The best of British theater
The Royal National Theatre of London has a long and respected history of staging exemplary works of theater performance. And these days, thanks to modern technology, you don’t have to jet across the pond to see the venue’s vaunted plays. That’s because the National Theatre Live program beams live and taped transmissions of its performances to arthouses, cinemas and audiences around the world. The newest member of the club: Durango. The Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, recently became a participant of NT Live. The ACT will kick off the program at 11 a.m. Saturday with a screening of David Hare’s “Skylight,” starring Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan. Michele Redding, owner of the ACT, said she and her husband, Chris, have been working to get NT Live into their Durango theater since hearing about it at an independent theater convergence they attended. “I feel that Durango loves live theater, and it was a way to provide that here,” Redding said. “It’s a fantastic and affordable way to see really good work.” ACT plans to show the entire NT Live season – which also includes works like “Frankenstein,” “Of Mice and Men” and “Treasure Island” – on Saturdays through the winter. Tickets are $15 and available at www.animascitytheatre.com or at the ACT’s box office.
A swinging holiday pary
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is best known for its rowdy and swinging big-band sound, its retro zoot-suit look and its major contributions to a modern revitalization of ’40s-’50s swing. What people may not realize about the band, however, is that it also throws a helluva holiday party. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is bringing that party to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, at 7 p.m. Sunday. The band, which formed in LA in 1992, gained mainstream popularity in the ’90s with its polished and brassy fusion of classic jazz, Dixieland, swing and big band music. The popular touring act released a holiday album, “It Feels Like Christmas Time” in 2013 that lends a slick Sinatra-esque feel to tracks like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Jingle Bells.” Hear those songs and more on Sunday, and wear your pinstripes. Tickets start at $40. Visit www.durangoconcerts.com for yours.
Bet your bottom dollar
Need a break from the turkey leftovers, the football and the beginning of holiday shopping madness this weekend? Head over to Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St., on Saturday afternoon for a bluegrass show. The Bottom Dollar String Band, a youthful five-man string band from central Texas, will play a show from 4:30-6 p.m. Bottom Dollar will unspool bluegrass from Texas hill country that tells of love, whiskey and life on the road. And everybody knows what goes well with bluegrass. Well, beer of course.
