Gifts of local performances are just a click away
Here’s a new way to look at your holiday shopping list. Rather than buying more stuff, how about giving more experiences? The Annapolis arts scene is filled with opportunities to treat your loved ones to live music, theatre, dance, lessons and more – gifts they’ll enjoy and remember long after the tinsel gets tossed.
We’ve compiled a few suggestions right here in town (no expeditions to the big city required), from performances to classes that unlock creativity. Purchase and tuck these tickets or gift certificates in a stocking. We guarantee you’ll see genuine glee under the tree. Bonus: you’ll be supporting the artists and organizations who enrich our community all year long.
Does your list include a film lover? Make their day with the gift of a pass to the Annapolis Film Festival. The annual event celebrates cinema with dozens of dramas, documentaries, and short features at four Annapolis venues, March 26–29. With nearly 70 titles ranging from mainstream releases to intensely individual creations, movie lovers will find plenty to discover. Purchase passes at a special rate through December 24 at annapolisfilmfestival.org.
Rams Head On Stage, photo courtesy of Rams Head Group
At Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis’ number one venue for contemporary music, powerhouse performers entertain audiences all year long. During the last week of January, the lineup will feature talented tribute bands paying homage to legends like Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Dave Matthews. Salutes to the Rolling Stones and Linda Ronstadt follow in February. Odds are good that hearing live versions of these superstars’ hits will delight your favorite fan. Shop for seats at ramsheadonstage.com.
If you’ve seen The Nutcracker and loved it, maybe it’s time to dip a toe shoe in contemporary ballet. Maryland Hall’s resident classical company, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, will present Momentum on February 13 and 14. The program, just right for a Valentine date night, spotlights a bevy of bright new dances choreographed by members of the BTM company, who say it’s their favorite show of the season. Buy tickets at balletmaryland.org/momentum.
Also in February, Compass Rose Theatre will partner with Anne Arundel Community College’s Department of Fine Arts to present Rent, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical that celebrates love and loss among struggling young artists in New York City. The heartfelt toast to creativity, resilience, and living an authentic life will be performed at the Humanities Little Theatre on the AACC campus February 6–March 8. Visit compassrosetheater.org for tickets.
While we’re at it, here’s one more for musical theatre fans: Colonial Players’ production of City of Angels, a clever spin on a film noir plot line. The show captures the snappy dialogue of a Raymond Chandler novel and the glitzy showmanship of classic Hollywood, with a score by Cy Coleman. It runs February 27 through March 28, and you can get seats online at thecolonialplayers.org.
Top: Annapolis Film Festival party, photo by Karen Lee Anderson; Bottom: Olga Kern, photo courtesy of Olga Kern; Right: Branford Marsalis, photo courtesy of Branford Marsalis
Maybe you’re on the hunt for a gift to ignite someone’s creative spark. If so, Art Farm has an out-of-the-box answer: a class in improvisation. The six-week session teaches the fundamentals of improv comedy, and no acting experience is needed. Good for a laugh, right? Art Farm’s catalog also offers instruction in photography, painting, and many other visual arts. Choose one or more for kids, teens or grown-ups. And if you’re looking for a present that combines an art adventure with the chance to mix and mingle in a social setting, there’s Art Farm’s new Art for Adults program. Learn more at artfarm.org.
As always, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts lives up to its name with a full slate of spring classes for new, intermediate and accomplished artists of any age. Check their website for offerings in media arts, movement, studio classes and much more. You can also purchase tickets for exciting performances—for example, the acclaimed Branford Marsalis on March 1 or the electrifying Step Afrika on April 17. Find gift certificates for classes and tickets for shows at marylandhall.org.
The Hall’s resident orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony, will serve up one of the most beloved works in the piano repertoire from February 27 to March 1: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, played by Olga Kern. The classical pyrotechnics promised in this performance could delight an amateur keyboardist on your holiday list—and wannabes, too. Visit annapolissymphony.org.
Are you inspired? You can start shopping right this minute. With just an hour and a laptop, you’ll be ready to box up an art-filled new year for family, friends—and maybe even yourself.
