Category: Visual Arts

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• MLK Day: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org) will hold a free community celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes will lead a public discussion and mural project (starting at 11 a.m.; the community mural painting will start at noon and go through 4 p.m.), according to a Currier newsletter. Tours will meet in the lobby at 1 and 2 p.m., a reveal of the mural will be at 4 p.m. and there will be a screening of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the auditorium at 4:15 p.m., the newsletter said. The Currier will also be collecting new socks, comfortable clothing and personal hygiene items for Waypoint, according to the website.

• Also at the Currier: The Currier is slated to start a series of conversations over Zoom examining a piece of artwork from the museum’s collection and exhibitions on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. (with “Cityscape with Mill” by Tim Portlock). The free 30-minute program, geared to adults, runs Wednesdays at 1 p.m. The Wednesday, Jan. 18, focus is “Boy Holding Grapes and Hat” by Judith Leyster; on Wednesday, Jan. 25, the focus will be “Yellowave” by Jiha Moon from the exhibit “State of the Art 2020: Locate,” according to a museum newsletter. Registration is required and accepted until noon on the day of the event; see currier.org.

The Sky Within
The Concord Chorale will present “The Sky Within,” a concert celebrating the themes of sky, flight and letting go and showcasing musical styles including works by Brahms, Renaissance madrigals and contemporary works, on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. The concerts will take place at South Congregational Church (27 Pleasant St. in Concord) and the Sunday show will also be livestreamed. See concordchorale.org for tickets, which cost $20.

• Two actors, 19 roles: Kari Buckley and Maria Jung play 19 roles — including two best friends — in Is Edward Snowden Single?, a “volcanic comedy about pretty lies and ugly truths” at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org, 436-8123) Friday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 29. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $27 general admission, $24 for students and 65+.

• Mandy Patinkin: Tickets are still available for “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive” at the Capitol Center for the Arts (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40 through $95 (plus fees).

• Hitchcock comedy: The New Hampshire Theatre Project will present The 39 Steps, a comic riff on the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Friday, Jan. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 5, at the company’s 50-seat black box theater at 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth. The show, which is directed by Blair Hundertmark and stars Shawn Crapo and Courtney St. Gelais, will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 general admission, $26 for students, seniors and veterans. See nhtheatreproject.org.

Guys and Dolls
The Educational Theater Collaborative (based at Plymouth State University) will present Guys and Dolls at the Flying Monkey Performance Center (39 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com, 536-2551) Wednesday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 22. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $25.

• Be a jellicle cat: The Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for Cats: Young Actors Edition on Friday, Jan. 20, with sessions at 5, 6 and 7 p.m., according to a press release. “Expect to stay for your entire one-hour audition slot. You will learn a dance and be asked to sing after,” said the release, which instructed auditioners to come prepared to sing a short section of a song a cappella (musical theater or Disney preferred). The show will run at the Palace Theatre in Manchester Tuesday, March 7, through Wednesday, March 15. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with performer’s name, age and preferred time. The auditions will be held at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester).

• Looking for Wolves: Cue Zero Theatre Company will hold auditions for its April production of The Wolves, a gritty drama by Sarah DeLappe directed by Erin Downey, on Monday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem. All characters in the production are female/female presenting, according to the press release. Sign up for an audition slot at CZTheatre.com and those auditioning should prepare a one-minute dramatic monologue and be prepared to read sides on request; callbacks are Sunday, Feb. 5, the release said. Get information about the character breakdowns on the website.

• Camp Encore: The Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth has announced the dates and productions for its three multi-week summer camp sessions. Session 1, Theatre Creatures, will run three weeks, Monday, June 19, through Sunday, July 9, and feature Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids and The Aristicats Kids with public productions Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9 at 11 a.m. Session 2, Stage Folks, runs two weeks, Monday, July 10, through Sunday, July 23, with productions on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Sessions 1 and 2 are open to ages 7 to 17. Session 3, Prescott Teens (Teen Musical Theatre Intensive), runs two weeks, Monday, July 24, through Sunday, Aug. 6, with shows Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 11 a.m. See prescottpark.org for pricing, including sibling and multi-camp discounts, and to register.

Toy planes and model aircraft
The “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft” exhibit has been extended at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) through Sunday, Jan. 22, according to the museum’s newsletter. The exhibit features more than 2,000 aviation toys and models. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 per person ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65 and up; ages 5 and under and veterans and active military get in free, the release said.

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• New exhibit at Art 3: “Multi-Mediums,” an exhibit featuring works on canvas and panel, wall reliefs in ceramic and metal and sculptures in stone and wood, is open now at the Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650), according to a press release. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and a virtual exhibit should be available soon, the release said.

• Photo exhibit: The 23rd annual New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists Member Exhibit and Sale will open Saturday, Jan. 7, with a reception from noon to 4 p.m. at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (10 Front St. in Exeter), according to a press release. Some of the photographers with works in the exhibit will be on hand to answer questions, the release said. The exhibit will run through Sunday, Jan. 29, and the gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

The Society recently established a permanent studio space at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art in Concord that gives members access to studio lighting, printers and more. See nhspa.org for membership information.

• Sing! The Rockingham Choral Society will hold an open rehearsal on Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Exeter High School for its spring concert, which will feature works by Beethoven and Brahms, according to a press release. The group is open to singers age 16 and up and a brief placement audition for new members will take place at the end of the rehearsal; dues are waived for high school and college students, the release said. See rockinghamchoral.org.

• January at Gibson’s: Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several recently announced events on the January schedule. James T. McKim Jr. will be at the bookstore on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his book The Diversity Factor: Igniting Superior Organizational Performance; the event is free and no registration is required.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m, Honorable John T. Broderick Jr. (former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and current senior director of external affairs at Dartmouth Health) will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Backroads and Highways: My Journey to Discovery on Mental Health.

On Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. the bookstore will be part of a virtual event featuring author and director Joyce Chopra discussing her book Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond with journalist Annie Berke. See the store’s website for a link to the event page, where you can purchase a ticket/book bundle.

Save the date for Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. when Farzon A. Nahvi, MD, an ER physician at Concord Hospital, will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Code Gray, a memoir about his life in medicine.

New Art Show
“Beginnings,” the first group show at the art studio Girl from Mars (135 Route 101A in Amherst), is opening on Friday, Jan. 6, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Melissa Richard, the owner and chief artist at the studio, said she was excited to have 14 local artists showing 24 pieces of new work.

“Some are artists I knew; some I met through other galleries and shows along the way,” Richard said, adding that she’s “hoping to rotate between group and solo shows in the space.”

All of the artwork on display will be available for purchase either online at the gallery’s website or at the show. The show will run from Jan. 6 through the end of February. The Gallery’s hours are Thursday through Saturday by appointment. Visit marsartstudio.weebly.com.

• Book and film: Eva’s Promise, a documentary about Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss (whose mother married Anne Frank’s father after the war), will have its New England premiere at the Park Theatre (19 Main St. in Jaffrey; theparktheatre.org, 532-8888) on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. The film’s director (Steve McCarthy) and the producer (Susan Kerner) will attend the Sunday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. screening of the film and hold a discussion after the film that will include a special video message from Eva Schloss, according to a press release. When Eva and her brother Heinz Geiringer were put on a train to Auschwitz in 1944, Heinz, who was 17, told her that he’d hidden paintings and poetry he’d created in the family attic and asked her to retrieve them if he didn’t survive the war, the release said. Eva (who is 93 and lives in London) wrote a book, The Promise, in 2006, and signed copies will be available at the theater (as well as at Toadstool Bookshops), the release said. Tickets for the Sunday event cost $10 to $15; tickets for regular screenings cost $8 to $9. In addition to the Friday and Sunday screenings, the film will also screen Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Jan. 17, through Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.

• Jazz and classical: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will head to Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth with their “Up Close & Personal” chamber music and dinner series on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m. The PSO Brass quintet will explore the boundaries between jazz and classical music, according to a press release. The show will feature a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, music from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, selections from Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller and the score to George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, the release said. Tickets cost $90 per person and include the concert, appetizers, dinner and dessert, the release said. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. See portsmouthsymphony.org to purchase tickets.

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Join the Bee: The Palace Youth Theatre is holding auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for its upcoming Small Cast production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, according to a press release. Auditions will be held on Monday, Jan. 2, at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester) with rehearsals starting the second week of January for performances at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23, the release said. Performers will learn a dance and be expected to sing (come prepared to sing a short section of a song of your choice a cappella), the release said. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with the performer’s name, age and preferred audition time; if cast (not all who audition will be cast) there is a $125 production fee, the release said.

• An exhibit of printmaking: New Hampshire Art Association fine printmaker Kate Higley will have her work on display at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center (49 S. Main St., Suite 104, in Concord) Friday, Jan. 6, through Friday, March 3. The gallery hours are general Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Behind the Carol: The play Scene Changes will open at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) on Friday, Jan. 6. In the show, a traveling production of A Christmas Carol loses its Bob Cratchit when he gets ill in Burlington, Vermont, and the show has to hire a new actor when it comes to Concord, causing “a clash of wills,” according to the website, which also says that the play contains adult language. The show will run Friday, Jan. 6, through Sunday, Jan. 22 with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

Recycled Percussion
Recycled Percussion was slated to begin its 13-show run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Wednesday, Dec. 28. Tickets start at $37 for what’s billed as an all new show that “brings music, comedy and off the charts energy.” After opening night, the show will hit the stage Thursday, Dec. 29, through Sunday, Jan. 1, at 3 and 7 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 2, at 3 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m.

• Call for actors: The community theater group Nashua Theatre Guild will hold auditions for its spring show, Pandemonium, described as a “modern mythology mystery” according to a post on the Guild’s Facebook page, on Saturday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 8, at Broadway Bound (501 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack) from 1 to 4 p.m. on both days. The audition will be a cold reading, the post said. For more on the group, see nashuatheatreguild.org.

• More voices in theater: Theatre Kapow will continue its “Expanding the Canon” playreading circle focused on highlighting Black, Latinx, indigenous and global playwrights, according to tkapow.com. The event will be Sunday, Jan. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. over Zoom. Register on Kapow’s website.

• A Neil Simon: The Epping Community Theater (performance space is the Epping Playhouse, 38c Ladd’s Lane in Epping; eppingtheater.org) will present Neil Simon’s Rumors Friday, April 14, through Sunday, April 16, and is holding auditions Thursday, Jan. 19, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Watson Academy (17 Academy St. in Epping). Go online for signup information and a rundown of the characters.

•Teens on skates? Teen performers ages 14 to 18 can schedule in person (or virtual) auditions for the Peacock Players’ upcoming production of the musical Xanadu. Go to peacockplayers.org to schedule an audition for Sunday, Jan. 22, or Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. on either day at the 14 Court Street Theater in downtown Nashua. The production will run Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 21, with night performances Fridays and Saturdays and matinees Saturdays and Sundays.

• Next generation of theater: Registration is open now for the Peacock Players (peacockplayers.org) April vacation camp, which will run Monday, April 24, through Friday, April 28, at the Peacock Players space in downtown Nashua, 14 Court St. The camp runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for grades 1 through 8; tuition costs $350.

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Last-minute art shopping: The big craft fairs are finished for this holiday season but there are still some places to do some last-minute shopping for arts and fine crafts. (Call to confirm hours for Christmas Eve.)

The Craftworkers’ Guild Holiday Craft Fair continues its run through Thursday, Dec. 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (the address is 5 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford; see thecraftworkersguild.org).

Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 232-5597, 550arts.com) will hold its Handmade Holiday Market through Friday, Dec. 23 (closed Wednesday, Dec. 21) from noon to 8 p.m.

The “Winter 2022 Members Art Show” will run through Saturday, Dec. 24, and is open Thursdays through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Bates Building (846 Main St. in Contoocook) for Two Villages Art Society.

At Creative Ventures Fine Art (411 Nahua St. in Milford; creativeventuresfineart.com, 672-2500) “Small Works — Big Impact” is on display through Saturday, Dec. 31; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m; Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Studioverne Fine Art Fused Glass (412 Chestnut St. in Manchester; studioverne.com) is cohosting “The Art of Gifting Art” with Creative Framing Solutions through Saturday, Dec. 31. The studio is open Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 7 p.m.; Friday, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Expert Design Solutions (Ripano Stoneworks, 90 E. Hollis St., Nashua; nashuaarts.org) has its “Joyful Giving” exhibit on display through Jan. 29.

• One more Nutcracker: Get an extra serving of the classic ballet after Christmas when the New Hampshire School of Ballet presents The Nutcracker Suiteon Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 6 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Sunday, Dec. 27, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased via the Palace’s website. See nhschoolofballet.com for more on the school.

• Art with your coffee: If you stop for coffee (and a doughnut, or maybe two doughnuts) at Flight Coffee Co. (209 Route 101 West in Bedford; 836-6228, flightcoffeeco.com) check out the photographs by Jennifer Fishbein, the shop’s spotlighted artist for December. See jenniferfishbeinphotography.com to see more of Fishbein’s work, which often highlights landscapes and animals.

Know of an exhibit at a coffee shop, restaurant, bank or other location? Let us know at [email protected].

An evening with art
Take a break before the holiday weekend with the Currier Museum of Art’s “Art After Work” this Thursday, Dec. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. when admission to the museum (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) is free and you can enjoy live music as you check out the exhibits. The museum’s shop is also open (should you be in need of a last-minute gift). On Dec. 22, the scheduled performers are Kemp Harris & Adam O and the exhibit tours are “State of the Art 2020: Locate” (at 5:30 p.m.) and “Cold Snap: Winter in the Currier’s Collection” (6:30 p.m.). Current exhibits also include “Gee’s Bend Quilts” and “Memoirs of a Ghost Girlhood: A Black Girl’s Window.”

• Young actors auditions: Auditions for the Peacock Players production of Once Upon a Mattress Youth Edition will be Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan. 16 (from 6 to 8 p.m. on both days) for the March 17 through March 26 production of the show, according to peacockplayers.org. Auditions are open for ages 6 to 14 and will take place at 14 Court St. in Nashua. Online submissions are also welcome and due by 6 p.m. on Jan. 16, the website said. Go online to sign up for an audition time.

• Seymour in the summer: For those dreaming of warmer days, the Prescott Park Arts Festival has announced its summer 2023 musical —The Little Shop of Horrors. The show will open in the Portsmouth waterfront park on Friday, June 23, according to a press release. Virtual auditions for the musical are due Saturday, Feb. 4. Would-be Audreys and Audrey IIs can go to prescottpark.org/about/auditions for information.

Carol at the Palace
The Palace Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol wraps up with shows on Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $51. After the Christmas weekend, the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will return with one night of the Nutcracker (Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 6 p.m.) followed by Recycled Percussion’s run of shows from Wednesday, Dec. 28, through Saturday, Jan. 7.

• Save the date for Burns Night: Celebrate poet Robert Burns at the Burns Night event on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Castleton (58 Enterprise Drive in Windham) starting at 5 p.m. The event will feature such Burns Night traditions as the Salute to the Haggis and To the Lasses, according to a press release. The evening will also include a traditional Burns Night supper and the music of Celtic Beats and the New Hampshire Pipes and Drums (with Scottish country dancing). The event encourages attendees to BYO Quaich (a traditional drinking bowl) for the whisky toasts, which will be on sale at nhssa.org/burns-night, where you can also find tickets, which cost $70 per person.

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Still time for The Nutcracker: Manchester-based professional dance company Ballet Misha will present its production of The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 and 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester; anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities). The cast of more than 100 dancers includes professional dancers, apprentice company members and students from Dimensions in Dance, according to a press release. Tickets cost $34 and are available at balletmisha.com and in the lobby at the Dana.

• Christmas with Charlie: The Peacock Players will present A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua; peacockplayers.org) on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2, 4 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 and 4 p.m. Tickets for adults cost $15 and $18. Find more about this show, with its story familiar to Peanuts fans, in our story in last week’s issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story is on page 14 of the Dec. 8 issue.

• Make it yours: Calligraphy artist Adele Sanborn will add a name or word to a handmade ornament at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen; twiggsgallery.wordpress.com) on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. (which is also the final day of the Sleighbell Studio).

• More pops: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will perform two “Family Holiday Pops!” concerts this weekend: Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m., both at Portsmouth High School. The shows will have a family sing-along portion, according to a press release. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $15 for students, the release said. See portsmouthsymphony.org.

Celebrating Hanukkah
The first night of Hanukkah starts at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 18. The Chabad of New Hampshire will be lighting the menorah on the Statehouse lawn in Concord every night of the week at sundown. The first lighting ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. The Chabad is also having its annual Chanukah at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m. The performance will have a mentalist, a magician, live Hanukkah music and more. Tickets cost $18 for people ages 13 and older, $12 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children younger than 3. For more information or to buy tickets, visit palacetheatre.com.

Shop the arts markets

Before we get to the line-up of craft fairs and holiday markets this weekend, let’s take a quick look at a few of the arts shows with pieces made for gifting that are opening or closing in the next week:

• “The Holiday Small Works Show” at Main Street Art (75 Main St., Newfields) has two remaining gallery days: Wednesdays, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, from noon to 3 p.m. Visit mainstreetart.org.

• Sleighbell Studio is open at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen; twiggsgallery.wordpress.com) through Saturday, Dec. 17. The show has crafts and artworks for sale throughout the day at the Spriggs Shoppe, inside the gallery. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

• “SALON 2022” is on display now at Kimball Jenkins (266 Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932). The exhibit features small works in all media and runs through Saturday, Dec. 17. The gallery is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild Holiday Craft Fair continues its run through Thursday, Dec. 22 — open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the building at the bottom of the hill in the Bedford Library parking lot (the address is 5 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford). The fair is also open online; see thecraftworkersguild.org.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 232-5597, 550arts.com) will hold its Handmade Holiday Market Monday, Dec. 19, through Friday, Dec. 23 (closed Wednesday, Dec. 21). Studio 550 will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on the four days it’s open; items will include handmade mugs, bowls, ornaments, stained glass and more.

Craft fairs

This is the final weekend of those one- or two-day holiday craft fairs — at least for this season. Let me know about upcoming winter craft fairs and specialty pop-up markets at [email protected].

• Bazaar Craft Fairs will hold a Holiday Craft Fair at 10 Spruce St. in Nashua on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The fair will feature more than 40 crafters and vendors as well as sweets and raffles, according to a Facebook post for the event.

• The Santa’s Stocking Stuff Craft Fair takes play Saturday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Hilton in Nashua (2 Somerset Parkway). The fair features 75 vendors selling handmade jewelry, inlaid cutting boards, pet toys and portraits, holiday scented candles, and more. See joycescraftshows.com.

• The YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown (116 Goffstown Back Road) will wrap up its series of holiday markets on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with “It’s Sparkle Season” featuring winter apparel, accessories, decor and holiday cookies and treats, according to the Y’s Facebook post about the event.

• The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St. in Manchester; factoryonwillow.com) is hosting a Holiday Market on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. See the story on page 25 for details.

Two local productions bring holiday classics to the stage

By Mya Blanchard

[email protected]

Two Christmas classics will be brought to the stage this holiday season with the Majestic Theatre’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Peacock Players’ A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will run at the Derry Opera House from Friday, Dec. 9, through Sunday, Dec. 11, while A Charlie Brown Christmas is happening the following weekend at the Janice Streeter Theatre in Nashua from Friday, Dec. 16, through Sunday, Dec. 18.

Originally a book published in the 1970s by Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever puts a musical spin on a classic story.

“[The story] centers around the Bradley family, who is … a typical suburban churchgoing family … getting ready for the Christmas season. … The mother, Grace Bradley, ends up in charge of directing the church’s annual Christmas pageant,” said Katie Gifford, the director of the show. “The town bully children, [the Herdmans] … show up at church [and] demand to be a part of the Christmas pageant.”

This is something that Helen Armstrong, the usual director of the pageant, is very unhappy with.

“She’s quite the control freak. … She’s trying to control the whole show [from her hospital bed],” said Bethany Layne, who plays the part of Helen.

By the end of the play, Helen and the rest of the characters eventually come around to the Herdman children.

“The Herdmans put their own take on the classic Christmas story, which ends up being even more endearing than the traditional Christmas story,” Gifford said. “They’re the ones who end up teaching the town the true meaning of Christmas. It’s just a really heartwarming story.”

Peacock Players will bring Charles Schulz’s 1965 classic Christmas special to life with their production of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

“If anybody’s ever seen the holiday special, it’s basically just like that,” said Kendall Toupin, who plays the role of Snoopy. “At Peacock Players we are adding on the actual Christmas pageant [scene]. [Snoopy] gets to be all the animals in the Christmas play and that’s very exciting for him.”

Being a nostalgic classic that is sentimental to many, this is a show that is sure to spread holiday cheer and get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

“Audiences will love this show because it is just so wholesome,” Elle Millar, the show’s director, said in an email. “It has a lovely sense of nostalgia and warmth that is so fun for this season.”

Featured photo: From The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: Jonathan Kaplan as “Bob,” Suzy Denu as “Grace” and Gavin Abbott as “Charlie.” Photo by Matthew Morin.