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.
I have a special fondness for attending a performance of Handel’s great oratorio “The Messiah.” It’s a majestic piece of music that personifies the spirit of the season being celebrated. Though it is, essentially, the story of the New Testament of the King James Bible, it has a spirit beyond the religious. To hear a huge choir of voices honoring the Divine is not secular. It is thrilling and humble. To experience “The Messiah” at Christmas is to acknowledge man’s limits and frailties.
It will be offered 7 pm Tuesday, December 9 at the Cathedral of All Saints on Swan Street in Albany. It is performed by the Cathedral Choir and a full orchestra of period instruments. I promise you that if you attend, hearing the “Hallelujah Chorus” in such an environment will be a forever Christmas memory.
Another event that can easily be overlooked is the one- man “David Girard presents ‘A Christmas Carol’”at The Waiting Room in Troy. Local Equity actor Girard is for the third year presenting the Charles Dickens’ classic as a fund raiser for Troy Foundry Theatre.
It is an intimate telling of the treasured story about the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge. Girard offers a highly disciplined approach to this beloved story, switching characters effortlessly and with clarity. It’s as if he were telling the story rather than acting out the play.
The space at 19 3rd Street in Troy is ideal for this very personal experience. It plays December 5-6, 10-12 and is offered free of charge for two performances at the Victorian Stroll.
Interestingly, it is directed by David Baecker, who in December is playing the Narrator in “A Christmas Story” at Cohoes Music Hall. Indeed, the Playhouse Stage production, which is being offered for the second consecutive year, is itself a great family entertainment for the holiday season
Back to the Victorian Stroll. It and Saratoga Springs’ Victorian Streetwalk are two events that should not be overlooked. They are each noncommercial events that unify the community and personify the spirit of the holidays.
The Victorian Streetwalk is on Thursday 6-9 pm on December 4. The Victorian Stroll is Sunday December 7, 11 am to 5 pm.
Another non-publicized holiday delight is the M & T Bank free film series at the Palace Theatre in Albany. Held on Monday nights, the films are “The Muppet Christmas Carol” on December 8. “Elf” on December 15 and “It’s a Wonderful Life” on December 19. It’s a treat to see film on the big screen in a building created as a movie palace.
One more special event is “It’s a Jazzy Christmas.” It’s at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on December 19. The following night December 20, it plays the GE Theatre at Proctors.
It contains many favorite holiday classics, but what you really want to know is it features the music of Vince Guaraldi, the man famous for creating the tunes for the “Peanuts” holiday specials.
Perhaps the easiest event to miss is The Bread and Puppet Theatre appearance in Troy on December 17 offering “The Christmas Story”. The legendary organization that has a cult-like following uses giant puppets to create stories in the tone of medieval mystery plays. They combine reverence and impudence to make their stories relevant.
For instance, Mary and Joseph sleep with animals because they don’t have the $26.50 to stay at the Shady Arms Motel. The populace thinks that the star in the east is a PR stunt and Herod worries about the nation’s trade balance.
Originally created in 1962 as a protest against the Vietnam War, it is being revived because the creators believe that the message is “ that Jesus’s world was, in essence, ours: and both are worth saving.” It is worth noting that this engagement is the only one on the tour not in New York City or Boston.
So enjoy the upcoming holiday. My advice is don’t ignore the big shows, but don’t neglect these small treasures.
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.
