There are three things I always promise to myself and try to stick to every year when the month of December and the holidays roll around, and they are (in no particular order): 1) I will stop shopping for myself and will only shop for others until after the holidays are over, 2) I will go ice skating at the Boston Common Frog Pond and 3) I will do something else holiday-related (besides shopping) that takes place in Boston.
As consistent as the holidays are every year, so is my inability to accomplish these three (simple and fun!) tasks, or even two. But this is 2005. This is a new year, and neither you nor I have any excuse not to take part in all that Boston has to offer this year for the holidays.
Already ongoing so far this month are two holiday theater performances. The first is a performance of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which runs almost nightly for the month of December. Tickets sell from $22 to $78. Also, for a holiday tradition popular around the globe, try taking part in Boston Ballet’s own version of “The Nutcracker.” Depending on the day and time, tickets for “The Nutcracker” performance vary from $25 to $110 and, like “White Christmas,” will run nearly every day at Boston’s Opera House.
For a little twist on the traditional version of “The Nutcracker”, try out BalletRox’s “Urban Nutcracker” at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester. This holiday classic is celebrating its fifth anniversary of the show. Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker follows the storyline of E.T.A. Hoffman’s 19th-century fairytale set in none other than the city of Boston and showcases a concoction of ballet, hip-hop, swing and urban tap set to Tchaikovsky’s classical score. The show’s run begins this Saturday, Dec. 10, and runs until Dec. 18. Tickets range from $15 and $35.
Hey Scrooge, quit whining about the shorter days and how it gets dark at about noon and celebrate the winter solstice by attending the 35th annual season of “The Christmas Revels,” including medieval music, dance, carols and folktales. There will be a total of 17 performances on the dates of Dec. 16 to 18, 21 to 23 and 26-30 at the Sanders Theater at Harvard University. With over 80 performers, including the Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble and some of New England’s finest early musicians, tickets are reasonable at $20 to $42.
What would Christmas really be without taking in a performance of the classic Christmas play “A Christmas Carol?” Lucky for you, there are two theatres playing the show. The first is at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly. Tickets for that performance range from $25 to $68. You could also travel to Watertown to the New Repertory Theatre, where the show runs from this Saturday until Dec. 18, and tickets are a little more affordable and run anywhere from $15 to $35.
Another favorite Boston tradition around the holidays is the Black Nativity, now in its 36th season. The performance consists of an ensemble of both local children and adults, along with 160 professional singers, including children, actors, dancers and musicians. Northeastern Night at Black Nativity is Friday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. The ticket price for Northeastern Night is $41 and includes a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Omni Parker House, where you will be joined by Northeastern alumni. Friday’s reception will also feature the sounds of Sleeping Bee Music, a jazz quartet, sponsored by the Black Alumni Association. In case you cannot make it to Friday’s show or do not want to pay for the highest-priced ticket, the remaining shows are Dec.10, Dec.11 and Dec. 16 to Dec.18 and ticket prices for these shows begin at $17.50. The annual hit is sure to include inspiring music including scripture, verse, gospel, dance and jazz.
In case you needed another event to distract you from your finals preparation, there is always Symphony Hall’s Holiday Pops concerts, featuring Pops conductor Keith Lockhart in his 11th holiday season playing some Christmas faves. The Boston Pops Orchestra and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra will be joined this year by the Grammy Award-winning vocal quartet the New York Voices. The Holiday Pops season begins Friday and continues throughout the month, with a special midnight performance New Year’s Eve to ring in the New Year. Tickets range from $24 to $109. The Dec. 31 performance runs up a steeper fee, though, ranging from $80 to $167.
Now, if you want to show me up and take part in what I think is one of the best winter/holiday activities this city has to offer (even though I’ve yet to do it), you should definitely take advantage of the Frog Pond at Boston Common. The pond has been open since Nov. 16 and, if weather permits, will remain open until March 19. Procrastinating on studying is one thing, but putting off any of these things that come around only once a year is just not acceptable.
– Emily Unsworth can be reached at [email protected].
