Friday, December 15, 2017 – Sunday, December 17, 2017
Harvard Square Shop Over Weekend Extravaganza
December 15th, 16th, 17th, 2017
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and there is no better place to spend it than historic Harvard Square. With so much to see and do, come for the weekend!
Hotels! Shopping! Dining! Ticketed events! Outdoor family-friendly free events! All listed here to help you plan your one-stop holiday destination, Harvard Square! Come Friday and stay for the weekend at one of our fabulous hotels. Shop until you drop! Dine on the run or sit down for a luxurious dinner; there are over 100 eateries for your dining pleasure. When you’ve shopped and eaten your way through the Square, take time to enjoy a show, concert, movie or a play.
Accommodations
Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
We have 2 apartments close by that are available that weekend:Gray House Cambridge Furnished Apartments @ $155/night double occupancy, additional guests $25 per night, parking $12 per night; 2 block walk to Porter Square stop and then just 1 stop to Harvard Square. availability December 15-2410% discount for reservations 7 or more nights1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment. Queen bed + queen futon sleep sofa and single futon bed. Frost St. @ Roseland St. off Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Note: entry is at an iron grated wide exterior stairway.
Family Friendly Vacation Rental Metro Boston @ $155/night for up to 4 people, additional guests $25 per night, Free street parkingavailability December 11-2010% discount for reservations 7 or more nightsWellington Rd at Fellsway, Medford. 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment. Lovely, comfortable, homey and spacious. 1 queen, 2 singles (or made into a king) and a full futon sleep sofa. Family friendly, 10 minute walk to public transportation. 30 minutes to Boston attractions. 5 miles by car. Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony, 453 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02116, (888)486-6018, bnbboston.com
The Charles Hotel
Shop ‘til you drop into our cozy Frette linens! Make it a full weekend in Harvard Square and book a night or two at The Charles Hotel. Take advantage of our Give Thanks offer and receive 20% off our best available rate. Also, for each room booked through this offer we will donate $5 to United for Puerto Rico, benefiting those affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.The Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, (617)864-1200, charleshotel.com
Charities CASPAR Winter Coat Drive
CASPAR’s Homeless Shelter provides hot meals, warm showers and clean beds to our homeless neighbors in Cambridge. Last year alone, they provided shelter for over 1,350 homeless neighbors while serving more than 90,000 meals. Please help our most vulnerable neighbors stay warm this winter! CASPAR clients are in need of winter coats for both men and women. Thank you for your generosity! For more information, please visit casparinc.org or contact us at jlondergan@casparinc.org or (617) 619-5930.
Parking Charles Square Garage
Please show attendant the picture below for $15 parking for up to 5 hours.
Charles Square Garage, 1 Bennett Street, (617) 491-0298, harvardsquareparking.com
Shopping
Bob Slate Stationers
Bob Slate Stationer will be open extended hours on Friday and Saturday, from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm, and Sunday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, showcasing our fine stationery, gift wrap and writing instruments.
Bob Slate Stationers, 30 Brattle Street, (617) 547-1230, bobslatestationer.comBOB SLATE.JPG
Charles Square Winter Farmer’s Market
Visit the Charles Square Winter Farmers Market on Friday from 12-6pm and Sunday 10am-3pm featuring:Mycoterra Farm (fresh, local, gourmet mushrooms) – F/SuHickory Nut Farm (goat cheese and goat products) – FStillman Quality Meats – F/SuValicenti Pasta Farm – FRed’s Best Fish – FC&C Lobster and Fish – SuIggy’s Bread – F/SuBusa Farm & Markets – F/SuCharles Square Winter Farmer’s Market, 5 Bennett Street, more info.
DAVIDs TEA
DAVIDsTEA will have 30% off select gifts that weekend.DAVIDS TEA, 39 JFK Street, (617) 547-0483, davidstea.com
Harvard Book Store
20% off on our Holiday Hundred, 100 notable (and giftable) books published this year and picked by the Harvard Book Store staff.http://www.harvard.com/shelves/featured_holiday/Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, (617) 661-1515, harvard.com
December 15, 16 & 17 (also December 20 – 23)
Harvard Square Holiday Fair – Upstairs at 50 Church Street at the Atrium between Mass Ave and Brattle Streets
Sats: 10am-7pm, Suns: 12-6pm, Weekdays: 11:30am-7pm
The Harvard Square Holiday Fair is one of the oldest and most popular fairs in Boston – the original rock and roll holiday fair. Now in its 32nd year, the fair runs for nine days upstairs at 50 Church St, and outside in the courtyard on the corner of Mass. Ave. & Church St. in Harvard Square. The fair is juried and includes a changing mix of New England craftspeople and world travelling importers featuring many wonderful gift items – clocks, photographs, hand printed cards and calendars, fleece hats and accessories, all kinds of jewelry: funky, hip and classic, pottery, silk screened clothing for adults and kids, and much more – a great selection of beautiful, original and affordable gifts. Talking to the craftspeople that make what they sell gives shoppers a connection to what they are buying that is just not possible at the mall, through a catalog or online. This is not your average craft fair – it’s more like a party where you can buy stuff! It’s a high energy alternative marketplace with a great soundtrack – a taste of the old Harvard Square.Harvard Square Holiday Fair, (413) 625-9779, harvardsquareholidayfair.com
LF StoresToys for Tots Collection at LF StoresLF Stores received their Toys for Tots box and they will be accepting toys from now until December 31st. All donations are greatly appreciated.LF Stores, 26 Church Street, (617) 492-7700, lfstores.com
December 16 & 17
Mistletoe Art Fair at Cambridge Center for Adult Education
Handmade, local art & crafts for the holiday and beyond! The Mistletoe Art Fair is bigger and better than ever with two floors of talented artisans and a variety of gifts for all. Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle Street, (617) 547-6789, ccae.org
Origins
Origins is having a Friends and Family event from Dec 13th-17th.20% off everything include our Holiday value sets.
Origins, 8 Brattle Street, (617) 868-8090, origins.com
Classes
Cambridge Center for Adult EducationHoliday Classes at Cambridge Center for Adult EducationChristmas Pastries
Saturday, December 16, 10am-3pm$120Homemade Holiday Gifts from the KitchenSunday, December 17, 11am-2pm$85Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle Street, (617) 547-6789, ccae.org
Restaurants
Henrietta’s Table
After an exhausting day of shopping, fill your body with fresh & honest food at Henrietta’s Table! Join us for supper and order the Henrietta’s Yard Sale: receive any three classic courses for $37 or two courses for $32 and receive your choice of side! MenuHenrietta’s Table, 1 Bennett Street, (617) 661-5005, henriettastable.comPOINT VIEW.JPG
Arts and Entertainment
December 15
Banboche 2017: Celebration & Cabaret at OBERON
Come together to witness Haitian contemporary dance and culture as Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) shares its latest interpretation of the immigrant experience. The evening will include a live dance performance, live Haitian music, media from JAE’s 2017 Haiti summer Institute AND an opportunity for everyone to let loose on the dance floor with a DJ. The mission of Jean Appolon Expressions is to celebrate and advance Haitian folkloric dance by showcasing wholistic educational programming, professional performances, and creating pathways to careers in dance for youth and adults in Haiti, Boston, and beyond. Based in Boston and directed by Jean Appolon, JAE’s Haitian contemporary dance company combines Modern technique and Haitian folkloric dance, bringing a new artistic vernacular to its audiences. With its dynamic repertoire, JAE educates audiences about Haitian culture, traditions, history and current issues. The company has performed both at major venues such as Boston’s Paramount Center and Silver Spring Civic Building, and in city parks and community spaces in free performances accessible to the public. JAE also has performed at many schools and colleges, including American University, Harvard University, Lesley University and Wheaton College. JAE has been fortunate to share the stage with celebrities such as Danny Glover, Henry Louis Gates and Edwidge Danticat.Tickets from $15Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, (617) 496-8004, americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon
December 15
The Vocal Performance and Collaborative Piano Departments Present: A Recital of British and North American Composers at Longy School of Music
Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall, 2:00 pm
Travel with us to the opposite sides of the pond as the departments of Vocal Performance and Collaborative Piano present a recital of songs by British and North American Composers. Not only do these composers share a language, they also share a rich history filled with beautiful music that is sure to soothe your winter blues!
Longy, 27 Garden Street, (617) 876-0956, longy.edu
December 15
Street Dogs, The Pinkerton Thugs, The Abductors at The Sinclair
Street Dogs “That the band is a full-time band. That whatever Street Dogs is doing, whether recording or playing live, we’re gonna give 110%. Always. But the thing I’d like to convey most through bio or anything is that this music has an honesty and earnestness to it. The lyrics are from legitimate life experiences The lyrics are from legitimate life experiences from the band members.”The Sinclair, 52 Church Street, (617) 547-5200, sinclaircambridge.com
December 15
All That Jazz at The Harvard Film Archive
7pm
Directed by Bob Fosse. With Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann ReinkingUS 1979, 35mm, color, 123 minOften compared to Federico Fellini’s 8 ½, this semi-autobiographical film chronicles the physical and mental disintegration of Joe Gideon—a Broadway director brilliantly portrayed by Roy Scheider—who is unable to confront the challenges and addictions of his personal life. While juggling the direction of a Broadway musical, the editing of an ill-fated film, the seduction of a host of women, and the needs of his daughter, Joe is forced to come to terms with his imminent mortality, personified by the character of the sympathetic Angelique. The musical numbers, from the explosive “On Broadway” to the sobering “Bye, Bye Life,” are tours-de-force of set design and Fosse choreography.Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 15
Under The Covers with Jake Armerding, Mark Erelli, Rose Cousins and Zack Hickman at Passim
Armerding, Erelli, Cousins, and Hickman gather in the 14th year of Under the Covers!Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, (617) 492-7679, passim.org
December 15 & 16
Cecile McLorin Salvant featuring Pianist Sullivan Fortner at Sculler’s Jazz Club
Shortly following Cécile McLorin Salvant’s emergence on the music scene, New York Times critic Stephen Holden stated, “As Cécile McLorin Salvant spun songs into a brilliant silk tapestry, I thought, if anyone can extend the lineage of the Big Three — Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald — it is this 23-year-old virtuoso.” Downbeat added emphasis to Holden’s sentiment by awarding Cécile top position in an unprecedented 4 categories in its 2014 Annual Critics Poll. And Wynton Marsalis commented “you get a singer like this once in a generation or two.”Sculler’s Jazz Club, 400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134, (617) 562-4111, www.scullersjazz.com
December 15 & 16 (on display until December 21, 2017)
Wole Soyinka: Antiquities Across Times and Place at The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art
Comprising nearly 50 pieces, including antiquities made from wood, bronze, cloth, pigment and other materials, the exhibition prominently features pieces made and used by the Yoruba people. Works from the Congo, bronzes from Benin, and some of Igbo origin also are included. Items in the exhibition range from religious iconography to ritual pieces, to ornamental artworks, weaponry, vessels and more. The curated collections of antiquities are placed in conversation with works by five contemporary African artists themselves inspired by Soyinka’s plays and writings.The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art, 102 Mount Auburn Street, (617) 496-5777, coopergalleryhc.org
December 15 & 17A Study on Effort at American Repertory Theater
Friday, December 15 at 7:30PM & Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 3PM
This performance contains nudity and is suitable for ages 18+.A Study on Effort explores connections between sound, body, and duration. An hour-long dialogue between dancer Bobbi Jene Smith (formerly of Tel Aviv’s Batsheva Dance Company and subject of Bobbi Jene, the Tribeca Film Festival’s 2017 award winner for Best Documentary) and violinist Keir GoGwilt (soloist with the Chinese National Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, and others; Harvard ’13), the piece transposes different physical and emotional tasks between music and movement, finding pleasure at the boundaries of the two artistic disciplines.Tickets from $25American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, (617) 547-8300, americanrepertorytheater.org
December 15 & 17
Suspiria at The Brattle Theatre (playing through December 21)
at 10:00 PM (1977) dir Dario Argento w/Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi, Udo Kier, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett [99 min; DCP; English-language version]Fans of phantasmagoric horror cinema rejoice! Finally, after years of dubious prints and dodgy DVDs, Dario Argento’s legendary masterpiece returns to the big screen in a brand new, stunning 4K restoration. You may have been lucky enough to see the recent 35mm tour of the original, uncut European version but these screenings are of the definitive restoration of the 99-minute U.S. release version – a little lighter on the gore but no less astounding in its over-the-top, operatic imagery. For those unfamiliar… In Argento’s signature horror film, a young American dancer named Suzy (Harper) travels to Germany to attend an exclusive ballet school. Surrounded by mystery and murder, she soon discovers that the school is under the sway of a coven of powerful witches – and that her curiosity has put her in terrible danger.Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, (617) 876-6837, brattlefilm.orgBRATTLE THEATRE.JPG
December 15, 16 & 17 (playing through January 14, 2018)
Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility at American Repertory Theater
By Kate HamillBased on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Eric TuckerEric Tucker’s exuberant, inventive staging of Jane Austen’s classic novel follows the adventures (and misadventures) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne—after their sudden loss of fortune. Bursting with humor, emotion, and bold theatricality, Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility asks: when reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?Tickets from $25American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, (617) 547-8300, americanrepertorytheater.org
December 15, 16 & 17 (on display through January 7, 2018)We Just Fit, You and I at The Carpenter Center for the ArtsWe Just Fit, You and Ii is a group exhibition that probes the boundaries between bodies and architecture. Featuring Michelle Lopez, Sondra Perry, Pamela Rosenkranz, and Michael E. Smith, each artist looks to contemporary technology, unexpected material behavior, and architecture as primary means by which to re-articulate the human form.Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 15, 16 & 17 (on display through December 20)Blue: It’s More Than a Color at the Cambridge Art Association
For more than a decade, the Cambridge Art Association has hosted a fall exhibit, open to artists from across the Northeastern United States, centered around a single color. Both the success of the exhibit series, and the challenge to participating artists, lies in channeling the varied meanings of a color like BLUE. BLUE is more than a color. Past jurors for the BLUE Biennial include: Amy Sadao (Director, ICA Philadelphia); Howard Yezerski (Miller Yezerski Gallery); Carl Belz (Rose Art Museum); Jane Farver (MIT List Visual Arts Center); Nick Capasso (Fitchburg Art Museum).Cambridge Art Association, 25R Lowell Street, (617) 876-0246, cambridgeart.org
December 15, 16, 17 (on display through January 14, 2018)The Art of Drawing in the Early Dutch Golden Age, 1590–1630: Selected Works from the Abrams Collection at The Harvard Art Museum
After declaring its de facto independence from Habsburg Spain in 1581, the newly formed Dutch Republic became a laboratory for political and social reform. The republic was characterized by religious tolerance, a large urban middle class, and growing economic and military might. Amid these favorable conditions, an extremely vibrant artistic scene emerged, heralding the arrival of the Dutch Golden Age.
Harvard Art Museum, 32 Quincy Street, (617) 495-9400, harvardartmuseums.org
December 15, 16 & 17 (ongoing)Glass Flowers: The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of PlantsRotten Apples: Botanical Models of Diversity and DiseaseGlass Red Maple Leaves at The Harvard Museum of Natural History
One of the Harvard’s most famous treasures is the internationally acclaimed Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, the “Glass Flowers.” This unique collection of over 4,000 models, representing more than 830 plant species, was created by glass artisans Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, a father and son from Dresden, Germany. Carried to our shores by the earliest European colonists and first planted in Boston in 1625, the apple, Malus pumilla, is a New England dietary icon. One of the oldest fruit trees to be domesticated, this single species now encompasses thousands of distinct varieties worldwide. Not only do these apple varieties differ in look and taste, they also vary greatly in how they respond to pests and disease. Combining historic wax models with a series of exquisitely-crafted glass models made by Rudolf Blaschka, this small, special exhibit, located in the Glass Flowers gallery, reveals the astonishing diversity of apples and the surprising beauty of the fungal and bacterial infections that afflict these and other fruits.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, (617) 495-3045, hmnh.harvard.edu
December 15, 16 & 17 (on display through January 7, 2018)
Matt Keegan: Replicate at The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
Matt Keegan’s exhibition at the Carpenter Center continues his long-standing exploration of language, materials, and identity formation. Replicate, Keegan’s first institutional solo presentation in the US, includes his recent video, Generation (2016), alongside sculpture, and two new site specific commissions—a hanging textile and a cardboard-lattice work made in response to the Sert Gallery space.
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 15, 16 & 17(through December 27)The Christmas Revels: A Venetian Celebration of the Winter Solstice at Sanders Theatre
A holiday tradition for more than four decades, The Christmas Revels is a joyful theatrical celebration of the winter solstice that travels the world each year showcasing cultural traditions including music, dance, folktales and rituals. This year we explore the magical city of Venice! The Doge of Venice has had it. It is time for the solstice Feast of the Seven Fishes and everyone wants his opinion – merchants, lawyers, politicians, artists, even the fishwives want him to rule on who makes the best spaghetti putanesca. So he is going to take a little unauthorized vacation and meet some of his more lowly subjects. The wild adventures ahead involve reckless actors, jailbreaks, itinerant musicians, English Morris men and maybe even the Spanish Armada! A beloved holiday tradition since 1971, The Christmas Revels features luscious music, tricky sets and gorgeous costumes, superb musical guests, a tuneful, dancing chorus, some familiar Revels touchstones, and street kids who sing like angels. See you in Venezia this Christmas! $10 – $75
The Christmas Revels, Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, (617) 496-2222, revels.org
December 15, 16 & 17 (ongoing)
All the World Is Here at Harvard’s Peabody Museum and the Invention of American Anthropology
On April 22, 2017, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology celebrated its 150th anniversary year by opening All the World Is Here: Harvard’s Peabody Museum and the Invention of American Anthropology. Unveiled within a beautifully restored 4th floor gallery, this new exhibition features an astonishing array of over 600 objects from Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, many on display for the very first time. Together they are woven into a compelling narrative tracing the early history of the museum’s collections and the birth of American anthropology as envisioned and shaped by the museum’s second director Frederic W. Putnam.Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, (617) 496-1027, peabody.harvard.edu
December 15, 16 & 17 (on display until December 21)
2nd Annual Harvard Square Gingerbread Village – The Charles HotelSeason’s Greetings! The Harvard Square Business Association is delighted to announce the 2nd Annual Harvard Square Gingerbread Village. Creative and enchanting gingerbread houses created by Harvard Square businesses will be on display in the Charles Hotel lobby from December 9th – 21st. Would you like to have one of these festive displays on your holiday table? We will be selling raffle tickets that will benefit a Harvard Square charity. More information coming soon.harvardsquare.com
December 15, 16 & 17
It’s a Wonderful Life at The Brattle TheatreA Holiday Traditon! (1946) dir Frank Capra w/Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers [130 min; 35mm]Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a forlorn small-town banker with a serious case of regret who, while considering suicide, meets Clarence (Travers), an angel in training. Clarence shows George what life would be like if he had never been born, and through this George is able to realize how valuable one person’s life can be. This film, which offers one of the most memorable (and bittersweet) Christmas stories ever, is a wonderful reminder that life may not be what we expected but it is still sweet and rich. Forget about watching this classic film at home on TV, we’re showing it the way it was meant to be seen: on the Big Screen on real-live 35mm film!
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, (617) 876-6837, brattlefilm.org
December 16Santa Claus at The Coop! An Annual Harvard Square Tradition
It’s Time for our Annual Visit from Santa! This is a FREE event but registration is requested so we know how many children to expect and we can keep you and your child updated with e-mails from SANTA himself prior to the big day! ONE (1) ticket is required for EACH child attending. Do NOT order tickets for adults attending this event. The Coop is a Toys For Tots drop off location. This is a free event … please show your generosity and bring a new, unwrapped toy or book for Toys for Tots! Event will be held on the Lower Level of The Coop. Check In starts at 10:30 am, and the event starts at promptly 11:00 am. Your visit with Santa is first come first-served. Santa will hear wishes, and please remember to bring your own camera / phone / mobile device to capture your child’s photo with Santa! https://harvardcoop.eventbrite.com/Thank you for choosing to join us! Ho, Ho, Ho…….Santa and his Coop Elves!
The Harvard COOP, 1400 Massachusetts Avenue, (617) 499-2000, store.thecoop.comSANTA.JPG
December 16
Harvard Square Celebrates the Holidays
Join the Harvard Square Business Association as we celebrate the season in grand style. At 10am, the man of the month, Santa Claus will be riding his red sleigh (aka Jeep) through the Square as he makes his way to the Harvard COOP to meet kids of all ages (full details on the Harvard COOP website store.thecoop.com). From 11:30am – 1:30pm in the Pit, the Santa Claus’ Jazz Band and the Elf on Stilts will be performing. Stop by and enjoy some hot chocolate and treats in between shopping at Harvard Square’s unique stores and pop up holiday art fairs!
harvardsquare.com
December 16
White Christmas at The Harvard Film Archive
3pm Directed by Michael Curtiz. With Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
US 1954, 35mm, color, 60 min
Celebrate the holiday season with the Harvard Film Archive’s screening of one of the biggest box office hits in 1954, the Technicolor musical spectacle White Christmas. What could top the Oscar-winning Irving Berlin song; an all-star cast of Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen; costumes by Edith Head and direction by Michael Curtiz—famous for Casablanca, Mildred Pierce and Yankee Doodle Dandy? It’s Bob Fosse, the uncredited choreographer of Paramount’s first VistaVision musical, indisputably demonstrating that “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing.”
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 16
Lenny at The Harvard Film Archive
7pm Directed by Bob Fosse. With Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Jan MinerUS 1974, 35mm, b/w, 111 minFosse’s raw and immediate black-and-white film is a stunning portrait of his friend, the infamous 1960s stand-up comedian and iconoclast Lenny Bruce, persecuted in his time for his “obscene” and topical acts. Destroyed by show business and the legal system, Bruce was only celebrated after his death from a drug overdose. Like other Fosse films, Lenny is told in flashback to illustrate the insight gained from hindsight. It is also another Fosse statement on the theme of the stage as a forum for exposing the underbelly of life. Hoffman is brilliant in the role of Bruce, and Valerie Perrine—as Honey, the stripper with whom Bruce embarks on a tumultuous marriage—provides strong support.
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 16
Street Dogs, A Wilhelm Scream, Michael Kane and the Morning at The Sinclair Street Dogs “That the band is a full-time band. That whatever Street Dogs is doing, whether recording or playing live, we’re gonna give 110%. Always. But the thing I’d like to convey most through bio or anything is that this music has an honesty and earnestness to it. The lyrics are from legitimate life experiences The lyrics are from legitimate life experiences from the band members.”
The Sinclair, 52 Church Street, (617) 547-5200, sinclaircambridge.com
December 16
Star 80 at The Harvard Film Archive
9pm Directed by Bob Fosse. With Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts, Cliff RobertsonUS 1983, 35mm, color, 103 min
Partly factual, partly—for legal reasons—evasive, and always speculative, Fosse’s final film is his most explicit and grim meditation on the downside of fame and the violence perpetrated by machismo. The film deals with the meteoric rise to stardom of naïve girl-next-door type Dorothy Stratten, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 1980, who was murdered by her estranged and narcissistic husband-manager. Cliff Robertson is cannily believable as Hugh Hefner, symbol of the artificial world of Southern California glitz and glamour, while famed Swedish cameraman Sven Nykvist minimizes that world’s luster with his earth-toned cinematography.
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.ed
December 16
Jazz Brunch at Beat Brasserie
10am – 2pmBrunch at Beat Brasserie matches the perfect combination of amazing food and cocktails with and ultra-hip and cool jazz musicians. The best in Boston!Beat Brasserie, 13 Brattle Street, (617) 499-0001, beatbrasserie.com
December 16
Jen Kearney at Beat Brasserie
9:00 pm – 1 AM
Jen Kearney is a gifted singer who can belt out a song with the best of them. She puts a refreshing new spin on funk music, showing flashes of funk’s horn-drenched heyday in the ’70s.
Beat Brasserie, 13 Brattle Street, (617) 499-0001, beatbrasserie.com
December 16
Cage Match at OBERON
Pairs of AMOC artists from various disciplines face off against one another in three rounds of virtuosity. ROUND 1: Miranda Cuckson (“one of the most sensitive and electric interpreters of new music,” Downbeat) and Keir GoGwilt (Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts, Harvard ’13) in a spectacle of violin duets by Georg Friedrich Telemann, Franco Donatoni, and Christian Wolff ROUND 2: Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (winner of Plácido Domingo’s international competition Operalia in 2012) and dancer Zack Winokur (creator of La Calisto, “one of the most elegant and imaginative shows seen in New York [last] season,” Opera News) in Claudio Monteverdi’s Poppea ROUND 3: Pianists Matthew Aucoin (Crossing, Artist-in-Residence at Los Angeles Opera, Harvard ’12) and Conor Hanick (a pianist that “defies human description,” Concerto Net; “a true champion of contemporary music,” NPR) in two pieces for two pianos: John Adams’ classic Hallelujah Junction, and Aucoin’s recent piece, Finery ForgeTickets from $25
Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, (617) 496-8004, americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon
December 16
2001: A Space Odyssey at The Brattle Theater
at 6:30 PM
(1968) dir Stanley Kubrick w/Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood [149 min; 35mm]On the eve of its 50th anniversary next year, we celebrate Arthur C. Clarke’s 100th birthday with a special 35mm screening of this sci-fi classic.
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, (617) 876-6837, brattlefilm.org
December 16 (every Saturday evening)
The Donkey Show at OBERON
Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus’s celebrated smash hit The Donkey Show, brings you the ultimate disco experience—a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, of roller skaters and hustle queens inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Come party on the dance floor to all the 70s disco hits you know by heart as the show unfolds around you. After the show, the party continues into the night so you can live out your own fantasy of disco fever!Tickets from $25
Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, (617) 496-8004, americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon
December 16
Chamber Music with a Point of View at Longy School of Music
Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall, 8:00 pm
Join us for an evening of chamber music with a purpose presented by Longy students and the Neave Trio in collaboration with guest artist, Bing Lee, from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Experience three student-curated presentations exploring themes of love, humanity in crisis, and magical transformation. Through works by Shostakovich, Bernstein, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, and Piazzolla paired with multimedia art, you’ll get a unique insight into the performer’s point of view.
Longy, 27 Garden Street, (617) 876-0956, longy.edu
December 16 & 17
Lori McKenna, Sunny Sweeney opens at Passim
Lori McKenna’s first name is actually Lorraine. Now you know. She began performing her songs in public at age 27, after her and her husband Gene already had three children. She and Gene continue to maintain a happy home in Stoughton, Massachusetts, adding two more children to their full lives. In addition to family, place has an important role in Lori’s songs. She eventually became a staple of the Boston folk music scene, where she became friendly with Mary Gauthier. “We were the two old ladies in a sea of young faces,” she jokes. When Gauthier picked up and left for Nashville, she brought Lori’s music to the attention of her publisher. They got her music into the hands of Faith Hill, who fell hard for Lori’s songs. Hill recorded three of them for her album Fireflies. Lori’s way of articulating the love, pain and pathos of domestic life had a huge impact on Hill, and Hill’s very public championing of Lori’s music led other artists to Lori’s songs. Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Keith Urban and LeAnn Rimes are among the many that have recorded her songs in recent years.Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, (617) 492-7679, passim.org
December 17
21st Annual Ciclismo Classico Jingle Ride
What has 200 wheels and antlers? The Jingle Ride of course! The 21st Annual Ciclismo Classico Jingle Ride is one of the longest-running Boston holiday sporting events and certainly one of the most colorful. What started out as a simple and fun idea to bring some cycling magic to the holidays has evolved into an annual event that many come to year after year. For those who love a parade, love to sing, or who get a kick out of wearing antlers or a holiday costume, the Jingle Ride is a must for your holiday calendar. This year’s ride starts and ends at the Kickstand Café, the popular café in Arlington Center next to the Minuteman Bikeway. Registration begins at 10:15. They’ll provide some delicious hot beverages and pastries to fuel us up! The 22-mile ride (round-trip) follows the Minuteman Bikeway and then heads for Harvard Square, the Esplanade, Boston Common, and Newbury Street. The group makes occasional stops to sing carols for passersby, and enjoys bringing some unexpected holiday cheer to all who witness the group. The most-beloved stop is at Harvard Square, where the Harvard Square Business Association serves cookies and hot cocoa to the group – an especially welcome treat in chilly December! We also make an optional warm-up stop at the Menotomy Grill & Tavern just a mile from the ride’s end – come enjoy some free appetizers and more! It’s a parade, not a race – so if you have a bicycle, we’d love your holiday spirit along for the ride!Ciclismo Classico, ciclismoclassico.com/jingleride
December 17 (playing through January 7, 2018)
Charlotte’s Web at American Repertory Theater
Adapted by Joseph RobinetteBased on the story by E.B. WhiteDirected by Dmitry TroyanovskyOn the Arable family farm, a miracle is about to happen. In order to save young Wilbur from the butcher, Charlotte—a very special spider—hatches a plan to show the world how ‘radiant’ one pig can be in the eyes of a true friend. Adapted from E.B. White’s beloved children’s classic and directed by A.R.T. Institute alumnus Dmitry Troyanovsky (’00, James and the Giant Peach), Charlotte’s Web will feature graduate students from the A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training Class of 2018.
American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, (617) 547-8300, americanrepertorytheater.org
December 17 (and 20 and 21)
Club Drosselmeyer 1940 at OBERON
It’s 1940 and you’re on the list for the hottest nightclub in town: Club Drosselmeyer! Immersive theater meets escape room in this swingtime spectacular with performances, craft cocktails and plenty of dancing to our original swingtime version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite performed by a live 8-piece swing band. Some guests will choose to follow characters like Dr. Clara Stahlbaum, Rhett “the Rat” King or Project Nutcracker down the rabbit hole to discover secret backstories, mystery, intrigue and lots of puzzles. Others will dress to impress and spend an evening with the swell set of Boston. Join us for a fabulous evening of living, breathing, occasionally chaotic mystery and mayhem at Club Drosselmeyer!Tickets from $49Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, (617) 496-8004, americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon
December 17
Liz Tobias – Jazz Brunch Beats at Beat Brasserie
10:00 am – 2:00 PMTobias is a seasoned vocalist who has been recognized as a “breath of fresh air on the world jazz stage.” A unique mix of soul and sharp technique.Beat Brasserie, 13 Brattle Street, (617) 499-0001, beatbrasserie.com
December 17
My Sister Eileen at The Harvard Film Archive
7pm Directed by Richard Quine. With Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Betty GarrettUS 1955, DCP, color, 108 minArguably Richard Quine’s most delightful film, My Sister Eileen is a musical scored by Jule Styne and Leo Robin and based on the same source material as Comden and Green’s irresistible Broadway show Wonderful Town. The film follows two sisters from Ohio who are newly transplanted to Greenwich Village and struggling to find work and love in the big city. The first film for which Bob Fosse received screen credit as a choreographer, My Sister Eileen is also perhaps the film in which Fosse appears onscreen for the greatest amount of time. A welcome alternative to the somewhat more formal MGM musicals of the period, the film possesses a charm and intimacy of scale that remains as appealing today as it was at its first release.Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, (617) 495-3251, ccva.fas.harvard.edu
December 17
Samantha Fish Louie Fontaine and the Starlight Searchers at The Sinclair
After launching her recording career in 2009, Samantha Fish quickly established herself as a rising star in the contemporary blues world. Since then, the charismatic young singer-guitarist-songwriter has earned a reputation as a rising guitar hero and powerful live performer, while releasing a series of acclaimed albums that have shown her restless creative spirit consistently taking her in new and exciting musical directions.The Sinclair, 52 Church Street, (617) 547-5200, sinclaircambridge.com
December 17
Ceremony of Carols & Dancing Day at St. Paul’s ChurchBenjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols & John Rutter’s Dancing Day, performed by St. Paul’s Choristers & harp. $25-$35Saint Paul’s Choir School, 29 Mount Auburn Street, (617) 868-8658, saintpaulschoirschool.us