A very merry fiasco
Christmas Eve, 1944, the BBC studios in London. America’s favorite singing cowboy Tex Riley and his troupe are scheduled to perform a special holiday concert for British listeners. The only thing is, they’re late. Out of desperation, Riley’s tour manager and producer grab whoever they can, slap them into costumes, hand them scripts and shove them in front of the live studio audience. The result is a hilarious fiasco and a holiday tale that’s not dripping in schmaltz. Thingamajig Theatre Company in Pagosa Springs is performing “Chaps! A Jingle Jangle Christmas” through Sunday. Tim Moore, Thingamajig’s artistic director, said the company chose this little-known holiday gem because it’s unconventional, unfamiliar and won’t over-saturate the audience in Christmas. “It’s just got a splash of Christmas in it,” Moore said. The play, which features a cast of six and a three-piece band, weaves together hilarious mayhem, radio nostalgia and a sweet spot for the holidays. See it at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, 2313 Eagle Drive. For more information or tickets, visit www.pagosacenter.org.
Zingers from Zingelman
James R. Zingelman, a bespectacled and bow-tied comedian who has performed at Denver’s Comedy Works and “The Dennis Miller Show,” will take the stage of the Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for Comedy Night. Zingelman has been a full-time stand-up comedian since the mid-1980s and also holds the peculiar position of being a hypnotist. He riffs on everything from growing up in a dysfunctional family to being a substandard student, and comes with a brand of comedy that’s clever, weird and generally clean. Tickets are $10 in advance. Visit www.henrystratertheatre.com for more information.
Holiday happenings
S’mores bar, live music, snowshoe touring and beer drinking. There’s a lot going on at Durango Mountain Resort this weekend besides skiing. Skiers can cozy up with local musician Rob Webster Saturday for some apres ski tunes, check out a skate ski clinic at The Nordic Center or partake in a beer dinner at Hoody’s. DMR is also hosting Snowshoe Alpenglow Evening Tours at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Participants will take a chairlift ride up the mountain, go on a guided snowshoe hike, dine on wine and cheese and snowshoe down the slopes during prime alpenglow hour. “It’s a unique experience to be able to see the views from a different perspective and snowshoe on the slopes, especially when nobody is there skiing or snowboarding,” said DMR Director of Communications Kim Oyler. “The sunset and the alpenglow, it’s just absolutely spectacular.” Tickets for the snowshoe tours are $65, and reservations are recommended. Visit www.durangomountainresort.com for more information.
