Winter’s Best Bets

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: Dove of Peace Tour. Photo provided
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: Dove of Peace Tour. Photo provided

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Don’t let the cold keep you hunkered down at home. Get out and embrace the season. It seems like in recent years, Upstate New York has been able to attract some top talent to the perform in the region.

If you’re looking for a show, consider any of these.

Back to his stand-up comedy roots, Jerry Seinfeld shares his distinctive comedy at a show in Utica Dec. 6. Unlike may top acts, tickets are pretty reasonable, starting at $40. Seinfeld performs at The Stanley Theater (www.thestanley.org), 261 Genesee Street.

Get into the season’s spirit with Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: Dove of Peace Tour (www.nutcracker.com), appearing at Auditorium Theatre at Rochester Broadway Theatre League in Rochester (www.rbtl.org) Dec. 6. The New York Times has touted this touring performance, as it has appeared in more than 100 cities across the US and Canada. Tickets start at $28 to see this lavish staging of a Christmas classic.

The wildly popular Trans Siberian Orchestra (www.trans-siberian.com) brings to Buffalo “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” as its annual multi-sensory performance at KeyBank Center. Tickets range from $49.50 to $79.50.

Justin Timberlake fans, treat yourself to an early present this year when he performs at KeyBank Center in Buffalo Dec. 19 with his “The Man of the Woods” tour. Tickets are $53.50 to $229, available at www.tickets.com.

Multi-platinum selling group The Tenors bring their blend classical music and pop to The Vine in Waterloo (www.dellagoresort.com) Dec. 21. Tickets range from $30 to $195. The group has performed with Paul McCartney, Sarah McLachlan, Sting, Justin Bieber, Andrea Bocelli, Elton John, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, and David Foster.

Rocketing to fame as the youngest winner of “America’s Got Talent,” Darci Lynne demonstrates remarkable skills as a singing ventriloquist. Tickets to her show sell out quickly, so get yours for her Jan. 19 appearance at Landmark Theatre in Syracuse (www.landmarktheatre.org). Tickets are only $25 to $46.

Another show at The Vine in Waterloo, Bill Engvall brings his comedic talent with “Just Sell Him for Parts” comedy tour Jan. 26. at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. This is his only appearance in New York all winter.  Tickets range from $35 to $65.

Comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short need no introduction to anyone who has watched television or movies in the past 30 years. The Zany duo will perform Mar. 2 at Landmark Theatre (www.landmarktheatre.org) as part of their “Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t” 2019 comedy tour. They received four Emmy nominations for Netflix special “An Evening You Will Forget the Rest of Your Life” so don’t miss this live appearance. Tickets are $45 to $185.