GOPLAY Calendar for Nov. 16-22
Montgomery Zoo Volunteer Serve Day
Volunteers will join forces on Saturday, Nov. 18, to accomplish several tasks at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Museum, including landscaping, trimming bushes, planting flowers, raking leaves, painting, and overall prepping the Zoo for upcoming events. It is a great opportunity for groups to serve the Zoo. Volunteers can be adults, teens, civic groups, school groups, church groups, businesses, military squadrons, and families. Volunteers ages 12-16 years old must be accompanied by a parent / legal guardian or a designated group chaperone. Volunteers under the age of 19 must obtain parent / legal guardian permission to volunteer. Register online at https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/7a8647f6-ad42-4c99-84e8-d1d625cbb9c8/1
Kids' DIY-U Workshop: Thanksgiving Turkey Photo Holder
Lowe's Home Improvement, 1930 East Blvd., Montgomery, is holding a workshop on Nov. 18, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. for kids to create a memorable table decoration. Make a reservation: lowes.com/events/register/thanksgiving-turkey-photo-holder
Blues Traveler coming to MPAX on Monday
There’s something about rocking for Southern fans, said Blues Traveler lead guitarist Chan Kinchla. “In general, down South people go out to see music just as part of life,” he said. Kinchla ought to know. After 36 years of touring with Grammy-winning Blues Traveler, there’s not many places they haven’t played “seven to 50 times” before, Kinchla said. Still, a new Blues Traveler concert is likely to have a lot of firsts no matter how many times you’ve seen them. “We change our sets up every night,” Kinchla said. “It keeps it kind of fresh.” How much it changes at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Monday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. kind of depends on you. “We like to kind of take in the environment and do a lot of improvising,” Kinchla said, adding that their audiences bring the fire to the concerts. Kinchla said they’ll do new stuff, old stuff, and give the people what they want. Some of their big hits are "Hook," “The Mountains Win Again,” “Run Around,” and “Yours.” Tickets range from $42-67, and are available online at mpaconline.org/events.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
Cirque Dreams Holidaze will dazzle Tuesday, Nov. 21, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, 7 p.m., with a brilliant and whimsical family holiday spectacular. This annual tradition wraps a Broadway-style production around an infusion of contemporary circus arts. As lights dim and the music swells, audiences will have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads as a fantastical cast of holiday storybook characters come to life. Tickets range from $29-99, and are available online at mpaconline.org/events.
Turkey Day Blues Show
Thanksgiving is nearly here, and so is the Turkey Day Blues Show on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m. at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. It features Tucka, Uncle Daddy/Erealist, Cupid, Fat Daddy & DJ Trucker, with a special birthday celebration and a special guest Angel Faye Russell. Doors open at 7 p.m., and showtime is at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $55-75, and are available online at mpaconline.org/events.
2023 Turkey Day Classic Music Fest
The 2023 Turkey Day Classic Music Fest is Wednesday, Nov. 22 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome at Alabama State University, 915 S. Jackson St., Montgomery. Doors open 7 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m. Artists include Young Jeezy, Jagged Edge, Juvenile, Sunshine Anderson, and Shai. General admission $50. Get tickets: varietyent.net
Turkey Day Classic parade
Take your Thanksgiving day celebration to downtown Montgomery on Thursday, Nov. 23. The Turkey Day Classic Parade will be marching down Dexter Avenue. Pre-parade entertainment begins at 8:30 a.m., and parade begins at 9 a.m.
Turkey Day Classic football
Enjoy a pre-game block party on Harris Way in Montgomery at 11 a.m., Hornet Walk from 11:45-noon. Alabama State University vs Tuskegee University at stadium from 2-5 p.m. Most tickets to the game are $35. $150 for club tickets. Get tickets: 334-229-4551 or go online at ticketreturn.com/prod2new//BuyClear.asp?EventID=335623&continue=buynew.asp
Shenandoah at MPAC
Shenandoah, coming to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 8 p.m., is well known for delivering such hits as “Two Dozen Roses”, “Church on Cumberland Road” and “Next to You, Next to Me” as well as such achingly beautiful classics as “I Want to be Loved Like That” and the Grammy winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” duet with Alison Krauss. Shenandoah has recorded ten studio albums (3 certified gold) and placed 26 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The boys from Muscle Shoals have left a potent legacy at country radio with over a dozen #1 records. Tickets to Shenandoah range from $15 to $35, and are available online at mpaconline.org/events.
Montgomery Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Experience the holiday magic with the Montgomery Ballet’s spectacular performance of The Nutcracker on Dec. 10, 2:30 p.m. at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. Step into a world of enchantment as the timeless tale of Clara and her Nutcracker prince unfolds on stage. Join us for an afternoon filled with dazzling costumes, breathtaking choreography, and the beloved Tchaikovsky score that will transport you to a land of sugarplum fairies and dancing snowflakes. The Montgomery Ballet will bring this beloved holiday tradition to life with a cast of talented dancers, stunning sets, and magical storytelling. Whether you’re experiencing The Nutcracker for the first time or it has become a cherished annual tradition, this performance is sure to captivate audiences of all ages. Tickets range from $22 to $52, and are available online at mpaconline.org/events.
ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Single ticket sales are now open for Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s 2023-2024 season featuring a world premiere among its six productions. Season subscriptions are also on sale. For tickets call the box office at 334-271-5353 or visit asf.net.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol : November 16 – December 24. ASF returns to a full production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on the Festival Stage. When miserly Ebenezer Scrooge receives an unwanted visit from the ghost of his former business partner on Christmas Eve, an overnight voyage of epic proportions begins. Journey with Scrooge as he learns from his ghosts (and Bob, Tiny Tim, and the Cratchits) a heartwarming lesson in forgiveness and the change we can make around us. This play is a joyful Christmas tradition for the entire family!
Blues in the Night: February 8 – March 3, 2024: The soul of the blues wails out full and strong in Blues in the Night, a scorching, Tony-nominated musical! The 26 hot and torchy numbers tell of the sweet, sexy, and sorrowful experiences three women have with the lying, cheating snake of a man who does them wrong. Glorious songs from Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox, and more tell of the pain and misery of life and love — and the dogged determination to get through it all — that is the essence of the blues.
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery: April 18 – May 12. Get your deerstalker cap on — the play’s afoot! Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Join the fun as Holmes and Watson face a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than 40 characters. You’ll enjoy the perfect mix of slapstick and thrills.
Zelda In the Backyard: June 13 – June 30. When Libby inherits a wrecked 1961 Rolls Royce, she sets off on a journey to reassemble the car and pieces of the past her father left behind. In honor of her Alabama roots, she names the car after Zelda Fitzgerald. A little broken herself, Libby finds herself with a new understanding of marriage and family. From the playwright of Gee’s Bendand White Lightning, Zelda in the Backyard is a story of love and loss, and all the roads in between. World Premiere: This play was developed through ASF’s 2022 Southern Writers Festival of New Plays.
Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: July 11 – August 11. One of the most enduring shows of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a humorous retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers, his father Jacob, and the coat of many colors. Follow Joseph’s journey from bondage to becoming Pharaoh’s right-hand man to his ultimate reunion with his family. This delightful and merry musical — embracing country-western, calypso, and Elvis-style rock — will have you singing in your seat and long after you leave the theatre!
MONTGOMERY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
For tickets call the box office at 334-481-5100 or visit mpaconline.org.
Nov. 20 — Blues Traveler with special guest Jono Manson — 8 p.m. Tickets: $67, $57, $47, $42
Nov. 21 — Cirque Dreams Holidaze — 7 p.m. Tickets: $99, $70, $50, $29
Nov. 22 — Turkey Day Blues Show — 8 p.m. Tickets: $75, $65, $59, $55
Dec. 3 — Shenandoah — 8 p.m. Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Dec. 10 — Montgomery Ballet presents The Nutcracker — 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $52, $42, $32, $22
Dec. 13 — Il Divo: A New Day Holiday Tour — 7 p.m. Tickets: $109, $92, $82, $72
Jan. 6 (Rescheduled from Oct. 15) – Leanne Morgan – 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $52.75, $42.75, $32.75
Jan 19 — Black Jacket Symphony presents Journey's "Escape" — 8 p.m. Tickets: $40, $35
Jan. 20 — Taylor Hicks: Night Moves — 7 p.m. Tickets: $46, $36, $32
Feb. 9 (rescheduled from Oct. 20) – Linda Ronstadt Experience with Tristan McIntosh – 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35
Feb. 11: Billy Dean — 7 p.m. Tickets: $32, $27, $23
Feb. 13 — Shen Yun 2024 — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $183, $153, $123, $93, $83
Feb. 14 — Samantha Fish, featuring Jesse Dayton — 7 p.m. Tickets: $46, $36, $32, $27, $23
Feb. 16 — The Simon & Garfunkel Story — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $69, $59, $49
Feb. 17 — John Waite: 40 Years of Missing You — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $56, $46, $36, $33, $26
Feb. 20 — Mania The Abba Tribute — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $61.50, $41.50, $24.50
Feb. 24 — Montgomery Comedy Special — 8 p.m. Tickets: $99, $75, $59
Feb. 26 — Celtic Woman 20th Anniversary Tour — 3 p.m. Tickets: $150, $79, $39
March 9 — Travis Tritt — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $96, $66, $56, $46
March 10 — Zach Williams — 7 p.m. Tickets: $69.75, $49.75, $39.75, $29.75, $19.75, $18
March 26 — Swan Lake: World Ballet Series — 7 p.m. Tickets: $95, $75, $60, $45
April 4 (rescheduled) — Joanne Shaw Taylor — 8 p.m. Tickets: $64, $44, $36, $32, $22, $17
April 17: Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken Tour — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $91, $71, $51, $41
April 21: The Guess Who — 7 p.m. Tickets: $62, $50, $44, $36, $26
April 25: Leonid & Friends — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $46, $42, $32, $22
May 2 — Bonnie Raitt — 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $118, $97, $77, $57
May 14 — Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour — 6 p.m. Tickets: $67.50, $47.50, $37.50, $27.50
July 24 (rescheduled from Oct 26) — Buddy Guy with Tom Hambridge — 7:30 p.m. $102, $97, $67, $52, $42
MONTGOMERY WHITEWATER
The Get Down Concert Series will have live music every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. through Nov. 16. Scheduled acts include:
Nov. 16: Seth Walker
Look for updates and additions to the schedule at montgomerywhitewater.com.
CLOVERDALE PLAYHOUSE
cloverdaleplayhouse.org, 334-262-1530
960 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery
Dec. 7-17 — “Civil War Christmas” — by Paula Vogel, music by Daryl Waters
MILLBROOK COMMUNITY PLAYERS
millbrooktheater.com, 334-782-7317
5720 Main St., Millbrook
Nov. 30-Dec. 10 — Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas” — by Pat Cook, directed by Michael Sneed. Nov. 3, Dec. 1, 2, 7-9 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 3 and 10 at 2 p.m.
PIKE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY
pikeroadtheatrecompany.org, 334-414-0193
Productions at Pike Road Intermediate School, 4710 Pike Road
Nov. 30-Dec. 17 — “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” — A classic Christmas tale with songs and dance. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. Tickets $20
PRATTVILLE’S WAY OFF BROADWAY THEATRE
cc.prattvilleal.gov, 334-595-0850
203 W. 4th St., Prattville
Dec. 7-17 — “Christmas Eve Chaos” — Angela Blount’s Christmas Eve Chaos, directed by Bre Gentry. The play will run Thursdays through Sundays.
WETUMPKA DEPOT
wetumpkadepot.com/home.html, 334-868-1440
300 S. Main St., Wetumpka
Nov. 30 at 7 p.m., Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. — “Once Upon a Christmas” — It’s December, and all the creatures on the river and in the Wild Wood are excited about Christmas…except Badger. Badger hates Christmas. Nothing but a bother, as far as he’s concerned, and he’s determined to enjoy a quiet holiday with Ratty and Mole. But the three confirmed bachelors are in for a surprise. Otter has taken a bad tumble, and someone must care for his young pups. Otter's pups are brimful of energy and mischief. Are Badger and his friends up to the task? It’s Christmas on the river. Anything could happen! Join us for a musical adaption of this beloved classic. Tickets $15.
Dec. 15 at 6 p.m., Dec. 16 3 p.m and 6 p.m. — “The Candy Cane Cabaret” — Presented by our Penguin Project ensemble of special needs artists, this production will usher in the holiday spirit! Tickets $15.
CAPRI THEATRE
Get tickets at capritheatre.org or call 334-262-4858. The Capri is at 1045 E. Fairview Ave, Montgomery. It’s the longest continually operated movie theatre in Alabama. Become a member of the Capri Community Film Society and receive ticket discounts, plus admission benefits at art house theaters across the country. As of Friday, Sept. 29, ticket and concession prices will increase. Member tickets will be $10, and non-member tickets will be $12. Ticket books will be $90 for a pack of 10.
Nov. 16: "To Kill A Mockingbird" — 7 p.m.
Nov. 17: Montgomery Film Festival: Short Films - 6:30-7:30 p.m., Variant 1 and 2 double feature 8-9:30 p.m.
Nov. 18: Montgomery Film Festival: "Black Uniform" — 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 18: Montgomery Film Festival: Narrative and Documentary Shorts — 3:45 p.m.
Nov. 18: Montgomery Film Festival: "Don't Die" — 6 p.m.
Nov. 18: Montgomery Film Festival: "Suspiria" — 8 p.m.
Nov. 18: Montgomery Film Festival: Music Videos and Experimental Shorts: 10 p.m.
Nov. 24-27: "The Persian Version" — 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Dec. 8: "It's A Wonderful Life" — 7 p.m.
Dec. 15: The Alabama Troubadours in concert — Tickets $45
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: GOPLAY Calendar for Nov. 16-22
