Well, it’s Christmas crunch time. You have just a week to find that present which will make someone’s holiday a little more special.
If you are hoping to find something out of the ordinary, a gift of art or entertainment is always welcome.
The perfect gift is one that brings joy to many. If you agree, consider the concept of giving a night out to a loved one is always appreciated, I doubt that there is an organization that wouldn’t be grateful for a late-December sale.
Too, with a ticket to a show in the future, it adds an element of anticipation to the experience.
In theater there are many good shows coming up. If you are looking for a true family experience, it’s hard to think of a better show than “Annie,” which plays Proctors January 9-24. Or if you’re searching for that title that will please everyone, and don’t mind waiting a bit, “Les Misérables” plays the Schenectady venue in March.
It’s not just Proctors or Capital Rep that offer theater throughout the area. There are many local groups that do excellent work. Indeed, if you are searching for that family experience and “Annie” doesn’t work for you, on February 23, Home Made Theater in Saratoga Springs opens the beloved musical, “Peter Pan.”
There are also entertainments for other interests. The Albany Symphony offers a Mozart-based concert at The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on January 13-14. In February they move to the Palace Theatre in Albany for a Gershwin-themed night. It’s on February 10, so you can do a two-for-one. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Christmas Gift. And, yes, it might be the same as giving your wife a vacuum cleaner - but …
As for dance, professional ballroom and celebrity dancers appear at Proctors on January 26 in “Dancing With the Stars.” A couple of nights later, “ Step Africa “ of Johannesburg, the first professional step dance company in the world, is at Proctors February 4.
Contrary to popular thinking, the first several weeks of a new year are not a cultural wasteland.
Beyond tickets for a show, there is another way to support worthy organizations. That is make a purchase at one of their gift shops.
One of the best sources to find special presents is the gift shops of area museums. They offer a number of attractive prints, cards, coffee mugs and many other items. Some offer clothing - beyond just a teeshirt.
Personally, my two favorites are the boutique-like shop at Albany Institute of History and Art and the amazingly varied gift shop at the New York State Museum. A bonus is both places focus on items identified with New York State.
Too, the arcade at Proctors is a treasure trove of small shops with unique gifts and not all are performance related. All area museums are great resources for gifts.
On the subject of special, don’t overlook the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. You will find it impossible not to make a purchase in their gift shop. Actually it will be a test of will to only buy one thing.
This area is fortunate to have a large number of museums that cater to specialized interests. Think the Automobile Museum and the Racing Hall of Fame, the National Museum of Dance, all located in Saratoga Springs.
You can find the same variety of non-profit organizations at Cooperstown. Located there are the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Farmers Museum, the Fenimore Cooper Museum and Glimmerglass Opera.
On the topic of not-for-profit gift items, almost every organization has the ability to provide items over the internet. Go to their websites and avoid driving.
A very important fact is that most not-for-profit institutions gain less than 50% of their operating revenue from ticket sales or admissions. It you have an arts organization that you would like to stay in business, a financial donation might just be a gift to yourself as well as to them.
However you choose to gift, put the arts on your shopping list this holiday season.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
