Great Escape: Enjoy The First Weekend of 2012

Local happenings:

• Enjoy some laughs and singing at Crown & Anchor Tavern on Hartford Avenue.  Thursday, Jan. 5 is Open Mic Comedy Night with Mike Murray at 9 p.m.  Check out the comedy workshop before the show at 7 p.m.  Friday, Jan. 6 is Karaoke Night hosted by WickedCool Ronnie. The fun begins at 9 p.m. 

• Ball’s Sports Bar and Grille on Putnam Pike will host Cool Beans on Jan. 6 and AMMO on Jan. 7. The shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

• Hydrant performs on Jan. 7 at Bar 101 on Atwood Avenue. For more about Bar 101 and Hydrant visit: Bar 101 or Facebook.

Shows and Theatre:

• Shrek the Musical, based on the 2001 DreamWorks film and its sequels, is on stage this week at the Providence Performing Arts Center. You can catch the show this weekend Jan. 5-8.  For show times and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.ppacri.org/events.

• You can enjoy The Music of Abba on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. at The Vets.  This show has been called “the absolute best and most authentic ABBA show there is.”  Visit The Vets for show and ticket information.

• Tell your own story or just sit back and listen to some true stories from real people on Jan. 6 at Perishable Theatre’s Live Bait show.  The show begins at 10 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door. Visit Perishable Theatre or Calendar for more information.

At the RI Convention Center: 

• The Northeast Motorcycle Expo will be in town Jan 7 & 8. This event is family-friendly and children younger than 6 years old will be admitted for free. More information can be found at RI Convention Center or www.kevmarv.com

• If you are planning a wedding soon then you will not want to miss the 18^th Annual Southern New England Bridal Expo on Jan. 8 beginning at 10:15 a.m.  There will be two fashion shows, one at 1 p.m. and a second at 4 p.m.  Visit www.southernnewenglandbridalexpo.com for more information and to download a discount admission coupon.

Sports at The Dunk:

• The Dunk will host two Providence Bruins games and a PC Friars basketball game this weekend. The Providence Bruins take on the Portland Pirates on Jan 6 at 7:05 p.m. The PC Friars take to the court against Seton Hall on Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. and the Providence Bruins are back on the ice on Jan. 8 against The Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 4:05 p.m. More information for all of these events can be found at The Dunk.