A Christmas Carol at The Colonial Theatre

Colonial_TheatreA Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Eric Hill, is running now until December 30, 2011 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA.

The Berkshire Theatre Group’s production is directed by Eric Hill (who also stars as Scrooge) and E. Gray Simons III and stars James and Kim Taylor as the Cratchits.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. There are also sponsor tickets available for $100 for adults and $50 for children, which include a donation to the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Education Program.

Tickets will be on sale via phone at 413-997-4444 and online at www.JamesTaylor.com as well as via phone and walk up. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased in any one transaction. Standard Ticket Office hours are Monday-Friday 10am–5pm, Saturdays 10am–2pm or on any performance day from 10am until intermission.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TheColonialTheatre.org or click here.

Extending That Holiday Fealing

The holiday season is over and naked Christmas trees are being dropped on curbs like hookers in 1970’s Times Square. Just because the official holidays are over doesn’t mean you have to stick your head in the oven and hope for an early spring. Decorations, music and fun are what the holidays are all about so here are a few tips to stretch those festive feelings into the new year.

1. As you pack up your Christmas decorations, why not leave out anything Frosty The Snowman or snow related. For those of us in snowy climates (which as of the past week now includes southern California and Atlanta) we have months of snowman-building weather ahead of us and a few icicle lights on your house and some snow flake decorations inside shouldn’t piss off your neighborhood association too much.

2. Apply the same process to stretch out your decorations to your music. Songs like Winter Wonderland, Marshmallow World in the Winter, Baby Its Cold Outside and even Jingle Bells make no mention of Christmas. Instead, think of these songs as winter songs and keep them in your  current playlist.

3. You don’t need the calendar or Hallmark to tell you when to celebrate. All you need are some good friends, food and drink and a little creativity. Winter is the perfect season for a monthly game get-together or what about a winter nature hike? Lots of people have Martin Luther King day off so there is a three-day weekend just waiting for fun.

Whatever you do, keep in mind that January 1st doesn’t have to signal the end of fun. Instead, think of it as the start of a stress-free Winter holiday season.