5 things

Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here! I know most of you are not in want of something to do over the next couple days, but it’s possible that there’s a little fretting going on over what to do with those flocks of relatives headed into town for the looooooong, holiday weekend. These are sure to please any and all revelers…

December 24, 2009; 6:00 AM • by Valerie Catrow

Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here!

I know most of you are not in want of something to do over the next couple days, but it’s possible that there’s a little fretting going on over what to do with those flocks of relatives headed into town for the looooooong, holiday weekend. These are sure to please any and all revelers…

1. Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the world-famous Rockettes

I feel like the name of the show should also include an exclamation point because, I mean, COME ON. The Rockettes, right here in little ol’ Richmond! And for Christmas, no less! The long-legged ladies are sure to thrill young and old alike with classic numbers like Parade of the Wooden Soldiers… and a re-enactment of the Nativity? Sure. Thursday, December 24, 10am and 1pm, Richmond Coliseum (601 E. Leigh Street), $49.50 to $69.50. Purchase tickets online here.

2. Various Marathons of Various Christmas Classics

I realize this is not a Richmond-specific activity, but you know you all fall prey to it at *some* point during the big day. I mean, what else are you supposed to do once Christmas dinner is over? Here’s a little sampling of who’s got what and when:

• AMC: White Christmas, from 9am to 4:15am on Christmas Eve
• TBS: A Christmas Story, starting at 7pm on Christmas Eve and running constantly for 24 god-forsaken-but-hilarious-hours
• AMC: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, running on repeat from 5:30am on Christmas Day with the last show starting at 10:15pm

3. Santaland Diaries & Season’s Greetings

Penned by David Sedaris, these one-act plays (yes, two plays in one night!) are dripping with their author’s infamous sardonic, sarcastic tone — perfect for anyone looking for a less-than-reverent approach to the holidays. Saturday, December 26 at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday, December 27 at 4pm, Sycamore Rouge (21 West Old Street, Petersburg), $18 to $22. Call 804-957-5707 to reserve tickets.

4. Holiday Glitter: Monument Avenue After Dark

Take a stroll down Monument Avenue and see one of our town’s loveliest spots looking her loveliest. Plus, it’s not even going to be freezing this weekend, so it’s the perfect chance to soak up that last little bit of the holidays before the lights come down. Saturday, December 26 and Sunday December 27, 6pm to 7:30pm, Valentine Richmond History Center, $10. Call 804-649-0711 x301 to reserve a spot.

5. Black Nativity

Co-produced by African American Repertory Theatre and Barksdale Theatre, Black Nativity turns to the Gospel of Luke, poetry from Langston Hughes, as well as song and dance to tell the story of the Nativity. This one has been at CenterStage for a bit, but you can catch it this weekend when it moves to the Empire Theatre. Saturday, December 26 at 8pm, and Sunday, December 27 at 3pm, Empire Theatre (114 W. Broad Street), $40. Purchase tickets online here. Runs through January 3.

If none of these are to your liking, be sure to check out our The RVANews Holiday Guide or the Events Calendar for more ideas.

And as usual, if you’d like to give special shout-outs to happenings this weekend, leave them in the comments!

(Don’t forget: If you’ve got an event in the works that you’d like to see featured, send it our way.)

As the editor of RVANews, Valerie Catrow spends most of her time wrangling people over email and muttering to herself about the content calendar. She also contributes to our parenting column while maintaining her own blog, Made in Richmond. It should be noted that she loves tots, both the potato and child varieties.

December 24, 2009 6:00 AM 2