Laugh out loud
For the first time since 2002, Robin Williams returns to his stand-up roots. The actor and comedian extraordinaire brings his “Weapons of Self-Destruction Tour” to the Palace Theatre in Albany early this month. From his first role as the beloved Mork from Ork on TV’s Mork & Mindy — which made him a star overnight — to his Academy Award-winning performance in the film Good Will Hunting, Williams’ career has included a roughly equal number of comedies and serious dramas. The HBO broadcast of his 2002 stand-up act was nominated for five Emmys; this new show, we’re told, will include generous doses of Williams’ trademark free associations and rapid-fire riffs on social and political absurdities. Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. $59.50-$89.50
19 Clinton Ave., Albany. 518-465-3334 or www.palacealbany.com
Skip the sales
Looking for a way to spend Thanksgiving weekend that doesn’t involve a shopping mall? Take the whole family to see the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall Theatre. This annual holiday spectacle features hand-painted sets decorated with unicorns and exotic birds, elaborate and ornate costumes, larger-than-life puppets, and an orchestra and cast of 50 Russian dancers (as well as young pirouetters chosen from local dance schools). And E.T.A. Hoffmann’s timeless tale of Clara’s adventures in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy — danced to Tchaikovsky’s equally timeless score — is a surefire way to get yourself into the holiday spirit. Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. Call for ticket information.
U.S.M.A. campus, West Point. 845-938-4159 or www.ikehall.com
Movie madness
Poughkeepsie’s Bardavon Opera House and the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston team up this month to present a pair of cinema cult classics. First up: Frankenstein, the original 1931 chiller, stars Boris Karloff as the obsessed scientist who creates a living being from exhumed corpses (Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bardavon; 845-473-2072 or www.bardavon.org). A week later, UPAC screens the 1984 “mockumentary,” This Is Spinal Tap. Director Rob Reiner’s satirical look at a British heavy-metal band’s disasterous U.S. tour — complete with malfunctioning stage props, a girlfriend who channels Yoko Ono, and a drummer who perishes by spontaneous combustion — is a flat-out riot. Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to both screenings are $5.
UPAC; 845-339-6088 or www.upac.org
Pictures and pendants
Artworks crafted in metal — and in the darkroom — currently are on view at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. Edge of the Sublime: Enamels by Jamie Bennett is a retrospective of pieces by this respected American enamelist. The exhibit features brooches, necklaces, and pendants that illustrate Bennett’s use of highly saturated color (through Nov. 16). Photographer Lilo Raymond’s solo show, An Elegant and Natural Light, includes images from the museum’s permanent collection, many of which are recent acquisitions. Works by the artist, who is a longtime Valley resident, can be found at both MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; she is renowned for depicting single objects with a unique, quiet beauty (through Dec. 14). Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1-5 p.m.
SUNY New Paltz campus. 1 Hawk Dr., New Paltz. 845-257-3844 or www.newpaltz.edu/museum
