what to do • where to go • what to see December 19,2005–January 1,2006 ThTheeeOfO Offficficiaiaiall GuidGuideeetot too BOSTBOSTONON Boston’s 9 Best Bets for Ringing in the New YYearear Including: Our Guide to First Night PLUS: >What’s New in the New YearYear >Q&A with the Boston Pops’ Keith Lockhart www.panoramamagazine.com Now in our 2nd d Breaking Year!!! contents Recor COVER STORY 15 Countdown 2006 From First Night to rockin’ parties, our guide to the best places to ring in the New Year ® FEATURE 18 The Hub It Is A-Changin’ The Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change! Panorama takes a look at what’s new in Boston in 2006 in 2006 DEPDEPARTMENTSARTMENTS 6 around the hub 6 news & notes 12 nightlife 10 on exhibit 13 dining Men 11 kids corcornerner 14 style Love It Too!!! 22 the hub directory 23 currentcurrent events TIP TOP: TheThe TopTop ofof thethe HubHub 31 clubs & bars atat thethe PrudentialPrudential CenterCenter,, where LauraLaura enjoysenjoys champagne,champagne, is is oneone 33 museums & galleries ofof manymany ggreatreat locationslocations toto 38 maps celebratecelebrate 20062006 asas thethe clockclock “YOU’LL LOVE IT. IT’S 43 sightseeing strikesstrikes midnight.midnight. Refer to story, pagepage 15.15. 48 frfreedomeedom trail PPHOTOHOTO BY HILARIOUS. GO SEE IT!” 50 shopping JOHNSAVONEJOHNSAVONE..COM - Joy Behar, The View 54 mind & body 55 rrestaurantsestaurants on the cover: 68 NEIGHBORHOODS “FRESH, FUNNY & SIMPLY Model Ashley of Maggie Inc. 78 5 questions with… gets ready for a rrollickingollicking New Year’s Eve at Top of the Hub. TERRIFIC!” Boston Pops maestro Photo: johnsavone.com KEITH LOCKHARTLOCKHART Photo: johnsavone.com - LA Times Hair: Rogue, Salon Marc Harris Great Rates For Groups! To reserve call (617) 426-4499 ext. 25 Make-up: Shauna Shay, Tia Maria Make-up Styling: Victor Vargas, Team Clothing PrProvidedovided by STUART STREET PLAYHOUSE Marc Jacobs, Ermenegildo TELECHARGE 800-447-7400 OR AT BOX OFFICE WINDOW Zegna, Neiman MarMarcuscus 200 Stuart Street at the Radisson Hotel Boston www.menopausethemusical.com Produced by Heather Burke ___ DECEMBER 19, 2005–JANUARY 1, 2006 3 The Official Guide to BOSTON www.panoramamagazine.com December 19, 2005–January 1, 2006 Volume 55 • Number 16 Jerome Rosenfeld • CHAIRMAN Tim Montgomery • PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Christine Celli • EDITOR Scott Roberto • ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Josh B. Wardrop • ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sharon Hudak Miller • ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Heather S. Burke • PHOTO EDITOR Marketa Hulpachova • EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Della Huff, Juli Rubijono, John Savone, Tony Scarpetta • CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Coulter, Reshma Melwani, James Sligh, Kevin Spak • EDITORIAL INTERNS Jacolyn Ann Firestone • VICE PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING Rita A. Fucillo • DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Tyler Montgomery • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Angela Belanger, Colby Ann Burlingame • SALES/MARKETING INTERNS Peter Ng • INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Melissa J. O’Reilly • BUSINESS MANAGER George Ghareeb • TECHNICAL CONSULTANT While three-quarters of Boston is sleeping, PANORAMA is published bi-weekly by Jerome Press Publications Inc. Editorial and advertising offices at 332 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210. Telephone (617) 423- 3400. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced with- out written permission of the publisher. PANORAMA is a member of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, The Back Bay Association, The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Boston Concierge Association, the Harvard Square there’s a party going on at the Top of the Hub. Business Association, the Newbury Street League and the Downtown Crossing Association. PANORAMA is audited by BPA Worldwide, an 4 independent audit bureau recognized by the 0 fabulous years American Association of Advertising Agencies. LATE NIGHT BISTRO • LIVE JAZZ NIGHTLY CALL 617.536.1775 a magazine affiliate 800 Boylston Street, Prudential Center, Boston ___ ___ 4 PANORAMA DECEMBER 19, 2005–JANUARY 1, 2006 5 calendar of events aroundthehubby Josh B. Wardrop news&notes MONDAY, DECEMBER 19 Today and tomorrow the Brattle Theatre presents a Wes Anderson Double Feature, screening the director’s The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore. Refer to listing, Throughout the month page 24. of December, Tingle is donating $10 from every THURSDAY, ticket sold to his one-man DECEMBER 22 show Jimmy Tingle’s Christmas is all about giving, so American Dream to Globe Loews Boston Commons is Santa, the Christmas giving you a free showing of charity for underprivileged It’s a Wonderful Life tonight at children and families run 8 p.m. Refer to listing, page 24. by the Boston Globe. Refer to listing, page 23. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23 Whither the Wilbur? Enjoy an authentic Celtic TEMPTING Christmas with harpist/vocalist TINSELTOWN WITH ne of Boston’s most venerable theaters faces an uncertain future, with the recent Áine Minogue at Cambridge TAX BREAKS Oannouncement that media conglomerate Clear Channel Entertainment will not renew folk hot spot Club Passim. its lease on the Wilbur Theatre when it expires in August. Following in the footsteps Refer to listing, page 27. The 1,200 seat venue was built in 1914, and has hosted such notable productions as of such Hollywood hits as the 1938 world premiere of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, A Streetcar Named Desire Mystic River, Good Will TUESDAY, starring Marlon Brando in 1947, and, more recently, the 1998 revival of Wait Until Dark Hunting and the soon-to- DECEMBER 27 starring Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. be-released The Departed, There’s no orchestra like the Principal owner Robert Merowitz has said that the theater is not for sale, despite the a greater number of motion Trans-Siberian Orchestra, loss of potential big-name productions attracted by Broadway in Boston, Clear Channel’s pictures may be coming to which brings its distinctive mix local theatrical booking division. One theory posited thus far—that the building could the Hub to film now that of classical music and arena become the new home of a variety of nightclubs owned by Louis Delpidio, a co-owner of Governor Mitt Romney has rock to the TD Banknorth Garden the Wilbur—is purely speculative at this time. signed a bill into law today. Refer to listing, page 27. promising tax credits to filmmakers. The law repre- FRIDAY, GIVING AND GIGGLING sents a big step forward in DECEMBER 30 The holidays are all about making others feel good, and that’s something comedian reviving movie and televi- It’s your absolute last chance Jimmy Tingle (pictured above right), who has made a career out of getting laughs for sion studios’ interest in to see Boston Ballet’s The ONIOU NT more than two decades, knows all about. This holiday, though, he’s giving his audiences filming in Massachusetts— Nutcracker! (Well, at least until A a chance to get in on the action while having a great time themselves. a state full of great loca- next year, anyway.) Enjoy a RIC tions, but also one of the healthy dose of Clara, evil mice E most expensive places in and sugar plum fairies at the BY news & notes 6 • on exhibit 10 • kids corner 11 • O America to make movies. beautiful restored Opera House. T nightlife 12 • dining 13 • style 14 HO cont. on page 8 >> Refer to listing, page 25. P ___ ___ PHOTO BY S COTT ROBERTO J IMMY T INGLE PHOTO BY 6 PANORAMA C ATHARINE M C D ERMOTT-TINGLE DECEMBER 19, 2005–JANUARY 1, 2006 7 around the hub NEWS & NOTES AIRPORT SPECIAL DOWNTOWN TO LOGAN: $20 BACK BAY TO LOGAN: $25 “The Best Ride in Town” Your own Private Limousine and Chauffeur IRISH PUBS: << cont. The new law Meanwhile, a new name COMINGS AND from page 7 states that on the scene, Goody Glover’s from your downtown hotel to Logan Airport... GOINGS productions that (50 Salem St., 617-367-6420), incur at least $250,000 Hard as it is to believe that has emulated the TV indus- u Luxurious Lincoln Town Car Fleet in production costs in Boston could possibly have try’s strategy of “counterpro- Massachusetts will be room for more Irish pubs, a gramming”—taking up resi- u Courteous, Reliable Service eligible for income and pair of new ones have dence right in the heart of corporate excise tax opened this month—and in the predominantly Italian u Transportation to Theatres, Restaurants and credits equal to 20% of rather interesting locations. North End neighborhood. No the Casinos the production’s Massa- Popular Kendall Square doubt Goody Glover’s is chusetts payroll. Also fixture Tommy Doyle’s banking that their offerings u Shopping and Sightseeing Tours included in the new law recently opened their third of shepherd’s pie and corned are provisions for a 25% location at 96 Winthrop St., beef and cabbage will carve Tours include Cambridge, Concord and Lexington, credit for production near Harvard Square a niche for itself in a neigh- Salem, Plymouth, Newport,Cape Cod and Cape Ann expenses and an exemption (pictured above), occupying borhood already swimming from state sales taxes. the former home of in calamari and pizza pie. Equally attractive rates from hotels outside of All of which should Cambridge’s House of ensure that when Blues. The newly remodeled, Boston to the Logan airport. All Major Credit Cards Accepted CORRECTION Hollywood wants to make multi-story pub boasts a a movie about Boston, full menu of burgers, appe- In our December 5 issue, we they can actually shoot it tizers and pub favorites as incorrectly listed the Swiss in Boston, and not cheaper well as a stellar selection of Army watch from Swiss alternatives like Canada, beers. The new Doyle’s even- Watchmaker at $25–35 in such as was the case with tually plans to host live our Holiday Gift Guide.