All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

We're in the thick of the holiday crazy. If you're not busy shopping or wrapping or decorating or making latkes or caught up in some other holiday tradition, and you're looking for something to do, we've got a list for you after the jump.

If we missed something on your list, let us know about it in the comments. And whatever you're up to have a safe and happy weekend.

Holiday Stuff

Friday: Martina McBride at The Palace
The country star will be singing Christmas tunes. 7:30 pm - $50.50 and up

Friday: Mendelssohn Club holiday concert at The Egg
Christmas choral music. With members of the Upstate Guitar Society, and the Tamarac Elementary Chorus. 7:30 pm - $18

Friday: Classic Theatre Guild production of A Christmas Story at Proctors
A stage version of the Jean Shepherd classic. Opens Friday, runs this weekend and next. various times - $17.50 adults / $14.50 students and seniors

Saturday: Cherish the Ladies at Troy Music Hall
Celtic music group playing classic Christmas carols. 7:30 pm - $20 and up

Saturday and Sunday: Mountain Snow and Mistletoe at The Egg
Annual holiday folk show. $24

Saturday: 8th Step Sing Solstice at Proctors
A concert celebrating "Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukuh, Las Posadas, Santa Lucia, Yule and many more around the world." 7:30 pm - $22 ahead / $24 at door

Sunday: The Nutcracker at The Egg
Annual performance by the Albany Berkshire Ballet. $25 and up

Model trains
miSci (formerly Schenectady Museum) is bringing back its 19x27-foot model train display. Free with admission on Saturday and Sunday.

Theater

Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog: a musical by Joss Whedon
Caffe Lena presents Joss Whedon's musical comedy about aspiring super-villain Dr. Horrible's effort to take over the world, join the League of Evil, and date the girl of his dreams. Saturday at 2pm - $10

A Chorus Line
The touring company of long running Broadway show A Chorus Line will be at Proctors this weekend. Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. $20-$65

Little Shop of Horrors
Because nothing says happy holidays like a musical about a flesh eating plant, SLOC presents its youth production of Little Shop of Horrors. Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm - $18, $22, $28

This Wonderful Life at Capital Rep
Based on the film. "All the pleasure of Frank Capra's classic movie - in only 70 minutes!" Friday at 8 pm, Saturday 3 pm and 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm - $20 and up

Comedy

Spontaneous Broadway
Mop and Bucket Company's Spontaneous Broadway season opens on Friday night, underground at Proctors. Using only suggestions from the audience, the improv company makes up an entire Broadway musical. Friday 8 pm - $14 Adults, $6 Students & Seniors

Arts and Sciences

Seagull (Thinking of you)
Saturday at MASS MoCA: Seagull (Thinking of you), a "new live performance that works with, against, and beneath Chekhov's The Seagull." It draws on Chekhov's correspondence, different translations of the The Seagull, and facts about the Russia of the author's time. 8 pm - $14

A Bethlehem farmer with Custer
Sunday at the Albany Institute: former State Library associate librarian Peter Christoph will be talking about Gerrit Niver, who grew up in Bethlehem, enlisted in the US Army, and ended up dying at the Battle of Little Big Horn. 2 pm - free with museum admission

Movies

The Hobbit opened overnight and it's playing at most local theaters. Hitchcock, Lincoln and Life of Pi are also showing locally. You can also catch Christopher Plummer as John Barrymore in a filmed version of his one-man stage show on Sunday at noon at The Spectrum.

Music

Friday: Blue Factory at Valentine's
Happy hour album release show. 6 pm

Friday: Grainbelt at Caffe Lena
"Beer Battered Twang & Roll." 8 pm - $14

Saturday: Aaron Lewis at Upstate Concert Hall
The guy from Staind, who's gone country. With: Randy Montana. 8 pm - $25 ahead / $28 day of

Saturday: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens at Helsinki Hudson
Soul. 9 pm - $18 ahead / $22 at door

Saturday: Wholesale Klezmer Band at Caffe Lena
A "traditional klezmer ensemble," in wholesale. 8 pm - $16

Local Holiday Shopping

The Tight Knit holiday craft market will be open in The Atrium in Troy on Saturday during the Troy Farmers Market. Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.

Gifts from the Kitchen-Hands On

German-born pastry chef Corinna Selby hosts a class at Different Drummer's Kitchen one how to make German Lebkuchen, cookies, and mini loaf cakes for holiday gifts. Saturday at noon - $65.

Last Run
Albany's last 5K of the year is Saturday -- registration is full, but you can still cheer on the runners and watch the post-race fireworks. The race starts in front of the Judicial Building on State Street and moves up State and into Washington Park. Also: those streets will be closed to traffic, so heads up. Saturday at 5pm.

Get a tree
If you're still looking to cut your own Christmas Tree, here are some places you can try.

Ice Skating
The Empire State Plaza ice skating rink is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm. Skating is free. Skate rental is free every Friday. The rest of the week it's $4 for adults and $3 for kids. Here are a few other places you might want to try if it's cold enough.

Have a little nog
It's egg nog season. Which one is the best? Here's our taste test from a few years ago. And last year's taste test from Kayla at Foodonia.

Capital Rep, MopCo., and Troy Music Hall advertise on AOA.

photo courtesy of American Theater Institute