BE MERRY

The best part of a new year is the promise of mys­tery that comes along with the toasts at midnight.

Every year I find myself, along with many oth­ers, wondering what the new year will bring. Will the econ­omy grow? Will there be changes in the office? Will I ever make it to the gym? Most importantly, if I wear yoga pants all year and never do any yoga, are they still yoga pants?

It's all very overwhelming and exciting.

I always like to start the year off feeling cultural - as if by attending shows I become magically classier. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

The first event to check out is "Nunsense II: The Second Coming" at the Liberty Theater. The musical comedy by Dan Goggin premiers at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, and is rumored to be a real hoot. But then, I can't think of any time when a stage full of singing nuns wasn't entertaining.

The show runs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26 and closes at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27. Tickets are available to everyone online but if you don't intend to silence your phone during the show, I'll glare at you while you buy your tickets.

The mystery of the new year continues at the Weinhard Hotel's Murder Mystery Weekend. The weekend getaway includes points of interest maps to explore the city's historic buildings and great local businesses for visitors during Jan. 25-27, Feb. 8-10 and 22-24, along with other great ameni­ties.

The weekend is $485 per couple and includes two nights' lodging, individual character packets for the murder mystery, a dessert reception on Friday evening, continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings, a wine and cheese reception on Saturday evening, a four course murder mys­tery dinner on Saturday evening, catered by the Weinhard Café, and awards at breakfast on Sunday.

For locals, or for those of us with a tighter budget but an equal urge to win at a real-life version of the board game Clue, the Weinhard is also offering a one-night stay on Sat­urday night for $198 per couple to partake in a less extended version of the mystery. The one night stay also includes a wine and cheese reception on Saturday evening and the four course murder mystery dinner as well as the awards at breakfast on Sunday.

The players in the mystery can be bribed for answers and clues to help solve the mystery using "funny money," which participants can pick up at local businesses on the points of interest map.

Weinhard Hotel staff and volunteers for the weekend have pulled out all of the stops to take the mystery out of having a fun weekend.