Broome Arts Mirror will be highlighting some of those events, week by week; this article covers events for the weekend of Dec. 1-3:
Ti-Ahwaga Community Players
In what has become an annual tradition, the Ti-Ahwaga Community Players organization will perform A Christmas Story the weekends of Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10.
The play is based on the humorous writings of author Jean Shepherd and the 1983 holiday movie of the same name. It tells the story of youngster Ralphie Parker, who spends most of his time dodging a bully and scheming to obtain the ultimate Christmas present, an official Red Ryder BB gun.
Many of the recognizable elements from the movie are in the play including the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring, Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg, and the father’s misadventures with an exploding furnace.
A Christmas Story production has become a mainstay for the Owego-based company with audience members associating it with celebrating the Christmas season, officials said. This is their 21st production.
Audiences always thoroughly enjoy the show, said Jane Nichols, who produced last year’s production.
IF YOU GO: Performances will take place at 8 p.m. Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9 and 2 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10 at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center, 42 Delphine St., Owego. Ticket prices are $25 for ($20 for senior citizens and students 11-17) and $15 for children 10 and under). To order, go to https://tiahwaga.thundertix.com
Southerntiersmen Barbershop Chorus
The Southerntiersmen Barbershop Chorus is sponsoring its annual concert to raise money for the Broome County Council of Churches’ CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) program.
This year’s concert will take place at 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at St. Cyril’s and Methodius Church, 148 Clinton St., Binghamton, and will feature performances of seasonal choral and instrumental music by the Southerntiersmen, the Southern Tier Christian Chorus, the Endwell Community Chorus and the Sunday Brass. All proceeds will go to CHOW for feeding the hungry in our community.
The Southerntiersmen will also perform a holiday concert from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Oakdale Commons (formerly Oakdale Mall)..
IF YOU GO: Tickets for the CHOW concert are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Call 607-372-1730.
Endicott Performing Arts Center
The Endicott Performing Arts Center will stage its annual Christmas variety show Dec. 1-3. The event is a “traditional variety show” with dancing, chorus numbers, duets and solos. EPAC performers will sing and dance to classic Christmas song, said Executive Director Joe Foti.
IF YOU GO: The performances are at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave., Endicott. EPAC Christmas Show performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec.3. Tickets are $20, ($15 for seniors and children). To order go to www.endicottarts.com.
Madrigal Choir of Binghamton
The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton’s Lessons and Carols for Christmas” has been an annual seasonal tradition since 1995. The program is modeled on the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College in England, with the choir performing readings, Christmas carols and hymns from the Medieval age to the 21st century.
This year’s concert will take place at two locations: 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 37 W. Main St., Norwich, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Church of the Holy Trinity, 346 Prospect St., Binghamton.
Guest conductor Theresa Lee-Whiting will lead both performances. Early music ensemble Simple Gifts, with Barbara Kaufman on recorders and Paul Sweeny on guitar, will be featured.
IF YOU GO: Tickets are $20 for either performance. To order, go to the choir’s website, www.madrigalchoir.com and click on tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door. Students with an ID get free tickets that are only available at the door.
Rafael Grigorian Ballet Theater
The classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker presented by the Rafael Grigorian Ballet Theatre will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at Broome County Center for the Performing Arts (The Forum), 236 Washington St., Binghamton. The Tchaikovsky ballet is set on Christmas Eve in a child’s imagination.
The annual performance is part of the Grigorian company’s mission to bring quality ballet performances to Elmira and Binghamton. The majority of the performers are currently students of the Rafael Grigorian School of Ballet. The company will also bring in professional dancers from other companies for principal roles.
IF YOU GO: Tickets are $20-$45. Go to Ticketmaster.com or visit the Mirabito Box Office at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.
Binghamton University
Binghamton University opera students will perform Engelbert Humperdinck’s children’s opera, Hansel and Gretel, at 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3., in the Chamber Hall of the university’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts.
The opera, to be sung in English, retells the well- known fairy tale of two children who get lost in the forest and stumble on a house made of gingerbread inhabited by a nasty witch. The story has a happy ending when Gretel tricks the witch.
IF YOU GO: Tickets are $10 ($5 for seniors and free for children and students). Go to www.binghamton.edu/anderson-center/box-office.html or call the box office at 607-772-ARTS.
Part 2 of our roundup will run Dec. 4.
