If you ever wondered why “A Christmas Carol” has endured for almost two centuries you should visit an almost secret alleyway in downtown Troy. At The Waiting Room there is a very special presentation of the Charles Dickens’ classic story taking place.

In theater, the equivalent of the Holy Grail is a Christmas show that can be performed on an annual or near-annual basis. Of course, “ A Christmas Carol” heads the list.

Anyone in need of cheer this holiday season will find it at Capital Repertory Theatre. They are offering the charming and clever “Murder for Two: the Holiday Edition,” through December 28th. It’s a guaranteed smile inducer.

Winterpills brings its gauzy, elegant chamber-pop to Park Theater in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 8pm. Based in Northampton, Mass., and known for their melancholy sound and sublime male-female vocal harmonies, the core of the band, formed in 2003, consists of singer-songwriter Philip Price and singer-keyboardist Flora Reed, who are also husband and wife.

"The Mummy", "George of the Jungle", "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and Best Picture Oscar winner "Crash" are just some of the films that made Brendan Fraser one of the most popular actors of the '90s and 2000s.

This week is not only Thanksgiving, it’s also the start of the holiday season. There is an abundance of things to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So much so that many worthy events go under the radar and can easily be missed.

Legendary American composer David Amram, a genre-defying icon whose seven-decade career has earned him “rock star” status in the classical music world, will be celebrated on the occasion of his 95th birthday with a Beat Generation-inspired program featuring the Musicians of Ma’alwyck in the Taylor Auditorium at SUNY Schenectady tonight at 7pm.

David Amram turned 95 on Monday. On Friday, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck are honoring the legendary composer with a concert featuring several of his compositions and remarkably, a performance by Amram himself.

Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet brings its new program, Cinematic Refuge -- a thematic concert that explores the intersection of classical chamber music and film scoring, specifically focusing on composers who found creative or personal refuge in their work, often related to themes of freedom from oppression -- to Tanglewood’s Linde Center in Lenox, Mass., tonight at 7pm.

English folk-rock pioneer Richard Thompson brings his well-crafted songs and his virtuosic guitar-playing to the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., tonight at 8pm.