Category: Featured Content

Gift Guide – A gift guide for hikers

Gear, good reads and great ideas for kids

By Dan Szczesny

While the cold season and its wind chills, frost and snow will certainly not be slowing down the winter hiker in your family or that crazy friend who takes midnight hikes up Mt. Washington, you can make their lives easier and maybe safer by stuffing their ragg wool stockings with some hiker gear over the holiday.

From books and maps to help navigate the White Mountains, to tough and warm gear to take on a frigid overnighter, to starter gifts for the tiny hiker in your croo, what follows is a brief overview of some (mostly) locally sourced gift items the John Muir in your family will enjoy.

Books: Because the first step is not getting lost

• New Hampshire’s 52 With a View: A Hiker’s Guideby Ken MacGray ($23.95, kenmacgray.org) Longtime hiker and guidebook writer Ken MacGray recently published the quintessential guidebook to what’s becoming one of the state’s most popular hiking lists, the “52 with a view.” The list is a collection of hikes to mountains around the state under 4,000 feet that offer spectacular views somewhere along the way. Some of the hikes on the list are family-friendly, others very difficult. But all of them get thoroughly analyzed in this guidebook that includes directions, mileage and a bit of history on each mountain.

• The 4,000-Footers of New Hampshire’s White Mountains by Steven D. Smith and Mike Dickerman ($24.95, bondcliffbooks.com) Mike Dickerman, the owner of Bondcliff Books in Littleton and a well-known mountain writer and hiker, just released a unique and beautiful photographic history of the White Mountains that any hiker would love to unwrap under their tree. The book features 200 vintage photos, historical background about the mountains and tourist sites and even an elevation list of the high mountains in our state.

• NH Rocks That Rock: An Adventure Guide to 25 Famous Boulders of the Granite State by Uma and Dan Szczesny ($12, dan-szczesny.square.site) Looking for some shorter hikes kids of all ages will enjoy? Six-year-old Uma Szczesny and her dad (full disclosure: that’s me!) have written an adventure guide to more than two dozen famous boulders scattered across New Hampshire. The book includes directions to all of these interesting glacial erratics, along with photographs, their history and GPS coordinates.

Family hikes

• Hiking field journals / mountain passports What better way to involve the kids in your family’s hikes and adventures than through journals and logbooks? From White Mountain passport books where you can stamp your adventures to simple blank field guides, your littlest hiker can draw and color about their hike like a mini Jane Goodall. Go for a blank field guide with a brightly colored cover from Elan Publishing (elanpublish.com), or, if you want some prompts for drawing and writing, the Nature Journal and Sketchbook for Kids from River Breeze (riverbreeze.com). The handy pocket-size White Mountain 4000-Footers Passport from The Mountain Wanderer (mountainwanderer.com, $20) has a peel-off stamp for each peak.

• White Mountain Cut Your Own Christmas Tree Program($5, recreation.gov/tree-permits) Want to bring part of the White Mountains into your living room for the holidays? For a $5 permit, the state will let you cut down and bring home your own Christmas tree from the Whites. They only offer one per family and as you can imagine there are rules about where you can go and how you can cut them, but there’s nothing like a family hike to bring back a tree.

• Keen Greta Waterproof Boots, plus Snowline Kids’ Traction Spikes (Approximately $80 for boots, $40 for spikes, most local retailers, prices vary) If your little hiker is going to help you find a tree, they need to protect their feet. We like the Keen Greta boots for comfort and ease to slip on. Over the top of that, pick up a pair of XXS Micro-Spikes and your mini hiker will have warm feet and sturdy footing!

Heavy-duty winter gear

• Burgeon Outdoors Flume Base Layer ($89 to $100, burgeonoutdoor.com) Hardcore hikers know warmth and safety start with a solid base layer. Lincoln, N.H., outdoor company Bergeon Outdoors is offering a Tencel and Spandex base layer top that was named best hiking shirt by Field and Stream. The company specializes in sustainable outdoor wear inspired by and designed in the White Mountains.

• The Nemo Quasar 3D Sleeping Pad ($129 to $249, nemoequipment.com) If you’re overnighting on snowpack, you’re going to need a tough and warm pad. We’re recommending Dover outfitter NEMO’s Quasar #D Sleeping Pad. Low weight, easy inflation completes the package. Rest easy!

Miscellaneous hiking gifts you didn’t know you needed

• Artwork from Kat Maus Haus Illustration and Design (katmaushaus.com) Artist Kat Maus has been illustrating amazing and unique scenes and landscapes from around New England for posters, book covers, stickers and greeting cards for years. One of her specialties is White Mountain scenes, everything from Mount Washington to the Cog Railway to mountaintop fire towers. Pick up a pack of White Mountain postcards for your favorite hiker’s stocking.

• New Hampshire State Park ornaments (newhampshirestateparks.reserveamerica.com) The state has teamed up with artist Lyn Collins of White Mountain Smile Makers to create a series of Christmas tree ornaments that commemorate several state parks, including Mt. Washington, Bear Brook and Franconia Notch. You may want to grab one now, though, so it’s on the tree when you’re opening your presents.

Featured photo: Field guide, hiking journal and the White Mountains 4000 Footer Passport. Courtesy photo.

Gift Guide – Creatively wrapped

Art, music and theater gifts for all ages

There are plenty of opportunities to shop locally for handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts this month. Some art galleries host special holiday exhibits focused on small and affordable works of art, with gift shopping in mind. Pop-up holiday arts markets and craft fairs have a little of everything, including photography, pottery, woodwork, textiles, jewelry, glass, metal, fine art, mixed media and more. New Hampshire also has a number of retail shops that sell items created by local artists and craftspeople.

“Buying handmade and local not only supports the local economy, and our neighbors’ livelihoods, but also presents an opportunity to gift unique, one-of-a-kind, heartfelt gifts that are so much more personal than things you may find in a bigger retail environment,” said Jessica Moores, owner of Manchester Craft Market.

Arts markets and craft fairs

• The annual holiday showcase at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen), “Sleighbell Studio,” is open now through Dec. 18, featuring a wide selection of fine art, jewelry, cards, books, honeys, soaps and more, all locally made and priced affordably for gift buying. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “Small Works —Big Impact,” the annual holiday exhibit at Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford), is going on now through Dec. 31, in person at the gallery and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• Two Villages Art Society (46 Main St., Contoocook) has its Holiday Art Show and Sale now through Dec. 23, featuring handmade gifts by more than 30 local artists, including paintings, pottery, mixed media, photography, fabric art and more. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Holiday Fair is open now through Dec. 23, with in-person shopping at the historic Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford), open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an online shop. The fair will feature seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, stained and fused glass, mixed media, jewelry and more by juried local artists and craftspeople. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• The Great Holiday Shopping Extravaganza is Friday, Dec. 10, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford). More than 80 local crafters and artisans will sell jewelry, scarves, home decor, woodwork, pottery, metal art and more. Visit hampshirehills.com.

• The Holly Jolly Craft Fair takes place at DoubleTree Hotel (2 Somerset Parkway, Nashua) on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 80 exhibitors will sell jewelry, wreaths, metal art, pottery, children’s items, candles, scarves and more. Admission costs $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and is free for kids under age 16. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The New Hampshire Audubon hosts its Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord). A number of local artists will show and sell their work, including jewelry, pottery, nature photography, greeting cards, quilted items and more. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• The Artisan Market at The Cider Mill Gallery (24 Francestown Road, New Boston) is going on now through Dec. 24, open Friday through Sunday, and, for last-minute gift shopping, Monday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., each day. Call 487-5522 or visit eileenbelanger.com.

Handmade gift shops

• Creative Vibes (2 Pauls Way, Amherst, 557-2457, creativevibesnh.com, open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• Currier Museum of Art gift shop (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org, open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (nhcrafts.org)

• Concord (36 N. Main St., 228-8171, open Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Hooksett (530 W. River Road, 210-5181, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Nashua (98 Main St., 595-8233, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday)

• Meredith (279 Daniel Webster Hwy., 279-7920, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.)

Locally Made

• Salem (99 Rockingham Blvd., Salem, 890-7141, locallyhandmadesalemnh.com, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.)

• Merrimack (80 Premium Outlets Blvd., Merrimack, 377-7610, facebook.com/LHMerrimackNH, open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Manchester Craft Market (Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com, open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.)

• Spriggs Shoppe (Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen, 975-0015, twiggsgallery.wordpress.com, open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.)

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.)

• Wild Little Art Shop (Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com, open Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 23.)

Performance venues

For the theater-lover in your life, consider tickets to an upcoming show that you know they would like.

“Giving the gift of theater and allowing someone to have a night out and away from the daily grind of life is a great thing,” said Robert Dionne, artistic director for The Majestic Theatre, a theater company based in Manchester.

Or let the recipient choose a show themselves with a gift certificate for a local entertainment venue.

“Entertainment is a great gift because it’s providing an experience that is always unique, and it’s a flexible option that can satisfy the tastes of any recipient,” said Dan Darling, executive director of the Franklin Opera House.

• Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., and Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com)

• Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin, 934-1901, franklinoperahouse.org)

• Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2315, hatboxnh.com)

• Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org)

• The Music Hall (Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., and Loft, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org)

Art classes/workshops

Give the gift of knowledge to an aspiring artist, actor or musician with a gift certificate for a local art studio, theater program or music school, which they can use for workshops or classes to improve their craft.

“Perhaps someone played an instrument many years ago and has been wanting to pick it up again,” said Dionne, who is also the administrator at Ted Herbert Music School in Manchester. “Our teachers [work with] all ages, abilities, and musical styles. Whether you are learning for fun or to further a music career, we are here to lead you in the direction you wish.”

• AR Workshop Manchester (875 Elm St., Manchester, 573-9662, arworkshop.com/manchester) Offers DIY workshops for creating custom wood signs, canvas pillows, centerpiece boxes, canvas tote bags and more.

• Currier Museum of Art, Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) Offers seasonal weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media.

• Kimball-Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) Offers weekly classes, master classes and one-day workshops for kids and adults in all kinds of media.

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries (98 Main St., Nashua, 595-8233; 279 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-7920, nhcrafts.org) Offer weekly classes and one-day workshops for a variety of crafts.

• Muse Paintbar (42 Hanover St., Manchester, muse paintbar.com) Offers paint-and-sip workshops and step-by-step painting workshops for families.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) Offers classes and workshops for all ages and experience levels in pottery, clay, painting, stained glass and more.

• Time to Clay (228 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, timetoclay.com) Offers pottery workshops for all ages.

• The Voice of Clay (16 Meetinghouse Hill Road, Brookline, 672-2626, voiceofclay.com) Offers pottery classes for all ages and experience levels.

• You’re Fired (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, No. 101, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; 204-5559; yourefirednh.com) Offers open studio times and materials for pottery and mosaic projects.

• The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 913-9217, thecanvasroadshow.com) Offers DIY workshops for creating custom wood signs, canvas paintings, sea glass art and more.

• Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com) Offers a variety of art classes and workshops for all ages.

Music and performing arts classes/workshops

• Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org)

• The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net)

• Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org)

• Manchester Music Mill (329 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8022, manchestermusicmill.com)

• Nashua Community Music School (5 Pine St. Ext., Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org)

• New Hampshire Theatre Project (West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St., No. 3, Portsmouth, 431-6644, nhtheatreproject.org)

• NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., No. 2017, Manchester, 660-2208, nhtunes.biz)

• Ted Herbert Music School (922 Elm St., Manchester, 669-9191, tedherbert.com)

• The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com)

Featured Photo: Shop handmade gifts at The Craftworkers’ Guild’s holiday fair. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/12/09

Covid-19 update As of Nov 29 As of Dec 6
Total cases statewide 160,287 169,219
Total current infections statewide 7,078 9,671
Total deaths statewide 1,694 1,744
New cases 9,474 (Nov. 20 to Nov. 29) 8,932 (Nov. 30 to Dec. 6
Current infections: Hillsborough County 2,124 2,436 (as of Dec. 3)
Current infections: Merrimack County 751 923 (as of Dec. 3)
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,251 1,580 (as of Dec. 3)
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Nov. 30, Gov. Chris Sununu reported that New Hampshire saw a 43 percent increase in hospitalizations due to Covid-19 just in the last two weeks. A total of 433 active hospitalizations were reported on Dec. 6, a new all-time high.

State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan also gave brief remarks during the press conference about the emergence of the Omicron variant, which was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on Nov. 24. Although the strain has not yet been identified in New Hampshire as of Dec. 6, it has been detected in at least 15 U.S. states, according to the CDC, including in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. “Because of the number and the types of mutations that are seen with this new strain, it’s predicted that this new variant … will be more infectious and possibly evade a person’s immune defense system,” Chan said. “It highlights the importance for everybody who is eligible to be vaccinated and to continue to take precautions.”

About 10,000 Granite Staters are scheduled to receive their booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 11, across more than 20 pop-up community sites statewide. As of Dec. 6, appointments are full at every site except for the Brown Elementary School in Berlin, but booster doses can still be scheduled at participating local pharmacies or doctor’s offices in the coming weeks. Go to vaccines.nh.gov to make an appointment and check availability.

NH HWCA

NH Healthcare Workers for Climate Action, which is open to all clinical and non-clinical health care workers, officially launched with an event on Dec. 4, promoting its mission to increase awareness and knowledge of the impact of climate on health among health care workers. According to a press release, the members of this grassroots nonprofit organization will get support and tools to “educate and activate colleagues, patients and family members, community members and policy makers in support of climate solutions to improve the health of all, particularly the most vulnerable among us.” The group’s first direct action was sending a letter — signed by 19 health care associations and almost 600 New Hampshire health care workers — to the state’s elected officials about the science behind the impact of climate on physical and mental health and stressing the need for urgent action.

Roadside parking

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is reminding hikers, skiers, snowmobilers and other backcountry users that anyone who leaves a vehicle on the side of the road unattended may be risking having their vehicle towed. According to a press release, the DOT and contract plow drivers often work in low-visibility conditions, making it hard to see vehicles on the side of the road. This puts people in the vehicles at risk and delays snow removal operations due to needed repairs or replacement of the plow equipment. When a vehicle impacts snow removal, police will be called to check on it and determine what action is taken, which may include a ticket or the vehicle being towed, the release said.

Free ride

For the rest of December, all stops along Manchester Transit Authority’s Route 8 will be offered free of charge. According to a press release, this tradition began during the holiday season in 2018. The Route 8 service starts at 5:30 a.m., and the last return to downtown Manchester is 6:25 p.m. It offers 30-minute frequency, eight times a day on the hour from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the release. It makes 13 regular loop stops: the Downtown Manchester Doubletree Hotel, Michaels/Burlington Coat Factory Plaza on South Willow Street, Walmart on Gold Street, the Mall of New Hampshire, South Willow Street and downtown Manchester. MTA is encouraging people to use its app, RouteShout 2.0, to get bus arrival time and bus location in real time.

Michelle Xiggoros of Concord and Catherine McArthur of Pelham won $5,000 during the Dec. 2 Double Diamond Spectacular second-chance drawing at the Filotimo Casino & Restaurant in Manchester, according to a press release. The big prize — $1 million — went to Maine resident Beatrice Paisley, and the other two semifinalists each won $1,000. All players who claimed a $1,000 prize from the $20 Double Diamond Spectacular scratch ticket were eligible to enter the semifinalist drawing, the release said.

It seems Queen City residents really like their lights! On Dec. 6, the Manchester Transit Authority added four new times for its free holiday lights Trolley Tours — and as with the first announcement, those time slots were filled within hours. “We saw an overwhelming response,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in a press release. “I’m so grateful to everyone at MTA who worked to double the amount of tours families can take to see the holiday lights displays across Manchester.”

The United Way of Greater Nashua will be presenting gifts of gratitude to St. Joseph Hospital and Southern New Hampshire Health on Dec. 10, according to a press release. The gifts are tokens of appreciation for the work being done by community health care workers and will include gift cards, hand-written greeting cards and artwork designed by students from Nashua schools.

Intergenerational ties

I find being one of my family’s elders a bit unsettling. Sure, I already embraced the gray hair. But until this year I always had someone more experienced with whom to discuss parenting, career, home ownership, the news, family history, my dreams. We didn’t necessarily think alike, but my parents and in-laws listened and shared their stories.

One thing my mother-in-law taught me was how to cook the family’s favorite Lebanese dishes. You might think she learned the recipes growing up, but her family was Portuguese, not Lebanese. Like me, she learned how to make “kibbeh” and “fatayer” after marrying into the tribe. “Kibbeh is meatloaf,” she said, “only nicer.” It’s made with ground lamb, bulgur, pine nuts and allspice. My husband and his brothers like to prove their heritage by eating their kibbeh “nayee” (raw) and telling the rest of us we’re wimps for preferring it “sineyee” (baked). Before baking, you drizzle olive oil over the loaf, draw criss-crossed lines on the surface, and poke a deep hole in the middle with your finger. When I asked why, my mother-in-law said, “Because my mother-in-law did.”

I cherish the morsels of culture that I got from my in-laws, as well as those from my own Scottish-English parents. During the pandemic, I contemplated learning to play a bagpipe, but that is a particularly inappropriate instrument to take up when family members are working at home. I content myself with humming the Skye Boat Song and being able to recognize MacDonald tartans at the Highland Games. What I really value, though, is the feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves.

You don’t have to be related to get the benefits of intergenerational relationships. For older people, they include a sense of purpose and self-esteem. For younger people, they can provide mentorship, opportunities for meaningful service, and increased perspective and empathy. Studies show both generations are happier and more hopeful. People are now exploring how to move from the separatist practices of the last 30 years — like 55+ housing developments — to intergenerational collaborations such as residences for “grandfamilies” and community reading programs. Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D., writing in Forbes, discusses inventive organizations such as Generations United and Seniors4Seniors. In New Hampshire, AARP age-friendly communities are re-thinking everything from health to transportation, including zoning changes that could help with one of the most significant issues for young people and businesses: workforce housing.

As my family comes together for the holidays, I hope to keep both the old traditions and the sharing of new ideas alive. Baking fatayer — doughy, little, tri-cornered meat pies oozing a creamy yogurt sauce — ought to help.

Holiday magnetism

Christmas at The Rex with Morgan James

From her debut album, a live tribute to Nina Simone, to recreating Joni Mitchell’s iconic Blue track by track a few years back, Morgan James relishes a challenge. Her guiding lights are interpreters like Simone and Aretha Franklin, who “get a hold of a song, and the original goes out the window,” she said in a recent phone interview.

In 2019 James set out to make a throwback soul record with vintage equipment, backing from a rhythm section used by Al Green, and a bevy of veteran session players. Named for the studio where it was recorded, Memphis Magnetic is an R&B celebration. Alas, it came out weeks before the pandemic hit, so a planned supporting tour had to be scrapped.

She responded by returning to Memphis to make the live-in-the-studio A Very Magnetic Christmas. Incredibly, it’s even more soulful than its predecessor, with skillfully curated nuggets like William Bell’s “Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday” and “Backdoor Santa,” the latter unearthed from the 1968 Atco Records holiday compilation Soul Christmas, along with some seasonal standards and a few winning originals.

The Clarence Carter track about a Santa with more on his mind than gift-giving — “I make all the little girls happy while the boys are out to play” goes the chorus — was memorably sampled in 1987 by Run-DMC for its “Christmas in Hollis” and is a standout track on an album already packed with them.

“I do straight-up classics like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘O Holy Night,’ of course,” James said, “but I wanted to do a couple that people might not expect me to sing. I think that song turned out so great. It’s so fun to sing, and it’s so funky; we had the best time making that.”

James and husband guitarist-producer Doug Wamble co-wrote “Long As I Got You,” which she called “a little love song about winter,” adding, “when people are complaining about the weather, we’re not … we love being cozy.” Another delight from the couple is the bouncy “I Wanna Know,” which echoes Natalie Cole’s hit “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).”

Idaho-born and California-raised, James set her sights on New York City after high school. She applied to Juilliard and was initially declined, but kept at it, eventually persuading the prestigious school to open up an extra vocalist slot for her.

“It tells you all you need to know about my personality,” James said with a laugh. “I’m very stubborn, and if I have a vision for something I don’t really take no for an answer.”

Later she performed on Broadway, notably playing Teena Marie in The Motown Show, where she caught the attention of Berry Gordy Jr. He became her mentor and helped guide her to a major-label deal with Epic Records.

“He really encouraged me to write and have a stake in my own music,” James said. “The best advice he ever gave was he reminded me to always do my best work and always go with my vision, whether or not I’m reaping benefits from it. One day he said to me, ‘You know, Morgan, a star is a star even when it’s light out. When the sun goes down, we can see the stars, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there in the daytime. You are a star all the time, so act like a star.’”

James’s Magnetic Christmas tour stops in Manchester on Dec. 4 for a show at the Rex Theatre. How does she feel about being back on the road after a two-year break?

“We are getting all our ducks in a row, and there’s a lot to think about,” James said. “We’re going to have to get used to the lifestyle again [but] we’re so excited to see everybody, and play music, and be in a different city every day. We start the day after Thanksgiving, and go all the way up until Christmas. It’s going to be so joyful and celebratory; that’s what we want from the shows.”

Morgan James – A Very Magnetic Christmas

When: Saturday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester
Tickets: $25 and up at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Morgan James. Courtesy photo.

House of Gucci (R)

House of Gucci (R)

The family behind the Gucci fashion company faces scandal and murder in the 1980s and 1990s in House of Gucci, a movie that doesn’t live up to the promise of its trailer.

The trailer is great, buzzy, maybe just this side of camp, and gives you many of the best lines and displays the “all in” performance by Lady Gaga. The movie — really gave me an appreciation of whoever cut the trailer.

The movie starts in the 1970s, I think, with Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) meeting Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), a law student whose father, Rudolfo (Jeremy Irons), owns half of Gucci along with his brother Aldo (Al Pacino). Maurizio has grown up wealthy but otherwise doesn’t seem involved in Gucci. When Patrizia fails to make a good impression with Rudolfo, Maurizio breaks away from his father (and his money). He goes to live with Patrizia’s family, working for her father’s trucking company, and the two get married.

When Aldo calls Maurizio to congratulate him on his wedding, Patrizia sees an opening to get Maurizio back into the family fold — and possibly to connect with some of that Gucci wealth. Maurizio isn’t entirely comfortable with how Patrizia advises him to play Aldo and his son, Paolo (Jared Leto under so very much makeup), against each other but he seems OK taking advantage of the outcomes, which are more wealth and power in the family business. But the more Patrizia pushes, the more Maurizio seems to grow disenchanted with her.

This movie has some real “but why?” casting (Leto, definitely, but also Irons and Pacino) and some Joey Tribbiani School of Italian Accents accent-work. But Lady Gaga is giving 110 percent all the time, swinging at every pitch, throwing lots of stuff against the wall to see what sticks — all the cliches for just absolutely diving into this thing whether it’s any good or not. I don’t know that the result is a great performance but she’s great to watch. The movie is significantly less interesting when she’s not on screen. I don’t think the story does a particularly great job of making Patrizia into a fleshed out human and not just a cartoon but I think Gaga’s performance does paint a more complex — or at least just compelling — character.

House of Gucci had me thinking about two TV shows. One is Succession, for the way I didn’t actually root for any of the characters. They all seem unlikable, dangerously selfish and the kind of people you’d just generally steer clear of (as portrayed in this movie, I know basically nothing about the real life Guccis). But that’s fine — the way this movie is built, I didn’t find myself needing a hero and got some good soap opera entertainment watching these screw-ups betray each other. If anything, this movie needed to lean in to the jerkishness of these characters more.

The other TV property is the Ryan Murphy-verse of American Crime Story — a series with reenactments of big public crimes and scandals (or Feud, with its focus on golden age of Hollywood gossip). I’ll admit, I’ve probably read more recaps of these shows than I have actually watched them but I found myself wondering why this project didn’t go that route. It would seem to have all the sudsy elements — business machinations, family betrayals, a rocky marriage — to sustain some six to eight episodes. Here, storylines feel like they are being truncated — Paolo and Aldo spend the last hour or more separated from the Patrizia/Maurizio action — even though the movie is more than two and a half hours long (and feels it).

I’m not sorry I watched House of Gucci, particularly for everything to do with Lady Gaga (her character’s so-of-the-times hair, her wonderful glamorous-tacky wardrobe). I kept waiting for the movie to really take off, really go for the moon with its general craziness, but it frequently felt bogged down. Lady Gaga and the trailer are a solid B+, everything is maybe generously a B-.

Rated R for language, some sexual content, and brief nudity and violence, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Ridley Scott with a screenplay by Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna (based on a book by Sara Gay Forden), House of Gucci is two hours and 38 minutes long and distributed in theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.

Belfast (PG-13)

Belfast of 1969 is seen through the eyes of a young boy in Belfast, a semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Kenneth Branagh.

The opening scene is an encapsulation of Buddy’s (Jude Hill) life in 1969: he’s a young boy — young enough to be learning multiplication tables, old enough to have a crush on the girl who is often the head of the class — whom we meet playing knights with a homemade sword and a trash can lid as a shield. He’s called home by his mother (Caitríona Balfe), a call that is repeated down the street by neighbors and cousins and a slew of people that have known the family as long as any of them can remember. Heading home in the middle of this busy street full of friendly hellos, Buddy suddenly finds himself stuck between two quickly approaching gangs about to battle and riot. His mother rushes out to grab him, using his shield to protect them both from thrown rocks, and then pushes Buddy and his older brother Will (Lewis McAskie) under the table in their home as she crouches by the window watching the chaos outside. This neighborhood, as we learn, is a mix of Catholics and Protestants, and has lived peacefully, but now there are barricades, soldiers and a local gang that is pressuring Catholics to move out and Protestants (like Buddy’s family) to become active in their cause.

Buddy’s dad (Jamie Dornan) is eager to keep himself and his boys, particularly teen Will, out of all this and to try to exist in peace. But this task is harder because he is only home every other weekend, spending most of his time in England, where he works in construction. He sees no good future for the family in Belfast and wants them to move to England. Buddy’s mother, meanwhile, doesn’t want to leave everyone and everything she’s ever known and the community that she feels cares for and supports her boys.

We see all of this from a kid’s perspective, both figuratively (the attempts to talk to the girl he has a crush on are at least as important to Buddy as the social unrest) and literally, as many scenes show us the world (predominately in black and white) from Buddy’s height or peering-around-a-corner location. It works as a way to tell this story and helps to put us in Buddy’s situation — terrifying things are happening but this is also a rosy memory about childhood.

This also allows us to see Buddy’s story without always putting all the weight of a scene on child actor Jude Hill. The movie gives us a nice balance of Hill’s genuinely strong performance with the performances of the grownups around him, including his grandparents, played by Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds. We get to see a slice of the prickly relationship between his parents, Dornan and Balfe, but we don’t know their whole story, in the way we seldom really know the story of our own parents’ relationship, particularly during our childhood.

I suppose I could quibble with some of the choices the movie makes with its use of black and white and occasional color (which appear when the family is watching a movie or live theater — a hint maybe that we’re seeing young Kenneth Branagh experience the world of acting), or its occasionally overwhelming, Van Morrison-heavy soundtrack. But these elements weren’t really flaws. This movie is fairly immaculately crafted, with the kind of compelling specificity that comes with someone telling their story. A

Rated PG-13 for some violence and strong language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, Belfast is an hour and 38 minutes long and distributed by Focus Features in theaters.

FILM

Venues

AMC Londonderry
16 Orchard View Dr., Londonderry
amctheatres.com

Bank of NH Stage in Concord
16 S. Main St., Concord
225-1111, banknhstage.com

Capitol Center for the Arts
44 S. Main St., Concord
225-1111, ccanh.com

Cinemark Rockingham Park 12
15 Mall Road, Salem

Chunky’s Cinema Pub
707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com

Dana Center
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Dr., Manchester, anselm.edu

Fathom Events
Fathomevents.com

The Flying Monkey
39 Main St., Plymouth
536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com

LaBelle Winery
345 Route 101, Amherst
672-9898, labellewinery.com

The Music Hall
28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth
436-2400, themusichall.org

O’neil Cinemas
24 Calef Hwy., Epping
679-3529, oneilcinemas.com

Red River Theatres
11 S. Main St., Concord
224-4600, redrivertheatres.org

Regal Fox Run Stadium 15
45 Gosling Road, Newington
regmovies.com

Rex Theatre
23 Amherst St., Manchester
668-5588, palacetheatre.org

The Strand
20 Third St., Dover
343-1899, thestranddover.com

Wilton Town Hall Theatre
40 Main St., Wilton
wiltontownhalltheatre.com, 654-3456

Shows

• House of Gucci (R, 2021) screening at Red River Theatres in Concord on Thursday, Dec. 2, and Thursday, Dec. 9, at 3:30 & 7 p.m. (vaccinated guests) as well as Friday, Dec. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 4, at noon, 3:30 and 7 p.m.

• Belfast (PG-13, 2021) screening at Red River Theatres in Concord on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 3:30 & 7 p.m. (vaccinated guests) as well as Friday, Dec. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 5, at 1, 4 & 7 p.m.

• 21+ “Christmas Vacation Ugly Sweater Party” will be held on Thursday, Dec. 2, at all Chunky’s locations. The event will start at 7 p.m. in Manchester and Pelham and 8 p.m. in Nashua. The PG-13 1989 movie will screen during the event, where people who wear ugly Christmas sweaters get extra prizes. Tickets cost $5.99. (Take notes — there will be a 21+ Christmas Vacation trivia night on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Manchester.)

• The Metropolitan Opera Live — Eurydice Saturday, Dec. 4, 12:55 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord. Tickets cost $26.

• Gremlins (PG, 1984) will screen at Regal Fox Run on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $5.

• National Theatre Live The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time A broadcast of a play from London’s National Theatre, screening at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 ($12 for students).

• Elf (PG, 2003) A family-friendly screening will happen Wednesday, Dec. 8, at all three Chunky’s locations — 6 p.m. in Manchester and 7 p.m. in Pelham and Nashua. On Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. at all three locations there will be a 21+ Elf screening.

Featured photo: House of Gucci. Courtesy photo.

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