Weekend - December 17, 2020

For the most up-to-date listing of events, go online to masslive.com/entertainment

Weekend

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LIVEWIRE: Joe Farnsworth releases ‘Time to Swing,’ E4 BEER NUT: Gift ideas for the beer lover on your list, E9 WINE PRESS: 6 gift ideas for wine lovers (other than wine), E10

Shining bright Bright Nights enters final weeks of holiday season, Page E2 PLUS

Cozy up with holiday plays, Page E5

WEEKEND

E2 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

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Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield remains aglow through Jan. 6. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

ON THE COVER

Bright Nights lights up holiday season Display entering its final weeks

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By Keith O’Connor

Special to The Republican

f you haven’t visited Bright Nights at Forest Park yet this year, there is still time.

The Northeast’s premier holiday lighting experience in Springfield remains aglow through Jan. 6.

Horton the Elephant awaits visitors at Seuss Land in Bright Nights at Forest Park.

(THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Now in its 26th year, Bright Nights lights up the sky with an astounding 675,000 bulbs in beautiful colors adorning one-of-a-kind displays throughout the park taking visitors on a magical 3-mile holiday journey.

As drivers make their way into Forest Park — joining over 6 million visitors from around the world who have visited Bright Nights over the years — they will be greeted at the front gate with some giant red flowers in Poinsettia Fantasy, then continue their tour viewing displays called American Flag, Spirit of the Season, Winter Garden, Springfield Thunderbirds, MGM Springfield, Seuss Land, Letters to Santa, Garden of

The Springfield City Hall display at Bright Nights at Forest Park. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Peace, Jurassic World, Victorian Village, Barney Mansion, Leaping Frog, Winter Woods, North Pole Village, Toy Land, Giant Poinsettia Candles and Happy Holidays, Springfield.

Recently, Bright Nights was allowed to extend its hours.

Realizing Bright Night’s positive effects on Springfield both economically and as a “feel-good event” for every-

one, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito authorized city officials to extend its closing hour to 9:30 p.m., instead of 8:45 p.m.

The earlier closing had been established in order for cars to enter and travel through Bright Nights before Gov. Charlie Baker’s mandate for businesses and recreational activities to close by 9:30 pm. due to the rise in COVID-19

cases throughout the state.

“I am thankful to the city and the governor’s office for allowing this extension of time which will keep our gates open longer. Now those who do not want to miss a chance to continue a cherished family tradition of sharing a good time through Bright Nights will have more opportunity SEE BRIGHT, PAGE E3

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Bright CONTINUED FROM PAGE E2

to do so,” said Judith A. Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield, organizers of the popular event.

During a press conference to announce that Bright Nights would be returning again this year despite the pandemic, Matt noted that the nationally recognized light fest would be needed “more than ever before” during what has been a stressful time for many. She also said that they expected this year to be their biggest ever.

“We were right. Even though our hours are still somewhat curtailed compared to last year, we have seen some record-breaking evenings at the gate. For our recent $10 Tuesday special event, we saw an unheard of 1,772 cars take a journey through Bright Nights,” Matt said.

“At a time when so much has been taken from us, we couldn’t let the pandemic cancel Bright Nights. I am so thankful that we have persevered and that Bright Nights can lift everyone’s spirits for the holiday,” she added.

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IF YOU GO Event: Bright Nights When: Daily from 4:45 to 9:30 p.m., through Jan. 6 Where: Forest Park, 300 Sumner Ave., Springfield Admission: $23 per car, limousines are $35, mini buses seating 17-31 persons are $50, and buses with a seating capacity of more than 31 persons are $100.

Tickets will not be sold at the gate this year and must be purchased in advance at brightnights.org or at Big Y World Class Markets More information: Call 413733-3800 or visit brightnights.org.

Nights before leaving your home, you can watch cars Santa Claus and Boomer, mascot of the Springfield Thunderbirds, hang out at the Bright Nights entering the gates by visiting lighting ceremony kickoff on Nov. 25. Although there are no photos with Santa in his workshop brightnights.org/live-web this year, the jolly ol’ elf is still visible at Bright Nights every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night cam. from 5-8 p.m. through Christmas. Boomer is inside the gates on Thursday nights greeting visiAfter leaving Bright Nights, tors. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN) the light show continues in For those familiar with have been just going wild for downtown Springfield, where Written by Michele Dufresne, Bright Nights over the past 25 Santa,” Matt said. buildings such as Monarch “The Perfect Place” is about years, this year’s journey is Also, Boomer, the official Place, MassLive, TD Bank, a dinosaur who is afraid of Tower Square, as well as MGM drive-thru only. mascot of the Springfield the dark, but finds comfort in Springfield are shining bright“No one can get out of Thunderbirds, is inside the the twinkling magic of Bright ly. Also, Court Square has a their cars and the only social gates on Thursday nights Nights. The book costs $10, 30-foot traditional Christmas distancing needed is the space greeting visitors. $20 including the plush deer tree decorated with colored between vehicles making If you want a memento of from the story, or $12 for the lights and an illuminated fountheir way through our magical your visit to Bright Nights, you deer alone. While in the gift forest,” Matt said. can still purchase one, but you shop, visitors can also purchase tain. There are also halos on the park’s light poles and halos will need to head to downtown copies of the first book in the up and down the Memorial Springfield beforehand, where series, “The Little Reindeer Bridge. And as you travel Main the gift shop has been moved Lights the Night.”

“At a time when so much has been taken from Street into the North End, to the William C. Sullivan Restrooms are available for us, we couldn’t let the pandemic cancel Regional Visitor Center at emergency use only and are lo- there are snowflakes adorning Bright Nights. I am so thankful that we have cated near the entrance. Masks the light posts.

1319 Main St. For hours visit For the most up-to-date springfielddowntown.com/ must be worn upon exiting persevered and that Bright Nights can lift information on Bright Nights, your car. springfield-regional-visi everyone’s spirits for the holiday.” call 413-733-3800 or visit If you are wondering how tor-center/.

Judith A. Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield the traffic is flowing into Bright brightnights.org.

While in the gift shop, visitors can purchase the recently published 25th anniversary Hours are now daily from book “Bright Nights — A However, Santa’s Magical 4:45 to 9:30 p.m., with buses Forest, which was home to the Treasured Tradition for 25 having priority from 4:45 until gift shop, children’s rides, and Years.” The book is filled with 6 p.m. The magical journey memories sent to the Spirit of photos with Santa, is closed is open for Christmas Eve, Springfield from those who to visitors due to COVID-19.

Christmas Day, New Year’s Also, horse-drawn wagon and have traveled through Bright Eve and New Year’s Day. Nights, stories about how it carriage rides have also been Ticket prices are $23 per car, suspended until next year. all started and the crew that Although there are no photos keeps it all together, and tons limousines are $35, mini buses seating 17-31 persons are $50, with Santa in his workshop, of color photographs of the the jolly ol’ elf is still visible at and buses with a seating caholiday park in all its glory and pacity of more than 31 persons Bright Nights every Friday, Sat- more. urday and Sunday night from are $100. Tickets will not be In addition to all kinds of 5-8 p.m. through Christmas. sold at the gate this year and Bright Nights mementos and “Santa is inside the gates must be purchased in advance other gifts, the tradition continues this year of introducing waving to cars as they drive at brightnights.org or at Big Y World Class Markets for a second in the series of chilby him in his red suit and big $16.50 with your Silver Savwhite beard and the children, dren’s books especially created ings Club Card. as well as adults, who see him for the Spirit of Springfield.

63 Cabot Street, Chicopee Center (413) 592-0220

ALWAYS HIGH PRICES PAID.

3144179-01

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MUSIC

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Joe Farnsworth releases ‘Time to Swing’

OE FARNSWORTH, A jazz drummer with deep ties to the Western Massachusetts music scene, has released a new recording.

“Time to Swing” came out in September on Smoke Sessions Records and is available through Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services.

machine.

Stern Pinball, the world’s oldest manufacturer of pinball machines, has teased a new Led Zeppelin model with a video released on its YouTube page.

The company is no stranger to making these iconic machines with iconic rock bands. Stern has previously released machines featuring KISS, Aerosmith, and Rolling Stones.

Donnie Moorhouse LiveWire

Farnsworth is the son of longtime South Hadley High School band director Roger Farnsworth, who led that unit to national acclaim (including playing the Rose Bowl Parade).

Born in South Hadley, Farnworth studied with Alan Dawson and Arthur Taylor prior to attending and graduating in 1994 from William Patterson College in New Jersey, where he began playing with saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Peter Bernstein.

He was a regular performer at the Sunday jam sessions at Theodores’ on Worthington Street in Springfield and performed with local greats like Archie Shepp, Don Bastrache, and Art Gilmore.

Farnsworth has become one of the premier drummers in the genre, performing with everyone from McCoy Tyner to Diana Krall.

“Time to Swing” has Farnworth in the company of more notable jazz stars, such as Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, and Peter Washington.

“The way Wynton plays the trumpet is the way I want to play the ride cymbal,” said Farnsworth in a statement.

“It’s pure joy. Playing time with him just hits to the core of me.”

Jazz Times had high praise

South Hadley native Joe Farnsworth has released a new recording,“Time to Swing.” (JIMMY KATZ PHOTO)

• ABBA Mania is coming to the Calvin Theatre.

The popular ABBA tribute will perform at the Northampton on Feb. 13, 2022.

Tickets for the event are available through iheg.com and by calling 413-586-8686.

ABBA is the best selling Swedish music group of all time. The group formed in 1972 and is known for disco and pop hits such as “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo.”

They were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame on 2010.

• Jeff Dunham is headed The group briefly rebranded to Mohegan Sun. under the moniker Jubilee The comic / ventriloquist is Riots in 2014 before returning scheduled to play the arena on to its original name.

Aug. 20, 2021, at 7 p.m.

• Another tradition has Tickets for the event are on been laid low by the corona• While it may not be virus. sale beginning Jan. 24 through here in time for Christmas, all Ticketmaster outlets inEnter The Haggis, the discerning Led Zeppelin Celtic band that has held fans may want to keep an eye cluding ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000. court in Northampton on New out for the legendary rock SEE LIVEWIRE, PAGE E5 Year’s Eve for over a decade, band’s latest release; a pinball has postponed its four shows Liner notes at the Iron Horse.

• Bob Weir has announced Enter the Haggis is wildly plans for a New Year’s Eve popular in the area, having livestream concert that will earned fans at its Iron Horse feature his band, Wolf Bros. shows over the years, the The concert will take place Glasgow Lands Scottish on Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. EDT, Festival in Northampton and and will replay for West Coast the Irish Music Fest at the Santa Cutie fans at 10 p.m. PST. John Boyle O’Reilly Club in

by Dreamgirl Wicked The performance will be Springfield.

Salted Carmel aired through fans.live.

The ban postponed its local Lubricant Weir, a founding member dates (7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Pipedream Icicles of the Grateful Dead has shows on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31) persevered in the rock world to 2021. with bands such as The Dead, Enter the Haggis formed in AdamEveGreenfieldMA Other Ones, Dead & ComToronto in 1995. A concert pany and Ratdog. His group film called “Live at Lanigan’s Breast AEStoresGreenfield Cancer Pleasure, Ad Pl Adventure, & F Fun Wolf Bros features Don Was Ball” was released on DVD in Awareness 18 Main St., Greenfi eld, MA • 413-774-9800 Everyone and Jay Lane. They will be 2003 and aired nationally on Month www.Greenfield.AdamEveStores.com Welcome joined by Dead & Company PBS. Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am-10pm, Sun. 12pm-7pm for the release calling it an “album of subtle beauties, of perfectly measured time feels, of a swing pulse recalling everyone from Ellington and Sonny Clark to Basie and Benny Goodman, music that defies a timestamp.”

Fans can follow Farnworth through his website at joefarnsworthdrums.com.

keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and pedal-steel player Greg Leisz.

Christmas is Coming…

Are You?

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 | E5

THEATER

Cozy up with holiday plays

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By Alexis Soloski

New York Times

ven a year as extravagantly Grinchlike as 2020 can’t quash holiday shows entirely.

Rather than succumbing to despair and too much eggnog, theater companies have instead turned to performance capture, audio drama, livestream, green screen, shadow puppets and virtual reality to deliver festal entertainment. So let heaven and nature sing, unbothered by Zoom time delays. Here are a few suggestions to enjoy virtually.

Pantomime? Oh yes, it is!

The English tradition of pantomime — with its fractured fairy tales, its playful cross-casting, its audience call-and-response — has never really caught on in America.

But this year several companies have made these comedies available internationally.

In England, the Belgrade Theater’s Iain Lauchlan has

LiveWire

created a version of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” which includes a good fairy from Britain’s National Health Service and a cow that measures at least six feet, so that the two actors inside can appropriately distance (belgrade.co.uk, through Dec. 31).

Meanwhile, the Nottingham Playhouse will stage a version of “Cinderella” with the ball open to all (nottinghamplay house.co.uk, from Dec. 19).

Sleeping Trees have prepared an antic panto mashup, “The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington” (thesleepingtrees. co.uk, through Dec. 31). Scotland’s Pace Theater Company offers free performances of “Lost in Pantoland” (pacethe atre.com, from Dec. 19). The National Theater of Scotland’s “Rapunzel: A Hairy Tale Adventure” draws parallels between a certain tower-trapped princess and the experience of lockdown (nationalthe atrescotland.com, from Dec. 22). Also in Brit, Perth Theater spreads Southern hemisphere joy with “Oh Yes We Are! A Quest for Long Lost Light and Laughter” (horsecross.co.uk, through Dec. 24).

Carol After Carol Actual caroling is frowned upon this year (singing really sends those viral particles flying) and “A Christmas Carol” is also a dubious in-person proposition in most places. But actor Jefferson Mays and director Michael Arden have filmed

now through willienelson. com.

This is the second time CONTINUED FROM PAGE E4 that Nelson has dedicated an Dunham has recently reentire recording to Ol’ Blue leased his latest special “Jeff Eyes. In 2018, he released Dunham; Beside Himself ” “My Way.” which is airing on Netflix.

The latest recording features 11 tracks including • Willie Nelson is getting “Luck Be A Lady,” and “I’ve set to release his second alGot You Under My Skin.” bum honoring Frank Sinatra.

Nelson brought his Farm “That’s Life” will come on Aid benefit online this year Feb. 26 on Legacy Recordings. due to COVID-19. The Fans can pre-order the record 87-year-old is one of the most

“A Christmas Carol” — with Mays playing all the roles, even a potato. The Times critic Jesse Green described the show as “an opportunity to make what was already a classic story feel new, while also making it feel as if it should matter forever.” (achristmascarollive.com, on demand through Jan. 3.)

If a one-man “Carol” strikes you as mere humbug, try the relative luxury of Jack Thorne’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Old Vic, directed by Matthew Warchus. (A version played on Broadway two winters ago.) In this production, livestreamed from an empty theater, Andrew Lincoln stars as Scrooge.

Thirteen other actors assist in his transformation (oldvicthe atre.com, through Dec. 24).

Or consider the wizardry of Manual Cinema, which tells the tale with hundreds of paper puppets and silhouettes (man uelcinema.com, through Dec. 20). Or close your eyes as the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future appear via audio in “A Christmas Carol on Air” from the American Conservatory Theater, which takes the theater’s beloved holiday production and adapts it for radio (act-sf.org, on demand through Dec. 31).

Holiday Tales, Retold This season, many companies have retrofitted familiar tales to better reflect the themes of an unfamiliar year, offering comfort or its opposite. Let’s start with what

You can now stream productions of reimagined fairy tales and Christmas standards like “A Christmas Carol” being staged at theaters around the world. (LUCI GUTIERREZ/THE NEW YORK TIMES)

a story like “Twas the Night Before Christmas” leaves out.

Do you really think it’s jolly Saint Nick who sorts out how to distribute all the presents?

As a gentle corrective, North London’s Little Angel Theater, offers a free online puppet show, “Mother Christmas,” in which Mrs. Claus organizes the package delivery (available on YouTube). Prefer a darker vision of the Christmas story? Try “Krampusnacht,” a live immersive virtual reality experience that promises to reveal horror beneath that red suit (krampusnachtvr.com, through Dec. 27).

Elsewhere, visionary director Mary Zimmerman reinvents Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” for a wordless, enchanting livestream, hosted by the

recognizable voices in country AJR’s upcoming album.

The group had two area and pop music. shows scheduled this summer • Indie pop band AJR has before the pandemic — May announced a virtual concert 15 at the Toyota Oakdale in event.

Connecticut and July 31 at the The group is set to perform Xfinity Center in Mansfield. virtually on Dec. 26 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available on • Justin Bieber will be joining the virtual concert trend AJRbrothers.com. They can also be obtained through Tick- with a livestream scheduled for etmaster at 800-745-3000 or New Year’s Eve. online at ticketmaster.com.

The performance can be The show will feature nevviewed through justinbieber er-before-heard songs from music.com.

Lookingglass Theatre Company (lookingglasstheatre.org, through Dec. 27). And Kitchen Zoo and Northern Stage rework another Andersen tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” into a cockles-warming holiday story of two fashion-conscious con artists (northernstage.co.uk, through Dec. 31).

The Christmas-industrial complex is mighty, but for those looking for some Hanukkah counterprogramming, Untitled Theater Company has reworked its children’s theater show “Playing Dreidel with Judah Maccabee” for remote performance. Via Skype, Zoom or phone, an actor will connect with a young person in your household for a time-traveling, dreidel-playing adventure (untitledtheater.com, through Dec. 20).

That site is also the access point for ticket purchases.

Tickets are on sale now and priced at $25.

The performance begins at 11 p.m. and can be viewed through Jan. 1 at 3 p.m.

Bieber was scheduled to play TD Garden on July 8 but the concert was canceled due to COVID-19. That show was rescheduled to Aug. 6, 2021.

His most recent album “Changes” was released in February.

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MOVIES / TV ONLINE STREAMING

‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ leads new film releases

By Michael O’Sullivan

Washington Post

John David Washington appears in a scene from “Tenet.”

(MELINDA SUE GORDON / WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT VIA AP)

DVD RELEASES

Spy travels through time in thriller ‘Tenet’ Christopher Nolan’s latest time-twister tops this week’s DVD releases.

“Tenet”: After multiple COVID-related delays, director Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” finally debuted in U.S. theaters in early September.

Critics said it was a confusing movie for our confusing times.

John David Washington plays a spy who aims to travel back in time to avert a global disaster. Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips called “Tenet” an “ambitious letdown.” In his review Phillips wrote: “There are some beautiful backward sights to behold: exploded buildings magically reassembling, or bullets zwooping back, in reverse motion, into the weapons from whence they came.

But the movie has a way of tripping over itself, whichever direction it’s going.”

Critic Chris Hewitt of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was also lost: “I’m sure it’ll be more clear if I see it again.

I’ve enjoyed every one of Nolan’s movies, and in most cases, I’ve liked them even more the second time around.”

(So maybe this is the perfect movie to watch - and rewatch - while you’re stuck at home.)

Also new on DVD “Alone”: A woman flees a killer in the woods.

“The Beach House”: A mysterious infection (!) stalks a young couple.

“The Dark and Wicked”: Spooky happenings plague brother and sister on family farm.

“The Harvey Girls”: (1946) MGM classic based on famed Harvey House waitresses. Stars Judy Garland.

“Echo Boomers”: Class warfare in Chicago. Stars Michael Shannon.

“The Opening Act”: Stand-up comedian struggles to get into the business.

“Young Man with a Horn”: (1950) Inspired by the life of jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke. Stars Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall and Doris Day. “The Call”: Man plots revenge against the people who he blames for his wife’s death.

“Aviva”: Unconventional dance-driven romance.

“The Expanse: Season Four”: Critically acclaimed Amazon Prime sci-fi series “The Reason”: Faith-based movie starring Louis Gossett Jr. “The Wolf of Snow Hollow”: Comedy-horror SEE DVD, PAGE E7

If you can believe Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan as plain Irish farm folk — living on side-by-side parcels of land and both too shy and/ or tetched to realize that they (and each other) are Hollywood-hot under all that dung-stained flannel and denim — then “Wild Mountain Thyme” has something to sell you. What it’s selling is a slightly gloomy, slightly swoony Hibernian rom-com by John Patrick Shanley, based on his 2014 play “Outside Mullingar.”

It’s not terrible. It’s just, like its main characters, somewhat odd. Dornan’s Anthony refers to himself as having a “tiny-ness” in his head. And you’ll wait the whole movie to find out what that silly thing means. Just as you’ll wait the whole movie for him to realize that he and Blunt’s besotted Rosemary are meant for each other. (Meanwhile, she briefly gets so fed up with waiting for Anthony to kiss her, faith and begorrah, that she toys with running off with Anthony’s crass American cousin, played by Jon Hamm.)

I’ve seen a million romantic comedies with this exact same setup, and they all work the same way. But this one is so frustrating. That said, Shanley’s screenplay is kind of funny, in a dismal, doomed Irish way. (There are several deaths in it: more than you typically find in your American romantic comedy, but probably less than you’d see in the average Irish drama.)

It has a peaty lyricism to it; it’s poetry, to be sure, but smelling of barn muck, not, as the title suggests, flowering herbs. PG-13. Available on various streaming platforms; also showing at the Cinema Arts Theatre. Contains some mature thematic elements

Jamie Dornan, left, and Emily Blunt star in “Wild Mountain Thyme.”(KERRY BROWN / BLEECKER STREET)

and suggestive comments. 102 minutes.

– Michael O’Sullivan Also streaming The documentary “Alabama Snake” investigates a woman’s 1991 accusation of attempted murder by her husband, snake-handling Pentecostal preacher Glenn Summerford. TV-MA. Available on HBO and HBO Max. 85 minutes.

Joe Mangiello (“Magic Mike”) plays an alcoholic who claims to be a traveler from another dimension who lost his superpowers when he came to Earth in the action-adventure film “Archenemy.” Although the film is a little too heavy-handed with the stale superhero tropes, Flickering Myth calls the movie a “fascinating blend of live-action and animation.”

Unrated. Available at afisilver. afi.com. 90 minutes.

From documentarian Ryan White (“Ask Dr. Ruth”),

“Assassins” takes a look at the 2017 airport assassination of the half brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, by two women.

Variety calls the film a “lively but sinister page-turner of a documentary.” Unrated.

Available at afisilver.afi.com and virtualavalon.org. In English, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Malay with subtitles.

104 minutes.

During a winter dive, a woman becomes trapped on the ocean floor by falling rocks in “Breaking Surface.”

According to Bloody Disgusting, the film from Swedish writer-director Joachim Heden is “one of the most intense and propulsive survival thrillers in recent memory.”

Unrated. Available at virtu alavalon.org. In Swedish and Norwegian with subtitles. 82 minutes.

Just when you thought you’d seen every possible member of the Skarsgard

SEE STREAM, PAGE E11

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WEEKEND

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 | E7

MOVIES / TV FILM REVIEW

Broadway babies save the day in ‘The Prom’ Meryl Streep brings ‘zazz’ to adaptation of Broadway show

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By Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

f you liked the film versions of “Mamma Mia!” or “Les Miserables,” then you’ll probably like “The Prom” on Netflix.

Overexertion rarely gets in the way of a hit musical on screen.

Clearly this means I didn’t like “The Prom.”

Right?

Half-right. And half-wrong.

It’s not that the first half of “The Prom,” shrill comic overstatement delivered by savvy professionals working a little too close to the camera, doesn’t work, and the second, more relaxed and heartfelt half does. It’s that the two halves aren’t all that compatible. And yet, even so, I was glad to see the small-town Indiana teenaged lesbian get to the prom with her date. The material, wildly uneven in quality, went to work on my inner sap, even as my outer sap kept inching the chair further from the screen, to better approximate eighth row, orchestra section.

Also, Meryl Streep’s f-u-n fun.

On stage “The Prom” premiered on Broadway in 2018.

Shut out at the Tony Awards, it closed after a solid but unprofitable run. Before it closed Ryan Murphy, of “Glee,” “Feud,” “Ratched” and “American Horror Story,” saw it, loved it and bookmarked it for his schedule.

“The Prom” fabulizes a re-

DVD CONTINUED FROM PAGE E6

film about small Utah town seemingly terrorized by a werewolf.

‘THE PROM’ rrts

Rated: PG-13 Running time: 131 min.

Playing on: Netflix Above, from left, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells and Meryl Streep in a scene from “The Prom.” At left, Kidman, left, and Jo Ellen Pellman. (MELINDA SUE GORDON / NETFLIX VIA AP)

tic co-star Barry Glickman (James Corden) consider their options. What to do? Become celebrity activists! We need “some nice little injustice we can drive to,” Streep says, dryly.

Their cause pops up in a trending social media report of a canceled small-town Indiana high school prom. The local PTA (Kerry Washington al-life 2010 prom cancellation Broadway closing of a hapless plays the antagonist) shuts it incident in Itawamba County, new Eleanor Roosevelt tuner, down, in order to prevent a Mississippi, involving a les“Eleanor!” (Musical theater same-sex couple from sullybian teen, her intended prom obsessives may know of a real, ing the morals of the town’s date and the subsequent con- nonfictional Eleanor musical, citizens. troversy. The musical starts “The Prom” brings Dee produced all over the place.) in the mysterious east, in Dee and Barry to the dreaded Down in the dumps at Sarmidtown Manhattan’s theater di’s, “Eleanor!” headliner Dee heartland, along with perpetual chorine Angie (Nicole Dee Allen, played by Streep, district. We’re in the aftermath of the opening and fast Kidman); Juilliard-trained and her equally narcissis-

actor-turned-bartender Trent (Andrew Rannells of “The Book of Mormon”); and publicist Sheldon (Kevin Chamberlain). Mission: to rally behind the ostracized teen Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman, a welcome contrast to a surrounding universe of mugging co-stars) and change the hearts, minds and wardrobe of everybody else.

Keegan-Michael Key plays the buttoned-down school principal, in love with musical theater and smitten with the divas (particularly Dee Dee) in his midst. Emma’s closeted girlfriend (Ariana DeBose) is the daughter of the ramrod-straight PTA head

“Ip Man” complete collection 4K box set: Donnie Yen stars in series of films based on life of martial arts master.

Trump.

“The Last Blockbuster”: Documentary on the last Blockbuster Video store in Oregon.

“The Mark of the Bell Witch”: Family haunted in Tennessee.

Out on Digital HD “Axios: Season 3”: Doc-

umentary series from news website.

“Beasts Crawling at Straws”: South Korean crime thriller about trouble surrounding a bag of cash.

“Breaking Surface”: Two

sisters race against time when one of them is trapped under the ocean.

“Bully. Coward. Victim: The Story of Roy Cohn”: Documentary on the controversial one-time mentor to Donald

SEE ‘PROM’, PAGE E11

E8 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

WEEKEND

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DINE & WINE

Restaurants face challenges this holiday season

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Hugh Robert Off The Menu

braised short rib, and cracker-crusted cod.

Family Style Takeout must Tavern on the Hill in Easthampton has brought back its “3 for be called in several hours in $25” special, which allows a customer to order one starter, one advance so that the kitchen entree from a specially curated list, and a dessert for one price. has enough time to prepare the (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO) order. The telephone number for The Duck and Avellino is rant has, for example, hired 508-347-2321. desserts. out-of-work actors as delivery For those who prefer takeout, personnel, using them to incor- the two operations continue to • Mike Desmarais of porate a safe, socially distanced promote Family Style Takeout Comfort Kitchen and Bar bit of song and dance into the in Huntington last week sent Meals packed and priced to delivery encounter. along news of what’s he’s been serve either four or six diners.

Chefs also need to look at up to at his eatery.

Current choices on the menu their menus and optimize Comfort Kitchen is now include chicken parmesan, them for carryout and delivery, focusing on dishes that travel well. Consumers, it’s safe to assume, will eventually grow tired of a pizza-burger-chicken routine.

Free expertise is available at RestaurantsRise.com, a website sponsored by two major restaurant industry trade periodicals. RestaurantsRise has free on-demand webinars that deal with relevant topics such as menu development, digital ordering platforms, and more.

offering brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with a menu that features a selection of both favorites and creative additions.

There’s croissant French toast and “CKB” crab Benedict as well as a steak and eggs plate, a variety of omelets, and a CKB brunch bowl that features cheesy grits, poached eggs, and crumbled bacon.

For those in a Sunday lunch frame of mind, he’s offering a “brunch burger” that’s garnished with a sunny side egg and bacon jam. Several other sandwich selections are also on tap.

Later in the day on Sundays Comfort Kitchen has two “Sunday Dinner” specials — roast turkey with traditional sides or roast pork loin with a dried fruit stuffing. Both dinners are available for dine-in or takeout.

Through the first of January, Desmarais will be offering a holiday catering pickup menu.

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Side dishes • The Table 3 Restaurant Group in Sturbridge is now offering an early bird menu at its The Duck and Avellino locations.

Available every day from 3 to 5 p.m., the late afternoon bill of fare features a variety of comfort food favorites, such as meatloaf, chicken potpie, pasta primavera, and a roast turkey dinner.

Several hearty sandwiches are also listed on the early bird menu, as are a selection of the restaurant’s house made

Gift Cards From now until the end of the year,

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F THERE’S ONE THING that most any restaurant owner wants for Christmas this year it’s some good news.

Ten months of scrambling to survive have left nerves frayed and financial resources depleted, and, while the rollout of apparently effective vaccines offers eventual hope, the near term outlook is admittedly bleak.

With the arrival of winter and a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks, the business climate for restaurants has again become challenging. Cold weather has reduced the feasibility of outdoor dining, and necessary public health measures have, in many jurisdictions, resulted in new indoor capacity restrictions.

The overall situation is summed up by the numbers being reported in the restaurant industry trade press. Both customer traffic and restaurant revenue fell dramatically in November; by the end of the month those numbers suggested another full-blown, pandemic-driven downturn was underway. Moreover, unlike the lockdowns earlier this year, no government aid appears to be forthcoming.

It’s likely, therefore, that restaurant owners will have to rethink their business strategy for the months ahead. Though surefire recipes for pandemic success might not be obvious, there are certainly steps prudent operators should be taking now.

One thing is clear from what’s happened over the past year: America isn’t ready to cook for itself on a day-in, day-out basis, so strong demand for ready-toenjoy food will continue to be there.

Restaurant owners will have to return to (and get better at) promoting to-go meals and “family dinners,” adding, wherever possible, a bit of excitement (or at least a minimum of hassle) to the curbside or delivery experience.

One New York City restau-

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Gift ideas for the beer lover on your list

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George Lenker Beer Nut

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Built around a “serves-four” concept, it offers breakfast possibilities (basil breakfast strata, Christmas veggie quiche, and more) in addition to three entree options — scallop and pistachio-stuffed shrimp, chicken piccata, and oven roasted turkey.

Sides are also available, as are appetizer party platters.

Large orders can be accommodated, with pickup orders requiring 48 hours advance notice. Desmarais says that given enough advance warning he can accommodate any size pickup request.

Like most other area restaurants, Comfort Kitchen is offering a gift card special, with a $50 purchase being sweetened by a $10 bonus card.

Menus for brunch and catering pickup can be viewed at facebook.com/comfort kitchenandbar. Comfort Kitchen and Bar answers at 413-207-3110.

lover in your life. I’ve arranged them from cheapest to most (really) expensive, and there is something within a wide range of prices.

We start with the least expensive (and most goofy) offering: a Guzzler Beer Drinking Helmet. Yes, you can be that guy (or gal) who shows up to the party (once we are allowed to have them again) decked out in this two-can headgear with flexible straws. Not exactly

I had the pleasure of meeting Oliver and hearing him talk at a beer dinner at the now defunct Sierra Grille, and the guy’s knowledge is amazing.

I’m sure this book is equally as informative. It retails for about $13.

The other foodie idea is a set of beer-infused hot sauces from Swag. The three-pack includes Asian sriracha, garlic serrano, and roasty chipotle

restaurant’s website, part nersrestaurant.com, or by calling 413-786-0975.

College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 45 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenu Guy@aol.com.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community

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All rooms have refrigerators and cable TV. Heated outdoor pool. Take children to the beachside playground. Close to several golf courses, tennis courts, whale watch cruises, ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, restaurants, shops, bike trails and many more of the Cape’s unique attractions.

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• Typical Sicilian Ristorante in Springfield at the “X” is offering a Holiday Catering Menu to help with at-home entertaining.

The bill of fare brings together Typical Sicilian favorites • Paul & Elizabeth’s such as pasta buckets, sauce Restaurant in Northampton by the quart, and large batch celebrated its 42nd year of entrees, which the restaurant doing business on Dec. 5 and, refers to as “trays.” despite the challenges of the The selection of trays is past 10 months, continues to extensive, including choices dish up its distinctive take on such as meat lasagna, chicken meat-free dining.

In response to the pandemic, parmigiana, penne Gorgonzola, eggplant rollatini, and more.

Paul & Elizabeth’s is offering Trays are available in a small both curbside and in-house format, which serves eight to pickup for lunch and dinner.

10, and a larger size, which is Its online ordering platform is enough for 18 to 20 people. available at paul-elizabeths.

Orders for Christmas Eve square.site; the restaurant pickup must be placed by Dec. answers at 413-584-4832.

19.

Typical Sicilian Ristorante • Those with a hankering for answers at 413-739-7100. Its his carefully crafted fare will be happy to hear that Lawrence web address is typicalsicilian. com.

Guyette, the chef-proprietor of the Tavern on the Hill in • Partners Restaurant in Easthampton, has brought back his “3 for $25” special. The deal Feeding Hills is offering to help allows a customer to order one out with Christmas dinner. starter, one entree from a spe- The main course offerings cially curated list, and a dessert are prime rib, spiral-cut ham, for just one price. roast pork, and turkey, all with Tavern on the Hill has also traditional sides and dessert. gone beyond gift cards as a Individual dinners will also be holiday giving suggestion. The available, as will appetizers, restaurant also maintains its clam chowder, and lobster own online shop from which bisque. an assortment of Tavern on the Deadline for orders is Dec. Hill “merch” like tee shirts and 21 at 1 p.m. with orders to be caps can be ordered. picked up at Partners in Feeding Hills between 9 a.m. and Go to Tavern on the Hill’s 1 p.m. on Dec. 24. Reheating website, tavernonline.com, instructions will be provided. for more information. The Orders can be placed online restaurant also answers at 413in the contact section of the 493-1700.

Performances will be held daily through Dec. 24. Reservations are required, and they can be made by calling 413-7347475

what most craft beer drinkers want, but it’s good for a few laughs now and then. It retails for about $12.95.

Our second and third suggestions are more serious and aimed at the beer-loving foodies on your holiday shopping list. First is “The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food” by Garrett Oliver. This book is written by the erudite brewmaster of Brooklyn Beer.

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• Though it looks quite a bit different this year due to “you-know-what,” the tradition of Christmas caroling at the Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in Springfield is alive and well this December.

Instead of strolling through the dining room, Fred Marion and The Berkshire Mountain Wanderers will be performing in a new “Christmas Window” enclosed stage.

ELL, WE ARE IN the thick of the holiday season, and I hope this time is bringing you at least some joy during this devastating year.

But if you’re like a lot of folks, you may not quite be done holiday shopping (or even have started it), so I’m here to help with any beer fans who may be on your shopping list. So without further ado, here is a sixpack of gift ideas for the suds

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DINE & WINE

6 gift ideas for wine lovers (other than wine) Writer’s note: This is the second story in a three-part series about holiday wines.

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OOKING FOR THE perfect gift for the wine lover in your family?

Fear not.

When all else fails, you can always buy that person a bottle of wine or two. Trust me. We love them.

(And if you’re looking for suggestions, check back here next week when I’ll have my annual list of wines worth splurging on this holiday season.)

But what if you want to get them something different?

What are your options? Here are a few suggestions for all budgets and tastes. Hope this helps and hope you have a great holiday season.

1. Great wine book – The

list of books about wine seems to keep growing faster than grapes on a vine. One book I have recommended in the past – and highly recommend here again – is “Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book,” which comes out each year. The 2021 book is out now and costs $16.99. This small, slim book will literally fit in your back pocket and is packed with information about what wines to buy, which vintages are ready to drink now and other useful information written by one of the world’s best wine writers.

I also highly recommend another wine book by Johnson and Jancis Robinson, “The 8th Edition of The World Atlas of Wine” ($65 suggested retail

Beer

Ken Ross Wine Press

Books, wine glasses, corkscrews and decanters are some of the gift ideas Ken Ross offers for wine lovers. (KEN ROSS PHOTO)

price). As the name of the 416-page-long book indicates, this recently revised book by two of the world’s best wine writers contains detailed descriptions and maps for many of the world’s best wine regions. Divided by country and subdivided into regions, each section contains a brief history of wine making in the area, along with photos and vineyard-by-vineyard maps.

An absolute treasure trove of information.

Looking for something a little lighter? May I suggest “Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings For The Real World” ($24.99 SRP) by Vanessa Price. Written by a New York

beer bestie? Well, how about Beeropoly, the perfect board game for beer fans? The game CONTINUED FROM PAGE E9 involves players drinking their flavors for your beerhead who way through a series of beer likes a bit of heat with his or her challenges, such as demonstrating their best dance moves or food. It is available from the making up a rule that everyone Swag Brewery Store on Amazon for about $25. must follow. Players take turns Want something you can rolling the dice and moving enjoy together with your their bottle cap pieces around

ommend giving them a bottle of wine to go with the glasses.

You don’t have to spend a fortune. A $20 bottle of Ripasso from Italy’s Valpolicella region and red wine glasses to match is great idea. Or if they’re white wine fans, why not get them white wine style glasses and a bottle of German riesling or New Zealand sauvignon blanc?

Trust me. Any friend or family member would love getting such a gift.

glasses designed for red wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy or white wines from New Zealand or Germany. But it’s the thought that counts. And you don’t need to worry about spending $20 on each glass.

You can find many nice wine glasses for far less.

My advice would be to visit a wine store or website you trust to find glasses in your price range. And if you know the person well you’re buying glasses for, I would recommend taking a peak in their cabinet or making a note of what type Nice wine glasses – Don’t of glasses they have next time be intimidated by wine glasses. you’re at their place or having I realize there’s an entire an online cocktail with them. industry devoted to making If possible, I would also rec-

Beautiful corkscrew – I can thank my wife for this suggestion. She has been giving me different wine corkscrews for years and I absolutely love getting them. You can spend a few dollars or a small fortune on corkscrews — from a few dollars at your local wine store to hundreds of dollars on a high-end corkscrew.

On the high end side, you can go old school or high tech.

Some people prefer fancy, high-tech gadgets. For them, I would recommend the Coravin Model Three Wine System ($199 SRP). This expensive gadget allows you to taste a

the wooden board. Get it on Uncommon Goods for $40.

Next up is one close to my heart since, as regular readers know, I lost my beloved dog, TJ, this past August. But if your beer buddy is also a lover of hounds, this is a guaranteed hit: a beer glass with a pet’s image on it. These are available from a number of sources and

for someone you truly love), a kegerator for their home is the perfect gift. Kegco makes a variety of these in-home draft beer dispensers ranging from about $700 up to $1,700, depending on the number of and/or what type of kegs it can accommodate and the number of taps it employs.

Happy shopping!

sommelier, this 239-page-long book takes a slightly more irreverent (and refreshing) approach to learning about wine. I might not agree with all the wine pairing suggestions (since I personally think the whole wine-food pairing obsession can sometimes become overwhelming) but I appreciate Price’s passion for wine and her refreshing desire to knock wine off a pedestal.

Wine should be fun and so is Price’s book.

2.

prices range from about $15 to $40 per glass, depending on the company. They are easily searchable by typing “pet image on beer glass” into your browser.

OK, last but certainly not least (especially when it comes to price), if you really want to wow your beloved beer buddy (and this is definitely an idea

3.

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acting dynasty, another one pops up: Valter Skarsgard, the 25-year-old son of Stellan Skarsgard and the youngest brother of thespians Alexander, Gustaf and Bill Skarsgard, stars in “Don’t Click,” a horror film about a young man who discovers a porn website that turns out to be a portal to a diabolical world. Unrated.

Available on various streaming platforms. 90 minutes.

Student actors participate in the August Wilson Monologue Competition, which celebrates the writing of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in the documentary “Giving Voice.” PG-13. Available on Netflix. Contains strong language and some suggestive references. 90 minutes.

The documentary “Guitar

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 | E11

Man” explores the life and career of acclaimed blues rocker Joe Bonamassa. PG-13.

Available on various streaming platforms. Contains some strong language. 90 minutes.

LGBTQ culture in Japan is examined in “Queer Japan,” a documentary that the Hollywood Reporter calls “tender, impressionistic rather than highly structured” — and, despite some graphic testimony — “largely inexplicit.” Unrated. Available on various streaming platforms.

In Japanese with subtitles. 99 minutes.

Drew Barrymore plays an actress who, when ordered into rehab, sends her on-set stand-in (also Barrymore) to take her place in the comedy “The Stand In.” According to IndieWire, “It would be hyperbolic to call a film like ‘The Stand In’ one of the biggest disappointments of 2020 — that’s a low bar — but given the windfall of prime material

Sienna Miller, left, and Diego Luna star in “Wander Darkly.”

(LIONSGATE)

‘Prom’

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Beguelin (music) have largely been retained for the screen version.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E7 If you like the music in “The portrayed by Washington.

Prom,” you’re in. If you don’t, As has the much better you may find yourself halfway “Hairspray,” “The Prom” is out before the opening numlikely to become a high school ber’s finished. The lyrics have musical staple, now that more their moments: There’s some deft, quick wordplay in lines and more of America has such as “this tour-de-force figured a few things out. The script comes from Bob Martin will not be forced to tour!”

The music, meantime, settles and Matthew Sklar, adapting for energetic but watery the stage musical’s book by pop generica, though when Martin and Chad Beguelin.

The songs by Sklar (lyrics) and Pellman and DeBose let loose

From left, Nogi Sumiko, Atsushi Matsuda, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Gengoroh Tagame, Akira the Hustler and Tomato Hatakeno in a scene from “Queer Japan.” (ALTERED INNOCENCE)

and talent that went into the creation of such a messy, mirthless and just plain mean final product, there’s no other way to put it.” R. Available on various streaming platforms.

Contains strong language throughout, including sexual references, and drug use. 101 minutes.

Cleese, Chevy Chase and Olivia Newton-John, “anything but excellent.” PG-13.

Available on various streaming platforms. Contains some strong language and suggestive references. 88 minutes.

with a ballad, they do so with a welcome lightness of touch.

On a workmanlike level director Murphy knows how to frame a screenful of dancers (at a mall, alas), though he indulges in five too many circling maneuvers around whoever’s singing. He’s better with the solo turns. Corden, playing an Ohio boy whose own coming-out alienated him from his family, could do this sort of thing in his sleep.

He’s certainly skillful; in his big scene, he turns on the

waterworks as the material requires. But really, it doesn’t require it. It’s easier to get us crying when the performer cries first, but it makes the emotional cueing a mite cheap.

Streep’s no snob when it comes to dining out on a dangerously familiar archetype. She alone manages to convincingly bridge the “aging drag queen” (Barry’s description) aspect of Dee Dee with the quasi-human version emerging later. I once

Four old friends who live together in a big home in the country must use their wits to thwart a young couple who are trying to buy the house from under them in the Argentine dramedy “The Weasel’s Tale.”

Unrated. In Spanish with subtitles. Available at afisilver.afi.

Sienna Miller and Diego Luna star in “Wander Darkly,” com. 129 minutes. a surreal drama about a couple who become unmoored The second narrative film The surf guitar band the from reality after a traumatfrom Iranian director MasVentures, known for “Wipe ic accident. According to soud Bakhshi (“A Respectable Out,” “Walk Don’t Run” and IndieWire, the film “asks a lot family”), “Yalda, A Night for “Hawaii 5-0,” is profiled of its audience, and as its final Forgiveness” tells the story of in “The Ventures: Stars on a young woman who goes on Guitars.” Unrated. Available on moments build to a satisfynational television seeking various streaming platforms. 89 ing ending, they also bounce back into the film’s bleakest pardon for the murder of her minutes. early moments, undoing more husband. According to the ambitious ideas in favor of Hollywood Reporter, “There In the comedy “The Very something both senseless and is really much to enjoy in this Excellent Mr. Dundee,” Paul Hogan (“Crocodile Dundee”) conventional.” R. Available on paradoxical but grippingly paced film.” Unrated. Availplays a version of himself who various streaming platforms. able at sunscinema.com and Contains strong language, is about to be knighted. Variety calls the film, which also afisilver.afi.com. In Farsi with some sexuality and nudity. 97 subtitles. 89 minutes. includes appearances by John minutes.

heard a bootleg recording of Streep, when she was at Yale Drama School, singing in the original staging of “The 1940s Radio Hour.” She always had a good voice and, crucially, she could aways act the hell out of a song. And has, more recently, in “Into the Woods,” “Postcards from the Edge,’” a couple of “Mamma Mia”s, even “Ironweed.”

Kidman may sing the actual song titled “Zazz.” But the zazz in “The Prom” lies elsewhere, with Streep most of all.

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Wine CONTINUED FROM PAGE E10

wine without opening the bottle. Using a needle-like device, the Coravin allows you to extract a small amount of wine from the bottle without damaging the cork. This gift will appeal to people with large wine cellars filled with older wine bottles, a small but rare breed of wine lovers.

For those who prefer more low-tech objects, I would recommend a Laguiole corkscrew.

These beautiful, practical corkscrews made in France start at around $200 each and go up in price depending on the materials used to make these works of art. Best of all, they’re also honestly the best corkscrews when it comes to opening a bottle of wine. Trust me. I love my Laguiole, which my wife gave to me for my first birthday with her.

And for something different, you can’t go wrong with an antique corkscrew. You can spend as little as $20 online or in a store to find a beautiful, older corkscrew. They don’t even need to be in working condition. Many older ones look great on a shelf and the range of corkscrews is fascinating, especially for those in your life who appreciate gifts with a sense of history.

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on anyone’s dining room table.

Best of all, if the wine lover in your family already has a decanter, they’ll be more than happy to have one more.

5.

The Wine Game – This recommendation comes courtesy of a friend who recently game me “The Wine Game� ($25 SRP). A card game featuring wine regions from around the world, this new game is similar to gin rummy.

You need to match cards from wine regions around the world.

The winner is the one who has the most matches by the end of the game.

My wife and I have played a few rounds several times of The Wine Game. It was easy to learn and fun learning about different wine regions around the world. Just make sure you play the game with someone who doesn’t take card games too seriously. Just ask my wife, who married someone obsessed with winning games of all kinds, from cards to Monopoly.

6.

Wine poster or DIY cork board – Vintage wine posters have unfortunately skyrocketed in price. There was once a time when you could find old, wine advertising posters from France for under a hundred dollars. Those days might be long gone. But it’s worth Nice decanter – A looking online or in a store for decanter is a glass, vase-like a vintage wine poster. They’re device that you pour wine into colorful, playful and look great before serving the wine. A de- on any wall. canter serves several purposes.

A less expensive alternative First, by pouring the wine into is to make your own poster. Or the decanter you expose the rather, to make your own cork wine to oxygen and allow it to board using old corks. All you breathe. This is important for need is a frame, some glue and certain, bolder red wines in lots and lots of corks. The fun particular. Some wines need to part is if you don’t have enough breathe in order to release their corks to make a cork board, I flavors and their full potential. guess it just means you need to But be careful when decant- open a few more bottles to fill ing and buying a decanter. out the spaces in the frame.

Some wines — especially cerAnd if all else fails and you’re tain, fragile older ones — lose not sure what to buy the wine all their flavor when they’re lover in your family, you can decanted. And while you can always get them a nice bottle of easily spend hundreds of dolwine. Trust me. They’ll love it. lars on a decanter, my advice I know I do every Christmas. would be to spend about $50 Cheers! on a decanter with a wide Wine Press by Ken Ross apbottom and flared spout. These pears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s classic decanters perfectly aerate the wine and look great weekend section every Thursday.

4.

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