There are very few of us left who haven’t seen the movie “A Christmas Story,” Jean Shepherd’s charming tale of the imaginative Ralphie Parker who desires a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” and “I triple dog dare you!” became catch phrases you couldn’t help but hear during the holidays. A few years ago Joseph Robinette wrote “A Christmas Story, the Musical” with music and lyrics by Benj...

     Christmas is in the air at the Academy Playhouse in Orleans as “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” takes the Academy Playhouse stage through Dec. 18.      This year’s Christmas pageant was going to be different. Grace had never directed the Christmas pageant before, and the Herdmans — probably the worst kids in history — had never even heard of a Christmas pageant. What could possibly go wrong? Bas...

If “jumbo shrimp” is an oxymoron, what is “very small shrimp”? Whatever you call it, shrimp with the Latin name pandalus borealis, or Arctic shrimp, are big with flavor and eye appeal. This crustacean does not come from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the coasts of our southeastern states. Neither is it ever “farm raised” like its cousins tiger and brown shrimp. Arctic shrimp are exactly what they sou...

Here it is December and some of the superstars of the bird world have returned to their favorite winter roosting and hunting spots. This means snowy owls may now be seen at some area beaches and dune areas. Because of the undisciplined and often downright disturbing responses to this annual event, most reputable birding sites online no longer publish information about where and when to find these beautiful bir...

     The holidays are off to a festive start at Cape Cod Theatre Company/HJT, with the debut of a new monthly music event at the CCTC/HJT Arts Center, “Songs, Stories and Sounds,” on Friday, Dec. 9 and “A Christmas Story, The Musical” onstage Dec. 2 through 30.      Join Michael Paul Brennan, Sarah Swain, Allie Jason and Gabriella Simpkins for a night of “Songs, Stories and Sounds” at the CCTC/HJT Arts Center...

Here comes the time of excess. Even though we’ve been seeing holiday displays in shops and ads online and on TV since mid-October, now that Thanksgiving has passed, there will be no sense of restraint. Everything will be about the holidays and all the ways we can spend lots of money on gifts for others, or even ourselves if we are so inclined, gifts most of us don’t need. As a child way back when I remember ou...

When Sasha Tomasek-Little came to the Cape more than five years ago from farm country in Connecticut, she was struck by the ocean and fishermen who build their lives on it.  “It was mind-blowing how hard they work and the brotherhood,” Tomasek-Little said.  The Orleans resident was surprised the industry wasn’t celebrated more. Coming from a marketing and public relations background, it seemed to her there ...

     Chatham-based band Lefty Grove will perform a concert on Saturday, Nov. 26 starting at 6 p.m. to celebrate the release of their latest recording, “Extraterrestrial Anxiety.” The concert will take place at the Brewster VFW Post 9917, located at 989 Freemans Way.      Lefty Grove, which takes its name from a 1930s Boston Red Sox pitcher, is made up of guitarist and singer Pat Reynolds, drummer Paul MacAliste...

     Looking for an opportunity to ring in the holiday season with an evening of unforgettable songs celebrating two of the brightest stars of classic Hollywood and Broadway?      On Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. the Harwich Chamber of Commerce and Raineman Productions will present “Judy and Liza, The Songbook, a Holiday Celebration” featuring Chatham singer Lisa Jason and Broadway star Lucia Giannetta celebrat...

HARWICH – Navigate through the halls of Monomoy Regional High School during the middle of the school day and, if you’re lucky, you might be swept up by the beautiful sounds of inspirational rhythms being played by the Monomoy Jazz Band. Directed by Wayne Naus, a Harwich resident and professional musician who previously served as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music for 35 years, the jazz band has grown...

November sinks into the year like an old familiar log in mud. It’s a little unsteady and unpredictable but there’s something alluring about a little danger and darkness, so we take that wobbly step forward in spite of our apprehension.  Since the beginning of human time on earth we have tried to light up the dark, to see what was otherwise hidden. Back in the day, November’s shorter days and longer nights prob...

DENNIS — The recent screening of “Hello, Bookstore,” a documentary filmed in Lenox, Mass., brought back mixed memories for three Cape Cod small business owners who struggled to survive during the pandemic. “I was just thinking, god, that was awful,” Tom Deegan, owner of Mom and Pop’s Burgers in Chatham, said of the pandemic. “We did what we needed to do; we made a decision to keep (food service) outside, and w...