Happy holidaze

A surfeit of events for even the most seasoned cynics

by Loren King

Even if you're a dyed-in-the-wool grinch who shivers at the sound of squealing children, something about holiday events seems to beckon. Maybe it's the variety and quality of the offerings; maybe it's just hype and sentiment; maybe it's simply not wanting to miss out on activities that everyone else seems to be craving and enjoying. Whatever the reason, twinkling lights, holiday carols, Nutcracker performances, snow, and pageantry all seem to conspire. Even the most jaded find themselves huddling with a crowd in the cold, oohing and aahing as a towering tree is lit, or watching, enthralled, as that Nutcracker dances to life for the umpteenth time. The schedule listed here is sure to offer something for everyone:

(Mostly) free and family fun

Getting into the spirit need not mean forking over a small fortune to see holiday shows on ice. Just stroll over to City Hall Plaza's Enchanted Village (Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 12 to 6 p.m., through January 1; admission is just $1 for everyone over age five). This holiday tradition dates back decades, to the days when downtown picture windows at Jordan Marsh lit up with scenes from the village. Now, the elaborate display is presented in a heated tent, accompanied by special treats, performers, and, of course, Santa Claus.

Even though the Enchanted Village has moved to Government Center, Downtown Crossing still boasts plenty of magic. All through December, lights, chiming bells, and the 40-foot spruce atop Filene's marquee ledge are meant to inspire, if not good cheer, at least the desire to spend. And this year, the windows of Filene's will spotlight Winnie the Pooh, Madeline, Frosty the Snowman, and other characters from classic stories, placing them in famous spots around Boston.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace is adorned throughout December with more than 300,000 lights. Santa appears each Wednesday through Sunday until Christmas Eve (specific times are 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays). Actor and teacher Kenneth Brooke appears as Charles Dickens's Spirit of Christmas Past with performances on the stage on South Market Street each Saturday at 12:30 and 2 :30 p.m. through December 18.

And while you're strolling about town, don't forget to check out the city's biggest holiday decoration, the 52-foot white spruce in front of the Prudential Center (800 Boylston Street, Copley Square). Each holiday season for many years, the people of Nova Scotia have presented a tree to Boston in gratitude for the medical and emergency help our city supplied to the province following an explosion; this year's tree is adorned with ornaments depicting city landmarks, plus hundreds of dazzling lights.

Charles Square (at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge) sparkles each night with more than 15,000 lights on a 35-foot holiday tree. On December 11 and 12, there's more holiday cheer in Harvard Square as the Cambridge Center for Adult Education presents its annual Holly Fair, billed as "Cambridge's oldest traditional crafts fair." Featuring crafts, food, and entertainment (yes, Santa will make an appearance), the free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday at 42 and 56 Brattle Street. Proceeds benefit the Cambridge Center Scholarship Fund.

The popular Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair begins its 15th season on the weekend of December 10 through 12 and continues daily from December 18 through 24 in the courtyard and basement of the First Parish Unitarian Church, at the corner of Church Street and Mass Ave. Held every year since 1985, this exhibitor-
organized juried fair features approximately 40 craftspeople offering everything from jewelry and pottery to textiles and books. Food is available on weekends.

Local history buffs and those who like to walk will enjoy the Holiday Stroll with the Freedom Trail Players, sponsored by the Freedom Trail Foundation. The tour winds through Boston's streets, past Victorian-style carolers, to the sites where American history was born. Refreshments will be served. The hour-and-a-half-long tour begins at 2 p.m. on Boston Common and is offered Saturday, December 18, through Tuesday, December 21. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Call (617) 227-8800 for more information.

One of the most festively decorated neighborhoods around is Somerville, which boasts Nativity scenes, Santas on rooftops, and snowmen and reindeer arranged on lawns -- often all in the same yard. The Somerville Arts Council, Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay, and sponsor RCN celebrate this display in the third annual Illuminations Tour. The tour takes place on Saturday, December 18, starting at 4:30 p.m., with trolleys running every half-hour until 8:45 p.m. Beginning at Somerville City Hall (93 Highland Avenue), the trolleys will tour the city in a 45-minute loop. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children and seniors (we're told tickets sold out in four days last year). For more information, call the arts council at (617) 625-6600, ext. 2985.

And if you want to get further out of town to enjoy some creative lighting displays, Springfield presents the city's Bright Nights at Forest Park display Sundays through Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 11 p.m. through January 2. Admission is $8 per vehicle Mondays through Thursdays and $10 on weekends. This annual display, a popular destination for tour groups, is presented by the Spirit of Springfield and the Springfield Park Department. Call (413) 748-6190.

This year, the Abington Ale House, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Willie McGinest and Derek Cullors of the New England Patriots have teamed up to raise awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis while contributing to a festive holiday season. Throughout the month of December, the Abington Ale House transforms its miniature-golf course into a spectacular winter wonderland with more than 100,000 holiday lights. Purchase of Christmas trees, wreaths, and ornaments at this holiday display will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Abington Ale House is at 1235B Bedford Street, Route 18, North Abington.

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Music, music, music

The Handel & Haydn Society, whose annual Messiah is a Boston tradition, performs "Britten: A Ceremony of Carols," with John Finney conducting and Carol Baum on harp, on Thursday, December 16, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 19, at 3 p.m. at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall. The holiday concert includes Britten's Ceremony of Carols, choral works by Palestrina and Gabrieli, and a world premiere by Daniel Pinkham. Tickets are $25 to $49. Call the H&H box office at (617) 266-3605 or Ticketmaster at (617) 931-ARTS.

The Boston Camerata, under the direction of Joel Cohen, presents "A Medieval Christmas," the Camerata's most famous and beloved holiday program. It features chants, hymns, and songs of the 12th and 13th centuries from France, England, Germany, and Italy. Performances are Friday, December 17, at 8 p.m. in Wellesley College's Houghton Chapel; Saturday, December 18, at 8 p.m. at the Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury Street, Boston; and Sunday, December 19, at 3 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge Congregational, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge.

For many, the holiday season just isn't complete without the music of the Boston Pops, conducted by Keith Lockhart at celebrated Symphony Hall. Holiday Pops will offer a performance of traditional carols, orchestral and choral masterpieces, unique Pops arrangements of old favorites, and sing-alongs of Yuletide tunes. Performances start December 10 and run through December 30, except for the 25th. Tickets are $18 to $51. Call SymphonyCharge at (617) 266-1200 or (888) 266-1200.

The Boston Early Music Festival Concerts presents the Boston debut of the Gabrieli Consort, Choir, and Players, directed by Paul McCreesh. The two performances take place Sunday, December 12, at 3 and 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Church, Harvard Yard, Cambridge. The 70-voice Harvard University Choir, under the direction of Murray Forbes Somerville, will join in the grand-scale presentation of Michael Praetorius's magnificent Christmas Mass. Tickets are $18 to $42. Call BEMF at (617) 661-1812, or purchase tickets at the Harvard box office in the Holyoke Center Arcade. Call (617) 496-2222 for information.

The Boston Gay Men's Chorus holiday concerts have become a tradition: see for yourself on Saturday, December 11, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 12, at 3 and 8 p.m., in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory. That's when the BGMC presents "Carols and Lullabies," featuring festive medleys, holiday songs, and a selection of Southwestern carols including songs from Puerto Rico, Spain, and Mexico, as well as the chorus's own spin on holiday showstoppers. Tickets are $12 to $30. Call (617) 424-8900 for
information.

If you missed H&H's performance of Messiah at Symphony Hall, catch the Chorus North Shore, under the direction of Sonja Dahlgren Pryor, who will perform Handel's seasonal favorite on Saturday, December 11, at 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope Church in Ipswich and on Sunday, December 12, at 2 p.m. at St. Richard's Church, Danvers. The 140-member chorus will be accompanied by the New String Ensemble Festival Orchestra in both performances. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors and students, and are available at retail stores throughout the North Shore or at the door.

For another out-of-town holiday musical treat, the Orpheum Foxborough presents Earl Raney's Epic Brass Quintet in "A Brassy Christmas," a collection of holiday favorites from Bach, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. The concert takes place December 19 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Foxborough, 1 School Street, Foxborough. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $9 for students with valid ID. Member ticket price is $14.50. For more information, call (508) 543-2787.

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Theater and ballet

One of the best local offerings is also one of the oldest: the National Center of Afro American Artists' presentation of Langston Hughes's Black Nativity. Now in its 30th season, Black Nativity is a powerful retelling of the birth of Jesus, complete with gospel music, dance, and a children's chorus, with kids making up much of the 200-member cast. Under the direction of executive producer Elma Lewis and music director John Andrew Ross, Black Nativity is a Boston tradition that brings together young and old from all communities. Performances run through December 26 at Converse Hall, 88 Tremont Street, Boston. Call (617) 931-2787 or (617) 723-3486.

Another Boston holiday tradition is A Child's Christmas in Wales, the Dylan Thomas classic that returns for its 23rd season at the Lyric West Theatre, the company in residence at Massachusetts Bay Community College in Wellesley. Based on the famous story by the Welsh poet, A Child's Christmas in Wales is a full-stage production depicting a young boy's remembrances of Christmas in his tiny Welsh fishing village during the early 20th century. The show runs through December 23 at the Lyric West Theatre at the Mass Bay Community College, Route 9, Wellesley. Call (617) 288-7889.

Mice, sugar-plum fairies, ballroom chandeliers, Christmas trees . . . it can mean just one thing: Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker is back for another celebrated holiday stretch at the Wang Theatre. The ballet's 34th annual production of the holiday classic runs through January 2. And if the adventures of the young Clara, set to Tchaikovsky's familiar score, aren't enough to lure you this season, consider this: Boston resident Tony Collins, who hasn't missed a performance in 34 years as Mother Ginger (the character who hides numerous children under her large hoop skirt), is retiring after the 1999-2000 production. Tickets are available at the Wang box office and through Tele-Charge, (800) 447-7400.

For audiences who prefer less fanfare, smaller crowds, and lower prices, there is the "other" Nutcracker, the 12th annual Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre production at the Emerson Majestic Theatre, just two blocks from the Wang. Running through December 26, this production focuses on the dancing rather than the mime and theatrics associated with other productions, and features 200 children age six to 18 in its cast. For tickets and information, call (617) 824-8000.

Another local favorite, "Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice," begins a 16-performance run at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre on December 10, with performances through December 26. Revels has produced annual winter-solstice celebrations in Cambridge since 1971. This year's lavishly costumed performance is set during the Italian Renaissance and features a company of more than 80 actors, singers, dancers, and musicians including brass, wind, and string players. Directed by Patrick Swanson with musical direction by George Emlen, the production features Italian folk tales, commedia dell'arte, and, if that isn't enough, a total eclipse of the sun. For tickets, call the Harvard box office, (617) 496-2222; for information about the Christmas Revels, call (617) 972-8300, ext. 21.

For offbeat holiday fare -- The Nutcracker is just too wholesome, isn't it? -- check out the return of last year's hit How Mrs. Grinchley Swiped Christmas, presented by Centastage and the Gold Dust Orphans. Local hero Ryan Landry stars in the drag musical comedy, through December 18 at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston. For tickets and showtimes, call (617) 426-2787.

The Lyric Stage Company, at 140 Clarendon Street in Boston's Copley Square, presents the holiday musical She Loves Me, a romantic comedy set in Hungary in the 1930s. The musical boasts some pretty good credentials: the story is by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret), and Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof) wrote the music and lyrics. She Loves Me runs through January 2. Tickets are $32 to $36; senior and students matinees are $10 and $12, respectively. Concurrently, for a limited engagement through December 21, the Lyric will present Holidaze: A Christian, a Jew, and a Ho-Ho-Homo Too! The cabaret features crazy carols, wacky impersonations, and a special (and somewhat risqué) take on "The Night Before Christmas." Tickets are $16. For both shows, call (617) 437-7172 for tickets and information.

The Little Theater of Stoughton, now in its 43rd season, presents Israel Horovitz's A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley. This unique stage treatment of Charles Dickens's classic novella -- featuring a cast of 110 -- is directed by Janet Jones. Performances are at the Stoughton Cinema in Stoughton Center on December 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m. and December 12, 18, and 19 at 2 p.m. Call (781) 433-7133 for tickets and information.

A more traditional presentation of the Dickens classic takes place in Providence, Rhode Island, where the Trinity Rep will again stage its own production of A Christmas Carol through December 26. The Dickens tale, adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming, first graced the stage at Trinity Rep in 1977 and has since become an integral part of the company's repertoire. This season's 23rd annual production, directed by Mark Lerman, features singing, dancing, ornate scenery, veteran Trinity Rep actors, and larger-than-life painted backdrops. For information and tickets, call (401) 456-0000.

The Bridgewater State College Dance Company presents "Winterdance '99," December 10 at 4 p.m. and December 11 at 8 p.m., at the Rondileau Auditorium at Bridgewater State College. Dances are composed by apprentice choreographers and feature a variety of styles, from ballet and modern to jazz and hip-hop. Winterdance is directed by Nancy Moses and Jody Weber. For tickets and information, call the campus box office at (508) 531-1321.

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Out-of-town holiday happenings

The Captain Forbes House Museum in Milton hosts its eighth annual holiday house tour on December 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants will enjoy traditional holiday hospitality as they visit six historic homes in Milton. Trolleys with narrators will leave the Captain Forbes House Museum (215 Adams Street) at 1 p.m. and return at 4 p.m. to view the first floor of the museum, decorated in Victorian fashion (maps and directions provided for those who wish to travel the route in their own vehicles). Refreshments will be served in the Carriage House from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information, call the museum at (617) 696-1815.

Santa's Castle at Stone Zoo in Stoneham features 250,000 twinkling lights depicting animals and fairy-tale vignettes. Other festive happenings include a live reindeer exhibit and ice sculpting. It's all on view from 5 to 9:30 p.m. through December 30; the light show is at 149 Pond Street in Stoneham. Admission $3 for adults; $2 for children. Call (617) 541-5466 for more information.

"High Spirits and Simple Pleasures -- A Dickens Christmas at Orchard House," the Concord home of author Louisa May Alcott and her family, is slated for the weekends of December 11-12 and December 18-19. The house will be festively decorated and, in the spirit of the Alcott family, a food and clothing drive will take place to benefit local charities. The holiday program at Orchard House takes place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and students, and $4.50 for children. For more information, call (978) 369-4118.

The Preservation Society of Newport County (Rhode Island) again will host a full calendar of special holiday events, featuring three historic Newport mansions decorated with period-inspired ornaments. The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, and the Elms will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through January 2, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Breakers will also be open for eight special holiday evenings, during which guests can stroll the magnificently decorated house while enjoying live holiday music and refreshments. Evening events are 5 to 8 p.m. and require separate admission. Each mansion will be decorated according to a historical theme. "A Christmas Past" will be celebrated at the Breakers, which will be decorated for a Vanderbilt-era family Christmas. "A Victorian Yuletide" will come alive at Chateau-sur-Mer, built in 1852. And at the Elms, a Gilded Age mansion completed in 1901, visitors will enjoy "Fête de Noel," a lavish celebration of an elegant French Christmas. Daytime admission to the Breakers is $12 for adults, $4 for children; Chateau-sur-Mer and the Elms are $9 for adults and $3.50 for children. Combination tickets for all three houses are $24 for adults and $9 for children.

The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, welcomes visitors with elaborate Victorian Christmas decorations through January 6. The 19-room, Tiffany-decorated mansion is decked out as it was for the holidays from 1874 to 1891, when the author, his wife, and their three daughters lived there. The Mark Twain House is at 351 Farmington Avenue and is open daily through December, with guided tours most days. For more information, call (860) 247-0998.