Gainesville and Alachua County’s entertainment week ahead — Nov. 28-Dec. 4 – Gainesville Sun
HAPPENING NOW
A Swingin’ Little Christmas!: Ring in the holidays with Jane Lynch (Glee), Kate Flannery (The Office), and Tim Davis (Glee)! 7:30 Nov. 29, Phillips Center. 3201 Hull Road. Tickets: $10-$60. Box Office 352; 392-2787. This heartfelt, hilarious performance of A Swingin’ Little Christmas! will feature lively, finger-snapping takes on classic holiday tunes as well as nostalgia-steeped originals. This performance may contain content not suitable for children under 10.
Comedian Mitch Fatel: 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1 High Dive, 210 SW 2nd Ave. Tickets, $13 ADV, $15 DOS (352-872-5949, highdivegville@gmail.com)
GFAA GALLERY: Perfect for holiday gifts there are smaller original artworks for sale in the gift shop . Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday 1 – 6 pm and Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 1314 S. Main Street. Florida Impressions” exhibition: New exhibit, Harm Museum or Art, 3259 Hull Road Hull Road. https://harn.ufl.edu/linkedfiles/pressrelease-floridaimpressions.pdf permanent exhibition includes more than 50 paintings depicting the state’s environment, people and history, and celebrates the transformative gift of 1,200 works of art from Sam and Robbie Vickers; includes works by Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas Moran and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Lione Bart’s Oliver: Consider Yourself At Home: Thursday – Sunday through Dec. 19, The Gainesville Community Playhouse (GCP), Vam York Theater, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. (.gcplayhouse.org) GCP invites you to “Consider Yourself At Home” with Lionel Bart’s classic musical, Oliver! Based on the novel, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, the show, set in Victorian
Historic Thomas Center Tree Lighting: 6- 8 p.m. Dec. 7, 302 NE 6th Ave. The giant holiday tree can be viewed at the Spanish Court. There will be light refreshments. Santa will visit with the children. The joyful sounds of holiday music on the hammered dulcimer and autoharp by Jim and Joyce Lillquist of the Gypsy Guerrilla Band will be heard along with the dulcet carols sung by the Singers of the Reformation and the Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus. Children of all ages will enjoy the snow falling at the Thomas Center entrance throughout the event. There will be horse and wagon rides provided by the Duckpond Neighborhood Association for a small fee.
CASTING CALL
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest: Directed by Andrea Young. Auditions 7 – 9:30 p.m. Dec. 4-5. Performance dates: January 28-February 20, 2021, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. (carolyne@acrosstown.org, 352-275-7790). This is the second round of auditions to replace those people cast way back in February, 2020, who are no longer able to commit to our new show dates.
UPCOMING
Valley Maker (Austin Crane): Dec. 18, High Dive, 210 SW 2nd Ave. When The Day Leaves Released via Frenchkiss Records earlier this year and making a stop here in Gainesville for his North American tour.
Dance Alive National Ballet presents the 55th year of the Nutcracker at three regional venues- the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, and the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala. (www.dancealive.org) Phillips Center: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18-19, 352-392-ARTS, Phillips Center Box Office https://performingarts.ufl.edu/events/dance-alive-national-ballet-the-nutcracker/ Nutcracker in Alachua 7 p.m. Dec. 9 Free at Amphitheatre at Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, Nutcracker in Marion County, 7 p.m. Dec. 14, Reilly Arts Center in Ocala. Tickets, www.reillyartscenter.com/events
2021 UF Poinsettia Sale: Thursday – Saturday, Dec. 9 – 11, Greenhouse #1363 behind Field Hall adjacent to the Plant Science Facility. Thursday shopping by appointment only, with no appointment – open to everyone Friday -Saturday.
A Peter White Christmas: 8 p.m. show, 7 p.m. doors open Dec. 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, in partnership with The Florida Theatre. (Ticketmaster .com $66.00– $116.50) Tickets for A Peter White Christmas go on sale at 10 a.m. now at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Box Office Ticketmaster.com)
LAST CHANCE
Union Academy and Friends with historian Fred Awbrey: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 in person at Matheson Museum or virtually. For the safety of staff and attendees, capacity will be limited to 50 people and masks are required. Admission is free but registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unionacademy-and-friends-tickets-196080621417. Virtual option via Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ubhd98rATCGfevy8Y_Gmmg. Awbrey will share his research into the fate of the buildings that once housed Union Academy, Gainesville’s first school for African Americans. Using original archival research, Awbrey will reveal details about Union Academy, the Carver Library, and the recreation centers that once occupied the block that have been lost for nearly 75 years.her
The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans with Cynthia Barnett:4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 The Matheson History Museum. Barnett will discuss her newest book “The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans.” A book signing will follow her presentation. Proceeds from the sale of books and seashell cards will benefit Gainesville’s Environmental Ambassadors program. For safety, capacity will be limited to 75 people and masks are required. Admission is free but registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thesound-of-the-sea-tickets-199228175837. A virtual option at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8d9t1OYfQxuOWWzK8QQkFw.
Between Heaven & Earth, The Paintings of Alyne Harris: On exhibition through Jan. 15, 2022 are part of the City of Gainesville’s Of This Place permanent art collection. This exhibit is a community cultural asset and features 200 paintings by Gainesville native Alyne Harris, who paints to express both her lived experiences and her profound spiritual life. Harris’ work draws heavily from African-American traditions including jumping the broom in her wedding scenes. Her paintings call on viewers to travel the paths of their own recollections, an exchange that becomes part of the work itself. Her work reminds the viewer that revisiting the past can connect us with the present and the future.
