We have officially reached the point in 2024 where, as one Instagram post put it, I’m ready to throw a turkey in the oven, put up a Christmas tree and call it a year. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to put up my holiday decorations, but I think I’m going to start this weekend. I’m a big believer in doing what makes you happy, especially when it comes to holiday decor. And right now, I could use a little Christmas.

Speaking of the holidays, we’re off the end of next week, so there won’t be a Thursday newsletter. But don’t fret — I’ve got plenty of fun stories lined up as we wrap up the year, including a round-up of local holiday festivities and a preview of an event that seeks to make art buying easy for everyone.

Your weekend plans

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opens Thursday at Weathervane Playhouse. This marks the 20th time the theater organization has presented the musical during the holiday season. The show tells the biblical story of Joseph, who is sold into slavery by his family but eventually rises to a position of power in Egypt and helps save the country during a famine. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The show runs until Dec. 22. 

Legendary folk singers Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform at the Goodyear Theater Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The duo released their latest album, “Woodland,” in August. It marked their first LP of all new material in seven years. (The album is named after the Nashville music studio the two own, which was heavily damaged by a tornado in 2020.) Tickets to the show start at $44.50.

The Millennial Theatre Project will present “Say it Loud” Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Akron Soul Train. The play is an original work by Francine Parr and Maya Nicholson. It centers on the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the national protests that followed. The performance will be followed by an audience talkback, which is a post-show discussion to foster conversation about the show’s topic. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

Culture & Arts Reporter (she/her)
Brittany is an accomplished journalist who’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement and great storytelling. She has more than a decade of experience covering culture and arts, both in Ohio and nationally. She previously served as the associate editor of Columbus Monthly, where she wrote community-focused stories about Central Ohio’s movers and shakers. A lifelong Ohioan, she grew up in Springfield and graduated from Kent State University.