THE HOT 5 By Christopher Schobert I’m going to make the assumption that whoever you are, the month of December is a busy one for you. Holidays, vacations, shopping excursions, liquor runs—it’s a joyous mess of a month. What follows are five end-of-’08 highlights worthy of your time and dollar. Merry Hot 5 to all, and to all a good night. 1. Christmas Tour of Southtowns Homes I grew up in the Southtowns, and one of the things I love about the area is the quaint villages—Orchard Park, East Aurora, and Hamburg especially stand out. They’re ideal places to park the car, go for a walk, grab a coffee, and mock passersby. In recent years, the villages themselves have each done a fine job of planning reasons for Southtowns expatriates like me to come back, and Hamburg’s fifth annual Christmas Tour of Southtowns Homes is a fine example. Scheduled from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on December 7 (that’s the day of the Bills-Dolphins Toronto game, so you’re probably free, unless you’ve had a ticket for months), the tour is presented by the Hamburg United Methodist Church. It’s a cool chance to see the decorating styles and tastes of some gorgeous homes. And you can walk at your own pace—it’s a self-guided tour. As attendees make their way, refreshments and a theme basket raffle will be available at the Methodist Meeting House, located at 116 Union Street. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the church or at Lockwood’s Greenhouses (4484 Clark Street), or by calling 649-8080. And in the holiday spirit of giving, all proceeds will benefit the Hamburg United Methodist Church and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Sunday, Dec. 7 at locations throughout Hamburg; 649-8080 2. HSBC Holiday Pops “A Classical Christmas” kicks off the month on December 12 and 13, while December 14 features an afternoon of music, dance from the Greater Niagara Youth Ballet, and a Santa sing-along. But the real treat takes place from December 19 to 21: “HSBC Holiday Pops.” Robert Franz conducts, while the concerts include performances by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and special guest Jodi Benson. This is probably a great show to take the young-uns to, as well, since Benson is the voice of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Her appearance might necessitate a there-is-no-Santa-esque discussion with the kids—“That’s not Ariel!”—but they’ll warm up once they hear her sing. In addition to her Mermaid role, her projects include Toy Story II, Flubber, and Enchanted. So the kids will know her voice, if not her name. Dec. 19–21 at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo; for more information call 885-5000 or visit www.bpo.org. 3. Alleyway’s Christmas Carol The Alleyway Theatre’s annual holiday production of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has become something we can always count on in the WNY theater schedule. For a staggering twenty-six straight years, the folks at Alleyway have brought the tale to life. I can hear some grumbling—“A Christmas Carol? Again? Bah! Humbug.” But like its cinematic cousin, Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, it often seems like it wouldn’t be a holiday season without it. From Alastair Sim to the Muppets, Bob Cratchet and company still have the ability to move us, thanks to the talents of people like Neil Radice (writer and director at Alleyway) and John Smeathers (this year’s star). Bring your boss; perhaps he or she will tearfully buy you a turkey to make up for old offenses. Dec. 11–21 at the Alleyway Theatre, 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo; for more information call 852-2600 or visit www.alleyway.com. 4. Buffalo Indie Market When I first heard about the Buffalo Indie Market, I imagined a collection of horn-rimmed emo-dudes hawking rare Pavement EPs. But that would be an indie rock market—this is the Buffalo Indie Market, December 14 at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery. The show, which runs from noon to 5 p.m., will feature holiday shopping for locally made jewelry, stationery, pottery, clothing, fashion accessories, photography, and more. Lunch will be served, and live local music will be performed by Spanning Time, Strange Waters, and Brian Wheat. There are even artist workshops for children and adults from 1 to 3 p.m. and a Chinese auction. Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, 76 Pearl St., Buffalo; for information and a complete list of participating artists, call 200-0819 or visit www.buffaloindiemarket.com. 5. Tony Bennett It was kind of weird a few years ago when Tony Bennett was embraced by twentysomething hipsters—disturbing, even. I mean, an MTV Unplugged album for Mr.-Left-His-Heart-In-San-Francisco just felt odd. Yet, it was an enormous hit, and since that strange phase, Bennett has continued to thrive. His recent collaborators include Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, and Bono (all from 2006’s Duets: An American Classic). He is truly a living legend, and one of the last singers of his ilk to still tour regularly, and pack ’em in. And let’s be honest, Bennett has really accomplished it all: fifteen Grammy awards, more than fifty million albums sold, and even the honor of being named a Citizen of the World by the United Nations. (No Academy Award for The Oscar, but they never gave one to Kubrick, either.) There’s also a very cool twist here—proceeds will benefit the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House. That’s very Tony Bennett, and it should make for a very memorable December night. Sunday, Dec. 14 at UB’s Center for the Arts, Amherst; for more information or for tickets visit www.ubcfa.org or call 645-ARTS. Christopher Schobert’s most memorable Christmas gift was either a Game Boy, or a G.I. Joe Cobra Rattler attack plane. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top