All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

The weekend kind of snuck up on us this week, but it's Friday already.

Got plans? After the jump, a few things going on this weekend from Oscar nominated flicks to theater and comedy.

Got plans that are missing from our list? Let us know what you're up to. And however you're spending it, have a great weekend.

Comedy

John Oliver sold out
If you thought getting last minute tickets to see The Daily Show's John OliverJohn Oliver at The Egg Friday night, would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, you fannied about for too long. Blimey! Oliver's show is sold out.

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

More improv
Mop & Bucket opens a weekly short form improv comedy show on Saturday night at The Comedy Works on Northern Blvd. in Albany. Think Whose Line is it Anyway. 8 pm - $15-$20.

Sherry Davey
Stand-up comedian,writer and actress Sherry Davey, named one of the top ten comedians in New York City, will be playing the Comedy Works in Albany and Clifton Park this weekend. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 &9:30 in Albany and Saturday at 6p.m. in Clifton Park. $20.

Theater

Race
Race -- David Mamet's drama about three attorneys, two black and one white, charged with defending a man accused of a crime against a black woman -- begins in previews this weekend at Capital Rep. The production stars local actor/director Kevin Craig West. Friday at 8p.m., Saturday at 3p.m. and 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. $20-$60

Dracula
Director Steve Fletcher presents Dracula at Curtain Call Theatre. Friday at 8p.m., Saturday at 8p.m and Sunday at 3p.m.$23.

Yo-Yo Ma, sold out

Yo-Yo Ma's performance with the Albany Symphony Orchestra at the Palace Saturday night is also sold out.

Music

Friday: The Gibson Brothers at The Egg -- SOLD OUT
Bluegrass. Also on the bill: Noam Pikelny and Friends -- which includes two members of the Punch Brothers. 7:30 pm - $24

Friday: Emily Asher's Garden Party at Helsinki Hudson
Jazz -- and a swing dance. workshop at 7 pm, lesson at 8:30, music at 9 pm - workshop and dance $25 / dance only $15

Friday: Mike and Ruthy at Caffe Lena
Folk. 8 pm - $15

Friday: Adam Ezra at Bayou Albany
Roots rock. 8 pm - $10

Friday: Charlie Morris at More Bread and Jam
Singer songwriter. 7 pm - free

Saturday: Solas at The Egg
Irish-American band. With: The Duhks. 7:30 pm - $24

Saturday: Juelz Santana at Upstate Concert Hall
Hip hop. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $23 day of

Saturday: Beau Soleil at Helsinki Hudson
Cajun, Prairie Home favorite. 9 pm - $25

Saturday: Eastbound Jesus at Red Square
Americana/bluegrass. 8 pm - $10

Saturday: Fresh Kicks, Torn Shorts, Bryan Thomas at Putnam Den.
A triple bill of local acts. 9 pm - free

Museums
You can wait out the rainy weekend wandering around one of the local museums. Here are a few things you can see now.

State Museum
The State Museum has a "New York's Great Places and Spaces" day lined up for Saturday, featuring "an array of New York state historic sites and cultural institutions" with hands-on activities.

If you go to the State Museum, be sure to go through the "1934: A New Deal for Artists" exhibit. The group of 50 Public Works of Art Project paintings are from the Smithsonian's collection, and worth a look. The exhibit closes at the State Museum January 20 -- so this is a good chance to see it before it's gone.

MiSci
The holiday train display is still up at MiSci (formerly The Schenectady Museum) and you can catch a planetarium show while you're there. You can only see the trains from noon to 3 pm.

Phoenix
If you go to MASS MoCA, look for the new exhibit "Xu Bing: Phoenix," which opened in late December.

Art or Evidence
This show at the Mandeville at Union College features the work of international photojournalist Gilles Peress, from the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Iran, Rwanda and Bosnia. Here's more on the exhibit. 10 am to 6 pm Friday through Sunday. Free.

See the Oscar nominees
All the Best Picture nominees -- with the exception of Beasts of the Southern Wild (on DVD) and Amour (opens here in February) -- are playing locally this weekend, so if you want to brush up on your Oscars, it's a great time to get started. Maybe there's even time for a double feature.

Snowshoe Adventure
The Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center is leading snowshoe adventures this weekend. It's a good opportunity try out snowshoeing because snowshoes will be provided. It's a one-mile hike and if there isn't enough snow, they'll just lead a basic hike without snowshoes instead. $3 Saturday from 11am-12:30 p.m, Sunday 1 p.m - 2:30 p.m

Ice skating
It's going to be a little warm and rainy this weekend, but weather permitting, the ice skating rink at the ESP is open this weekend (conditions permitting) for its regular hours (11 am-8 pm). Here are other ice skating spots around the Capital Region.

Basketball, hockey

UAlbany
UAlbany has men's and women's basketball doubleheader against Maine Saturday at SEFCU Arena. (SEFCU -- the credit union, not the arena -- is giving away free tickets to both the men's and women's game, while supplies last.) Both teams are having pretty good seasons -- the men are 13-4 and the women are 9-3. women's game at 5 pm, men's game at 7:30 pm - $12 adults / $3 kids

Albany Devils
The Albany Devils are the TU Center Sunday. 5 pm - $13.50-$25.

The ASO advertises on AOA, as does Live Nation.

photo: World Economic Forum / Andy Mettler (cc)