See Santa Claus at Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) for a socially distanced visit on Saturday, Dec. 5, from noon to 2 p.m., featuring photo opportunities, free gifts and more. Visit nashuanh.gov.
Join the YMCA of Greater Londonderry (206 Rockingham Road, Londonderry) for its annual Great Candy Cane Hunt on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Santa Claus will hide hundreds of candy canes around the YMCA for you to look for during the event. Start by receiving your candy cane hunt bag at the check-in table, then venture to the field for the hunt. Santa will also be there for socially distanced photo opportunities. This year there will be groups of 32 people per 30-minute time slot to help with social distancing (bring your own flashlight). Masks or face coverings are required for all participants. Visit graniteymca.org.
Chunky’s Cinema & Pub’s Manchester location (708 Huse Road) will convert a theater to an evening of family-friendly candy Bingo on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m., featuring movie theater-sized candy boxes as prizes and the big screen as a bingo board. Tickets of $4.99 per person will get you a box of Chunky’s theater candy that you’ll turn in to get your bingo cards. Once all the candy is collected, Chunky’s staff will divide it up and start playing the rounds. Visit chunkys.com.
The Derry Public Library will host a virtual holiday gift making workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 4 to 5 p.m. The library will post tutorials for Sharpie mugs, hot chocolate kits and gift bags on its Facebook and YouTube pages. Register in advance to pick up a Take It and Make It bag in the library’s lobby. If registration is full, you can still complete the projects with materials at home. Visit derrypl.org.
Join the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester) for a virtual Polar Express bedtime event on Wednesday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 7 p.m. Goodie bags with treats and crafts are now available for curbside pickup. The virtual program will include Christmas carol sing-alongs and demonstrations on how to make the crafts found in the goodie bags. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us.
Stellar!
Have a Super Stellar Friday with a virtual program from the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord), on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. This month, learn about Nor’easters, including what they are, how they form and how they impact us. This event is free, but registration is required at starhop.com.
Featured photo: The Polar Express. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Beatles animator Ron Campbell. Photo by Alex Lowy Photography.
• Virtual art shop: The Picker Artists, an artist co-op in Nashua, is having a virtual holiday sale now through Nov. 30. The online shop features a wide variety of art and crafts, including jewelry, photography, quilting, pottery, stained glass, paintings, collage, prints, 3D art and more. There’s a 20-percent discount on most items priced above $50 with the use of a promo code, according to the website. Orders can be picked up at the Picker Artists building (3 Pine St.), either by going inside (masks required) or by calling to request that they be brought out to your car. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Monday by appointment or by chance. Visit shoppickerartists.com or call 930-5080.
• A final look at Manchester’s ponds: Catch “Manchester’s Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future: A Celebration of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program’s 20th Anniversary,” on display in the Millyard Museum’s (200 Bedford St., Manchester) State Theater Gallery, before it closes on Nov. 28. Through its cleanup efforts, the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program has helped restore the city’s ponds to their historic uses. “Although ponds may not be the first thing one thinks about in Manchester, the Queen City has several ponds that have played an important role in the area’s history,” program coordinator Jen Drociak said in an email. The exhibit provides a look at the history of some of those ponds, including Crystal Lake, Dorrs Pond, Maxwell Pond, Nutts Pond, Pine Island Pond and Stevens Pond. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18, and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.
• Beatles animation: Ron Campbell, animator of Yellow Submarine and director of Saturday Morning Beatles Cartoon, is coming to Creative Framing Solutions (89 Hanover St., Manchester) to exhibit, sell and discuss his original cartoon paintings of The Beatles and other works from his 50-year career in animation, including Scooby-Doo, Smurfs, Rugrats and more. He’ll be there on Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 5, from noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 4 p.m. Campbell will also paint original remarques of any one of his cartoon characters onsite for customers who purchase his artwork. The event is free and open to the public. According to a press release, RSVPs are “strongly recommended” as “the demand for meeting Ron Campbell is expected to be great.” Private viewings are available by appointment. Masks are required. Call 320-5988 or visit creativeframingsolutions.com.
• An unlikely angel: Manchester author Nathan Graziano just released a new novella, his ninth full-length book of prose and poetry. Fly Like The Seagull follows The Seagull, a polymorph and modern angel modeled after actor Steven Seagal, who is sent to bring a new mythology and revive faith in the faithless fictional town of Northboro. “Fly Like The Seagull peels back the good, the bad and the ugly and takes a big, juicy bite along the way as [Graziano] navigates the reader through the underbelly of a modern life,” Rob Azevdeo, fellow local author and host of the radio show Granite State of Mind, said of the book in a press release. Visit nathangraziano.com.
• Prestigious exhibit winners announced: The New Hampshire Art Association has announced the Award Winners of its 21st annual Joan L. Dunfey Exhibition, titled “Intrinsic Moments.” First place was awarded to Jacqueline Harrington for her art piece “Dreaming of My Roots,” created using pressed flowers. “The medium surprised and delighted me, leaving me wanting to know more about the artist’s process,” a juror commented, according to a press release. “The work’s composition and colors are as interesting as its materiality, creating a strong visceral and joyful response.” Second place went to Kathryn Terwilliger-Smith for her oil painting “The Game,” and third place went to Lee Gordon for his glass piece “Hem and Haw.” The exhibit, which features juried artwork in a variety of media by regional NHAA members and non-members, is on display now through Nov. 29 at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and in a virtual gallery on the NHAA website. One of the NHAA’s most prestigious exhibits of the year, according to the NHAA website, it is held in honor of Joan L. Dunfey, who was a resident of the New Hampshire Seacoast and a steadfast patron of the arts. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and Tuesday by appointment. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• Art school improvements: The Institute of Art and Design at New England College in Manchester has expanded its offerings for art students, according to a press release. Three additional majors have been added: 3D Studies, Animation, and Game and Digital Media Design. The Institute has also brought on new renowned faculty and redesigned student spaces around campus to create a new photography lab and studio and a new gathering space in the library. Visit nec.edu or call 623-0313.
Art
Exhibits
• “MOMENTS IN NATURE” The New Hampshire Art Association presents oil paintings by BJ Eckardt. Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “UNSEEN LIGHT” The New Hampshire Art Association presents infrared photography by Mark Giuliucci. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “AN EXTRAPOLATION OF CLOSE OBSERVATION” The New Hampshire Art Association presents prints and paintings by Kate Higley. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “BIG GIFTS IN SMALL PACKAGES” Artwork priced under $100. Presented by the Seacoast Artist Association. On display now through Dec. 26. 130 Water St., Exeter. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.
• “SMALL WORKS – BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery’s annual holiday exhibit featuring small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Virtual. On display now through Dec. 31. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.
Special events
• NHAA 80TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY New Hampshire Art Association hosts a silent art auction fundraiser. Bidding runs through Dec. 11. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• PAINT NITE a 21+ event featuring the creation of a “Starstruck Snowman” light-up wine bottle at Chunky’s (707 Huse Road, Manchester, chunkys.com) on Sat., Dec. 5, 7 p.m. On Sat., Dec. 12, at 7 p.m., Chunky’s Nashua (151 Coliseum Ave.) will feature a “Birch Buddies Wine Bottle With Lights” project. Tickets $37 for the Manchester event and $35 for the Nashua event (follow link through Chunky’s website to buy ticket).
Theater
Shows
• THE ADVENTURES OF SLEEPYHEAD New Hampshire Theatre Project presents its 2020 – 2021 MainStage Season Opener. Fri., Nov. 27, and Sat., Nov. 28, 7 p.m., and Sun., Nov. 29, 2 p.m. Live in person at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth, and virtual live-stream. In person tickets cost $10. Virtual tickets cost $10 per streaming device. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org.
Classical
Events
• UTE GFRERER Concert soloist performs. Sat., Nov. 28, 6 and 8 p.m. The Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. $130 for a table of two, $260 for a table of four and $390 for a table of six. Visit themusichall.org.
• A DICKENS’ CHRISTMAS WINE DINNER WITH PICCOLA OPERA Piccola Opera’s Dickens Carolers perform. Sat., Dec. 5, 6 to 8 p.m. LaBelle Winery & Event Center, 345 Route 101, Amherst. $387.20 to reserve a table of four, $580.80 to reserve a table of six. Visit labellewineryevents.com.
November is a time of year when Mike Girard is usually getting ready to star in the annual Christmas Buzz Ball or doing shows with either his longtime band The Fools or the oversized side project, Mike Girard’s Big Swinging Things. Since the pandemic put the kibosh on most live music last March, however, he’s done exactly one gig: an early August drive-in Fools show at a Manchester by the Sea fitness club parking lot. Girard’s performance output will double when he and Fools guitarist Rich Bartlett play an intimate show at the Rex Theatre in Manchester on Nov. 28. They’ve done the duo act once before at a house concert, “and we really had a terrific time,” Girard said in a recent phone interview. “The songs were stripped down, with lots of stories in between. We called it the Naked and Afraid Tour; this is a continuation of that.” The setlist will include favorites like “Life Sucks, Then You Die” and “It’s A Night For Beautiful Girls,” reworked for the spare performance. “I guess the words are going to be a lot more audible, for good or ill,” Girard said. “If you don’t like it, you’ll know why. There’s [one] song in particular, a slow one called ‘Just Give Up’ — it’s kind of an inspirational song about just quitting.” A natural raconteur, Girard is more than ready to perform, despite the time off. He’ll share tales of his band’s beginnings in the late 1970s, when hits “She Looks Alright In The Dark” and “Psycho Chicken” were all over Boston radio, and talk about international tours opening for Van Halen and The Knack. Fans will also gain insight into his songwriting process, Girard promised. “For instance, ‘Night Out’ occurred to me in a dream — it really did,” he said. “In the dream, we were playing in a small club, doing this song. I woke up and wrote the verse and chorus. I knew where it was going and I went back to bed.” In the morning, Girard finished the song. “I called up Richie and said, ‘I had this dream we’re playing this song in a club; I wrote it down and I want to play it for the band.’ He said, ‘How many people were in the club?’ I said, ‘Not too many.’ He said, ‘Call me back when there’s more people in the club.’” For his part, Bartlett is always ready to hit the stage, Girard said. “I could show up at his place pretty much any hour of the day and he’ll be sitting on the couch playing guitar into his headphones while watching one TV show or another,” he said. “I tell him, ‘Your life hasn’t really changed at all; we’re all [not used to] staying at home, but that’s just what you do.’” The upcoming stripped-down show will be The Fools’ second at the Rex; they were there last Feb. 22, a few months after Girard published a new book, A Fool In Time. Like 2010’s Psycho Chicken & Other Foolish Tales, he admits that it’s loosely a memoir, quoting Bartlett’s response to Psycho Chicken in the preface: “The story is pretty much true, even if the details aren’t.” The Fools have a long history in Manchester, dating back to the raucous mid-’80s days of The Casbah Club, when they and performers such as GG Allin, Jim Carroll and The Ramones would frequently visit. Girard is looking forward to playing at the city’s newest venue again. “We’re going to add to the foolish population of that town,” he said with a laugh. “I love the Rex, the place is great. It’s got that feeling of history about it, being an old theater. Nice high ceilings, lots of space.” And it’s ideal for a safe, socially distanced evening. “We won’t be selling merch, or hanging out with the audience after or whatever, all the things that we would normally do,” Girard said. “We’ll have our own separate entrance, everyone will wear a mask when they’re out of their seat, you know? But once we start, it’s going to be fun — that’s the whole point of every show.”
An Intimate Evening With A Couple of Fools When: Saturday, Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m. Where: The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester Tickets: $29 in advance at palacetheatre.org, $39 at the door
Featured photo: Mike Girard and Rich Bartlett. Courtesy photo.
• Flighting: Southern California-based tribute band The Eagles Experience presents a convincing recreation of their sound, from the four-part harmonies of “Heartache Tonight” to Don Henley’s melancholy on “Heart of the Matter.” An originally scheduled full hall appearance was split into two shows to accommodate social distancing requirements. Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 and 8 p.m., Dana Center for the Humanities, 100 Saint Anselm Dr., Manchester. Tickets are $40 at anselm.edu.
• Modness: Singer Rick Larrimore’s Rod Stewart Tribute Show convinces on two fronts. He looks the part of the shaggy-haired pop star, and his delivery — sandy-throated vocals, fluid mannerisms and impish charm — is a perfect doppelganger. Larrimore is a big draw in Las Vegas, when a pandemic isn’t running the tables. The event is limited to four-seat table reservations. Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m. at Pasta Loft Restaurant & Pub, 241 Milford Oval, No. 4, Milford, tickets $80 per table at eventbrite.com.
• Worldly: Serious music ensues at a Symphony NH event called Universal Perspectives, as Maestro Roger Kalia leads a 10-piece string ensemble performing selections ranging from Gershwin’s “Lullaby” to a pair of Brazilian pieces — Danza’s “De Panama” and “Mother & Child” — concluding with a musical journey to Estonia and the enduring hymn “Amazing Grace.” Sunday, Nov. 22, 2 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester. Tickets $10 to $25 at palacetheatre.org.
• Percussive: Though Drinksgiving is Covid-diminished this year, Senie Hunt will perform an evening of his unique, guitar-as-a-drum music to lead into the holiday. Born in Sierra Leone, Hunt moved from New Hampshire to Memphis a while back but has been in town for the past several weeks. He’ll debut a new Christmas album, Winter Meadow, at the show. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord. $2 at the door, see seniehunt.com.
A congressional aide eager to impress and an Air Force captain laser focused (like, possibly to a degree that should warrant some personal examination on his part) on spreading Christmas cheer clash, but flirtily (at least I think that’s what they’re doing) in this Netflix Christmas romance. I think it is also technically a comedy but I don’t specifically recall anything funny happening or being said.
Erica (Graham) is sent to Guam to observe the annual Operation Christmas Drop (a real thing that would probably make for a fun holiday documentary), wherein supplies are brought by air drop by the U.S. Air Force (and allies) to the people living on islands around Micronesia. Her boss, Congresswoman Sourface (Virginia Madsen, who looked like she was given a shot of lemon juice before every scene; also, no, that’s not really her character name), wants Erica to go and write a report that says the whole thing is wasteful and the military base should be closed — which would allow Sourface to keep the base in her district. Pilot Andrew (Ludwig) is picked by his boss to show Erica around, answer questions and make a good argument for the base’s continued existence Because It’s Christmas (there’s also some talk about Guam’s strategic importance but honestly it’s very secondary to the Christmas thing). Because it is required by law, there is immediate friction between the two — he’s surfing, she’s in a suit! — but slowly they bond over the fact that they are both attractive and that It’s Christmas.
This is the kind of movie where the main female character starts off with hair neatly up and ends up with wavy hair even in circumstances where down, wavy hair doesn’t seem like a great idea, like while pushing stuff out of a plane. I feel like even for that kind of movie, though, Operation Christmas Drop could be better. Ludwig and Graham are both attractive people but they have no chemistry with each other nor does the bland “banter” generate any. They also have no general chemistry with the movie; I suspect they’re not given enough to do to really commit and create emotional weight of any kind. C-Available on Netflix.
Holidate (TV-MA)
Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey.
It feels shallow to be all “this one had swearing, sex and sarcasm and I liked it better” but, well, this holiday movie from Netflix had swearing, sex and sarcasm and I liked it a lot better than Operation Christmas Drop. Sloane (Roberts) is knocking on the door of 30 (ha!) and feels like the most pitied member of her family because she doesn’t have a date to bring home with her to family celebrations. Jackson (Bracey) regularly finds himself on holiday dates where the importance of the day has outpaced the seriousness of the relationship. They meet cute at the mall while trying to return underwhelming Christmas gifts and discuss the idea, introduced by Sloane’s aunt (a “having big fun” Kristin Chenoweth), of a standing “holidate” — someone who can attend Easter outings and St. Patrick’s pub crawls but won’t expect any long-term commitment. Naturally, Sloane and Jackson decide to become each other’s holidates and run through the year’s holidays — New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Cinco de Mayo — while having what they claim is no-strings-attached fun together.
Does this movie write itself? Kinda. But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable in a satisfying “fun thing on in the background” way, particularly if it is the entertainment to accompany pairing up a pile of winter gloves or cleaning out your purse or some other task. Roberts and Bracey have decent chemistry and seem like a good fit for the mildly zany material. B-Available on Netflix.
A New York Christmas Wedding (TV-MA)
Nia Fairweather, Adriana DeMeo.
In the tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life-type holiday movies, this one finds Jennifer (Fairweather) planning a wedding with David (Otoja Abit, the movie’s writer and director) — or rather, listening to his mother’s over-the-top plans for their wedding to take place on Christmas Eve. Jennifer has a tough relationship with Christmas — years ago she had a big fight with her best friend near Christmas, and both of her parents passed away when she was relatively young. Out on a jog to get away from David and his overbearing mother, she meets Azrael (Cooper Koch), who —if the name didn’t give it away the white outfit and the imperviousness to being hit by a car should — is an angel. Thus, when she wakes up the next morning, Jennifer finds herself in bed not with David but with Gabby (DeMeo), her best friend all grown up and now her fiancee.
I feel like I should say something like “Jennifer has to decide if this is the true path her life should have taken” but there really isn’t much to decide; Jennifer and Gabby are clearly deeply in love and meant to be together.
Much like one of those cakes with wonky fondant and oozy jam on Great British Baking Show, this movie isn’t quite patisserie-window-ready; you can see the lumpy bits and rough patches in the basics of this movie’s construction and in some of the writing. Chris Noth shows up as a priest wrestling with the church’s position on same-sex marriage and his whole plot is both very heartfelt and not quite as well folded into the overall story as it could have been with a few tweaks. There is genuine emotion and sweetness all over this movie even if there are also flaws that a slicker production could have fixed. I’m not sure if the heart totally makes up for all the rough moments, but I feel like if the heart is your focus, this could work for you. B-
An inventor is lifted out of his doldrums by a visit from his plucky granddaughter in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a charming Christmas-y family musical about STEM, the dedication of the post office and the importance of small business loans.
I mean, it’s also about the magic of creativity and believing in yourself, the magic of actual magic and the importance of familial bonds and friendship, but small business loans and the post office play a not insignificant role.
Jeronicus Jangle (Justin Cornwell as a young man, Forest Whitaker as a grandpa-aged man) is a toymaker and a dazzling inventor in some kind of Victorian-ish world that has a vaguely steampunk feel but without any menace. He believes he has finally cracked the puzzle of a toy so marvelous that it will solidify his Greatest Inventor status and a lifetime of wealth for his family, including wife Joanne (Sharon Rose) and young daughter Jessica (Diaana Babnicova), who wants to be an inventor just like her dad. The toy is a sentient toy matador called Don Juan Diego (voice of Ricky Martin), who is fairly flawed from the outset in that he is extremely vain and possibly evil. When he hears that Jeronicus’ plan is to mass produce him, which means he would no longer be one of a kind, Don Juan convinces Gustafson (Miles Barrow as a squirrely young man; an excellent Keegan-Michael Key as a desperate older man), Jeronicus’ underappreciated apprentice, to steal him, the plans for him and Jeronicus’ book of inventions. Thus does Gustafson become a rich and famous toy inventor and Jeronicus lose his confidence in his inventions, his livelihood and even his family as Joanne dies abruptly and he becomes estranged from Jessica.
As a grown woman, Jessica (Anika Noni Rose) has an inquisitive and creative daughter of her own, Journey (Madalen Mills). Journey has grown up hearing stories about Jeronicus and his inventions but, due to the estrangement between father and daughter, she has never met him. She finds a way to travel to meet Jeronicus, but finds a man mired in sadness. He is barely hanging on in his shop, which is now a pawn and fix-it store. Though his young apprentice Edison (Kieron L. Dyer) believes in him and post officer Mrs. Johnston (Lisa Davina Phillip) cares for him (reminding him in song that she is a widow ready to mingle), Jeronicus wants nothing to do with any of it. He isn’t terribly welcoming to Journey — making her sign a non-disclosure about any plans or inventions she might stumble on — but he slowly starts to warm to her.
With singing! As I mentioned, this is a musical and, while I’m not necessarily humming anything from the movie at the moment, all of the songs are high-energy, plot-appropriate and fun.
I don’t understand the weird financial alchemy that makes a family musical with music co-written by John Legend and a whole bunch of really expensive-looking wooden-toy and paper pop-up-book and wind-up robot animation (used to move the narrative through time jumps between live-action scenes) possible for Netflix distribution but — cool! I’m so glad this movie exists! And I’m so glad it’s getting distribution this way, which feels like the most family-accessible way to put it out there. This movie features genuine artistic achievement, particularly for the look of this film, as well as some solid storytelling. The movie creates a very specific world and then builds a magical story in it, with flavors of The Nutcracker and Peter Pan. The actors do a good job at making us care about these people and believe them, even if they’re doing math equations in the air or singing in the middle of a Dickens’-London-esque setting (but, like, clean and bright, and calling to mind a snow globe with colors that pop). In addition to the core cast, Phylicia Rashad and Hugh Bonneville show up for small roles, which give this movie a quality-throughout feel.
There is also solid adventure, a friendly robot, a goofy villain and not too much scariness — I feel like kids a few years into elementary school can handle this movie. (Common Sense Media gives it an 8+ rating.) Looking for something for a family movie night? Jingle Jangle has enough action that it can probably keep kids engaged and enough storytelling cleverness to entertain adults as well. A
Rated PG for some thematic elements and peril. Written and directed by David E. Talbot, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is two hours and two minutes long and distributed by Netflix.
Featured Photo: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
