fully realized songwriting makes her the epitome of timeless elegance and contemporary soul.

yMusic
2026-02-18 20:00 - 22:00 | Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA, 02144
Boundary-defying chamber sextet yMusic.

Kate Brown reads from 'Tiny Gardens Everywhere: A History of Urban Resilience'
2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:00 | The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, United States
MIT historian Kate Brown reads from “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City” to explore the surprising and often radical history of urban gardening. The book – part history, part reportage, part manifesto – follows the roots of urban gardening from feudal England to a late 19th century utopia outside of Berlin to 1960s Washington, D.C., to contemporary Amsterdam, Chicago and beyond. It looks at how gardeners have reclaimed lost commons on urban lots, composted garbage into topsoil, creating the most productive agriculture in recorded human history, without use of fossil fuels, and how the ecological diversity they fostered made room for human difference and built prosperity, with examples from even Nazi Berlin, where working-class gardeners harbored dissidents and Jews, ant the USSR, which survived so long only because of its urban gardens. She’s joined by Antoine Picon of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Frozen Footprints: Winter Wildlife
2026-02-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Cambridge Water Department facility, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, 02138, United States
Fresh Pond rangers lead a family friendly winter tracking expedition to see who has been where in the snow. Learn how to identify common animal tracks, feel animal pelts and take a relaxing walk in refreshing weather on uneven terrain, down hills and over roots – so dress for the weather and come prepared to do some sleuthing.

To register and for parking information, send email to Agarms@cambridgema.gov or call (617) 680-2418. Heavy rain cancels.

Jennifer Putzi: "The Reconstruction Diary of Frances Anne Rollin"
2026-02-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Boston Athenaeum, 10-1/2 Beacon St., Boston, MA, 02108
Jennifer Putzi offers the first complete transcription and annotation of Frances Anne Rollin’s diary.

ThotBot Implantation Center
2026-02-17 15:00 - 2026-03-31 17:00 | Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville, MA, 02143
An immersive, interactive installation and a/v concert that invites just 14 participants per night into a meticulously designed Waiting Room before plunging them deeper into the dystopian ThotBot Storyworld.

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment
2026-02-17 10:30 - 2026-02-21 17:30 | Boston Public Libraries
A playful introduction to Donizetti’s classic comedy before BLO’s full mainstage production in April! Get swept up in the humor, heart, and high notes of this beloved opera!

David Guterson reads from 'Evelyn in Transit: A Novel'
2026-02-16 19:00 | Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138
David Guterson, author of 13 books including “Snow Falling on Cedars,” reads from his new novel, “Evelyn in Transit,” about a bored misfit who hitchhikes across the American West taking odd jobs – and whose life is strangely linked with a boy raised as a Buddhist monk in the mountains of Tibet who eventually becomes a high lama. One day a trio of Buddhist lamas show up at Evelyn’s door to announce that her 5-year-old son is the seventh reincarnation of the illustrious Norbu Rinpoche, recently deceased. Guterson will be joined in conversation by Emerson professor and author Steve Yarbrough.

Namwali Serpell presenting "On Morrison"
2026-02-16 18:00 - 20:00 | First Parish Church, 3 Church St., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Harvard Book Store welcomes Namwali Serpell—professor of English at Harvard University and acclaimed author of The Old Drift and The Furrows—for a discussion of her highly anticipated new book, On Morrison, an extraordinary assessment of Toi Morrison. She will be joined in conversation by Tracy K. Smith—the Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University, former Poet Laureate of the United States, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the poetry collection Life on Mars.

Joe Hunt Jazz Quintet
2026-02-15 20:00 - 22:00 | The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA, 02139
The Joe Hunt quartet features modern jazz ensemble music played by top local pros.

The Lao Project's Mok Pah Valentine's Day class
2026-02-15 15:00 - 17:30 | Nibble Kitchen, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville, 02143, United States
Gather to cook Mok Pah –a Lao dish of fish seasoned with herbs, wrapped in banana leaves and gently steamed – with Vekonda Luangaphay, founder of The Lao Project, founded to build a collection of tales on being Lao in America. The process is quiet and deliberate, Luangaphay says: Steam fills the kitchen. Hands move carefully. Nothing is rushed. You’ll prepare Mok Pah from start to finish, learning the techniques and small decisions that give the dish its soul. This is hands-on, slow-paced cooking rooted in tradition, not performance. Afterward, participants sit down to eat together.
Spots are limited to keep the gathering intimate.

The Bugs Bunny Film Festival
2026-02-15 12:00 - 2026-02-22 17:00 | The Brattle, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA, 02138
The Brattle’s Annual February Vacation Week Tradition!

Boston Sci Fi Marathon
2026-02-15 12:00 - 23:30 | Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA, 02144
Part of the Boston Sci Fi Film Festival.

Valentine’s Day Adult Night
2026-02-14 19:00 - 21:30 | Lego Discovery Center, 598 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA, 02145, United States
There’s a themed building competition and challenges, pictures with a Lego Character and prizes. The event is 18-plus.

Valentine's Day book swap
2026-02-14 12:00 - 14:00 | Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Stop in, browse the shelves and buy a book or books for a partner or friend in secret. Reunite and reveal each other’s book picks and why you chose that book for them. Participants will get a coupon at check-in for 20 percent off the purchase. There will also be photo opportunities, reflection bookmarks and the chance to make your book selection a Blind Date with a Book – meaning you can wrap the book and write clues on the wrapping of what the book is so your partner or friend can guess. RSVP here.

Foundry Festival
2026-02-14 10:00 - 2026-02-21 20:00 | The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., Cambridge, MA, 02142, United States
The fourth annual Foundry Festival brings a week of free public programming for all ages and skill levels in a variety of art, culture, and community activities over the February school break. The year’s theme is “Pathways. Events range from markets and coffee tastings to dance, crafts and talks.

Stephane Wrembel’s "Django New Orleans"
2026-02-13 21:30 - 23:30 | Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Acclaimed guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembel—renowned for his original music in Midnight in Paris and Vicky Cristina Barcelona—returns to The Regattabar with his specialty ensemble, Django New Orleans, to celebrate the release of Django New Orleans II: Hors-Série out November 14, 2025.

Jenny Gorelick's 'The Book Of Red Flags' tour
2026-02-13 21:00 | The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville, 02144, United States
Comedian Jenny Gorelick brings her book to the stage with a fast, playful set packed with misadventures, sharp observations and crowd-favorite bits about the red flags we all ignore when dating. The show is 18-plus.

Hole Show: Holey-Wood Video queer drag and dance party
2026-02-13 20:00 | Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA, 02144
Performances from Sid St. Id, Mako Yaki, Dykotomy, Sherman, Crow Morbid, Logan Liqueur, Slick O’Connell, Miss Jade Rock and Sybil Disobedience, with special guest Madison Zayne as the giant penis. DJs L’Duke and Mx Blaire pump tunes before and after drag sets, and there will be vendors and VHS store experiences.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s 'Hamlet'
2026-02-13 19:00 - 21:00 | The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville, 02144, United States
This version of the bard’s witty and bawdy play, truncated to an hour, includes one actor randomly selected who drinks before and during the performance, leaving the remaining sober cast to fight their way through the show while incorporating, rectifying, justifying and generally improvising around the drunkenness. The show is 18-plus.

Dorothy Roberts on "The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family"
2026-02-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138
Harvard Book Store welcomes Dorothy Roberts—the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and the award-winning, acclaimed author of Killing the Black Body—for a discussion of her new book, The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family. She will be joined in conversation by Christina J. Cross—Assistant Professor of Sociology at Harvard University and the author of Inherited Inequality.

Dance Date with Decent Dance
2026-02-13 18:30 - 20:30 | The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139
DANCE DATE is a dance-for-all program that invites participants to explore communication, trust, and creativity through contemporary dance with a family member, friend, or romantic partner.

Valentine's Day Mixer
2026-02-13 17:30 - 19:30 | Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, Somerville, MA, 02143, United States
Live Latin music by CuraSón, mocktails, a Somerville Chocolate tasting, sweet and savory snacks and a free digital portrait while exploring museum galleries featuring the exhibit “Crafting the Mind” – contemporary fiber art that speaks to the early history of crafts as a therapeutic practice at McLean Hospital, New England’s first psychiatric facility. Sip and chat, dance and laugh, or sit and craft at the weaving table.

'Farewell Unkind': Songs and dances by John Dowland
2026-02-12 16:00 - 17:00 | Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
John Dowland was the most eminent lutenist of his age and a composer, and The Boston Camerata music group returns to his repertoire in the 400th anniversary of his death. Dowland’s compositions are precious jewels, organizers say, and in just a few measures the pieces – deceptively accessible and simple – unlock worlds of beauty and of tender emotion without pair.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
2026-02-12 12:00 - 2026-04-12 17:00 | CambridgeSide, 100 Cambridgeside Pl., Cambridge, MA, 02141
Walk beneath life-size reproductions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Every brushstroke, every detail — just feet away.

'The Moderate"
2026-02-05 19:30 - 2026-03-01 21:00 | Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139
Estranged from his wife and son during the Covid pandemic lockdown, Frank accepts a job as a content moderator for the world’s largest social media company. As he evaluates a never-ending stream of questionable content, the work takes an emotional and psychological toll – but everything changes when he sees a chance to help a stranger, saving himself in the process. Playwright Ken Urban and director Jared Mezzocchi create a technological mindscape that explores human connection.
