Esther Stilwell is the hilarious “The Lady of the Lake” in the production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” currently playing at The Opera House in Boston through Sunday, January 27. (Photo by Joan Marcus)

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2005, Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” has returned to Boston for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 27.

Lovingly “ripped-off” from the internationally famous comedy team’s most popular motion picture, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” the national touring production continues to do record business across North America.

Monty Python isn’t a person, but a group of British actors and writers (and one American) that performed their famous comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” on the BBC from 1969 to 1974, with subsequent international fame and success.

The Opera House is located at 539 Washington St., Boston. For more information, visit www.montypythonsspamalot.com or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 617-931-2787.

Ellis Antiques Show a Success

“The 48th Annual Ellis Antiques Show” was recently held at the Castle at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston and featured many exciting events, including a “Gala Preview Party” and a “Young Collectors' Night.”

The show was a benefit for the Ellis Memorial & Eldridge House, Inc (one of Boston's original settlement houses) and Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program at MassGeneral Hospital. Organized each year by a dedicated group of more than 100 volunteers, the Ellis show is considered one of the most prestigious antiques shows in the country and has raised millions of dollars for charity.

Cecily Colburn was the chairman with Chris Jussel as Show manager. Allison Pelligrino, Kate Coughlin and Kate Gilbane were co-chairs of “Young Collectors' Night.”

Leigh Keno, from WGBH's "Antiques Roadshow," was among the special guests at the Gala Preview. Congratulations and Best Wishes to all!

Museum to Host Free Open House on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

From Napoleon’s throne and Marilyn Monroe’s heels to short films and jazzy big-band music, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) will be full of surprises as it hosts a “Free Open House” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this coming Monday, January 21, from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The day, sponsored by Citizens Bank, will feature special performances, family programs, and gallery tours.

Two highly anticipated performances by Kendrick Oliver and the New Life Jazz Orchestra, a screening of short films on power and social justice, and art-making for families will take place.

In addition, all exhibitions will be free, including “Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815,” an exploration of the decorative arts during Napoleon’s reign; “Jewelry by Artists,” a stunning collection of contemporary studio craft jewelry; and “Drawing: A Broader Definition,” a survey of drawings on a variety of surfaces from diverse cultures.

Guided gallery tours will be offered throughout the day. Members of the MFA’s Teen Arts Council—a group of teenagers engaged in a year-long apprenticeship at the Museum—will give special tours of the exhibition “Walk This Way,” a treasure hunt through the galleries that pairs the MFA’s historic collection of shoes with Museum masterpieces.

Visitors will encounter a whole new world with general tours of the Museum’s collections—from American paintings to Asian sculpture—highlighting masterpieces from the MFA. A tour in American Sign Language is available to those who are hearing impaired, and a tactile sculpture tour will be offered to those who are blind or have low vision.

For more information, call 617-267-9300 or visit www.mfa.org.

BSO’s Tanglewood Season Announced

Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra located in Lenox, Massachusetts. In an unprecedented presentation of opera at Tanglewood, James Levine will open the “Boston Symphony’s 2008 Tanglewood Season” with a concert performance of Berlioz’ monumental opera “Les Troyens,” featuring the BSO, a stellar cast of internationally acclaimed singers, and the full-complement Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

This grand work will be performed in two parts: Saturday, July 5 (Part I) and Sunday, July 6 (Part II). For the first time ever, the festival’s annual “Berkshire Night” will take place on the evening of the first BSO concert of the season (Saturday, July 5), allowing 1,000 year-round residents of the Berkshires to enjoy “Tanglewood’s Opening Night” performance for free.

Tickets go on sale to the public on February 17 through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200 or online at www.tanglewood.org. For information about becoming a Friend of Tanglewood, call 617-638-9267.

Bank of America will be the exclusive season sponsor for Tanglewood, beginning in 2008 and running through 2012. This is the first long-term, multi-year season sponsorship for the Tanglewood music festival.

Enjoy!

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