This guide to Valentine’s Day can be used by anyone in any stage of a romantic relationship, from contentedly single to lawfully wed. Depending on your status, sub in a platonic pal for a date and go to town. Since Feb. 14 falls on a Monday this year, we thought you’d prefer to celebrate over the weekend. But if your special someone still wants to go out on Valentine’s Day, or if you are looking for to-do’s a la carte, click here for our online events calendar.
Romance around the world
Take a world-class Italian opera production and bookend it with delicious global cuisine for a world tour without leaving the city limits.
The centerpiece of this excursion is Syracuse Opera’s staging of Don Giovanni at 8 p.m. Friday Feb. 11 and 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. 13.
Mozart’s operatic interpretation of legendary lothario Don Juan is decidedly unromantic, though it blends comedy with its darker undertones of deceit and a reckless lifestyle. Bonus: The lead character is a jerk, but he’ll remind your date of what a great catch you are.
The Syracuse Opera casts local performers for its productions, and cast members rehearse eight hours a day for only two weeks before opening night, said Syracuse Opera publicist Joe Stabb.
Tickets range from $18 up to $163; check the seating chart and secure your seats at syracuseopera.com.
But before you settle into your seats at the Mulroy Civic Center, flex your taste buds by trying an ethnic dish.
Here are our suggestions for a meal before and dessert after the opera:
On Friday, check out Tappy Hour at Laci’s Tapas Bar at 304 Hawley Ave. Follow up the main event with a hearty dessert waffle at Funk N’ Waffles on Marshall Street. Or begin with a Polish feast at Eva’s European Sweets at 1305 Milton Ave., (check out the Yelp! review here.) . Then treat yourself to bread pudding and a stout at Kitty Hoynes in Armory Square.
If you opt for the Sunday matinee performance, indulge in the breakfast brunch at L’Adour Restaurant Francais , 110 Montgomery St., and fill up on French delicacies. Choose from three ethnic spots for dessert: Mexican at The Mission , 304 E. Onondaga ; Asian fusion at Lemong Grass in Armory Square or Indian at Taj Indian Palace , 3138 Erie Boulevard East.
Laugh ’til it hurts
There is a reason romantic relationships are timelessly hilarious: we’ve all been there, for the sickeningly sweet parts and the pull-your-hair-out crazy parts.
And for this Valentine’s Day, Not Another Theater Company wants to help you relive those emotions with “Love Letters and Hate Mail.”
The production includes two one-act plays, beginning with A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters,” a romantic classic told through love letters written over 50 years. “Love Letters” is directed by Dustin M. Czarny and features married couples Dan Stevens and Nora O’Dea, and Mark and Cathy English on alternate nights.
“You’ve Got Hate Mail,” by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Millimore, is intended as a comic answer to the first act and is a demonstration of how modern technology, when mistakenly misused, can wreak havoc on a relationship. Spouses Navroz and Binaifer Dabu star, along with Pam Hipius, Dustin Czarny and Crystal Roupas directed by Greg Hipius.
Starring spouses Navroz and Binaifer Dabu, Dustin M. Czarny and Heather J. Roach, with Pam Hipius; directed by (Pam’s husband) Greg Hipius.
The only dedicated dinner theater in Syracuse will stage this latest love-themed offering Fridays and Saturdays from Feb. 11 to 19, with dinner at 6:45 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m., or as brunch and matinee on Sunday Feb. 13, with brunch at 12:45 p.m. and show at 2 p.m.
Dinner tickets are $29 or $55 for couples; see the show only for $20. Visit dontfeedtheactors.com for additional information.
After the show, head to Singers Karaoke Club in Solvay and take your place on the stage. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let your song choice reflect your relationship status.
Don’t worry, the sound of laughter is, as always, encouragement.
My cheesy valentine
The only way an 11-hour B-movie marathon can be any cheesier is if it were preceded with an authentic cheesesteak sandwich from Taste of Philadelphia .
So we humbly suggest you arrive to the Eastwood gem with enough time to savor every greasy bite before the Low Budget Pictures 20th Anniversary Farewell Throwdown begins at 4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 12 just a block away at the Palace Theater.
Taste of Philadelphia, at 2533 James St., has been serving the finest shaved steak and cheese hoagies north of the PA border since 1976. The shop is open Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m. and serves the perfect food to fuel your excursion into the part goofy, part gruesome world of B-movies.
Chris Seavers’ film production company Low Budget Pictures has made 40 over-the-top comedy-horror movies since February 1991. But after 20 years, Seavers said it was time to throw in towel.
Lucky for Syracuse fans, though, Low Budget Pictures will go out with a bang. The farewell bash will screen LBP films as well as B-movie horror classics from 4 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, along with Q&A sessions with scene legends like Debbie Rochon (“Night of the Living Dead,” 1968), and dealer tables.
“It’s definitely for people who love cheesy b-movie schlock,” said Seavers. But casual fans can revel in the gritty, goofy goodness, too, with more “mainstream” offerings like the 1986 flick “Never Too Young to Die,” starring John Stamos and Gene Simmons.
Been wondering where you can buy your honey a pair of replica Freddy Kruger gloves? Pick up a pair at the Palace on Saturday, and peruse other dealer tables, too.
Admission to the LBP 20th Anniversary Farewell Throwdown is $15 or $10 for students. Must be 17 or older.
Word to the wise: We know that what we’re suggesting here is not for those with a weak stomach, but it is for anyone on a mission to ignore, forget or disregard the romantic obligation that sometimes comes along with Valentine’s Day. If you choose this as your first date, or to show that special someone how fuzzy they make you feel inside, well, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Nurture the nature
Make Saturday a day to appreciate the great outdoors, without having to spend all day in the cold.
Did you know the Rosamond Gifford Zoo opens at 10 a.m. all year round? And since 60 percent of the animals at the zoo are housed indoors, there is plenty to see even in the coldest months. Admission rates are slashed in half for the winter season, so pay just $4 for adults for adults; $2 for 3- to 18-year-olds and $2.50 for seniors age 62 and up.
When you’ve had enough fresh air, settle in at the Museum of Science and Technology’s Bristol IMAX Omnitheater for a super-sized show. Choose from “Under the Sea” at noon, 2 and 4 p.m., “Africa: The Serengeti” at 1 p.m., “Aliens of the Deep” at 3 p.m. or “Amazon” at 5 p.m. Each film runs less than an hour and lets you feel surrounded by the environment on the six-story high screen.
Admission to one movie costs $9.50 per adult, add a second movie for $5 or admission to the museum for $7. (Come on, when was the last time you walked through the Discovery Cave?)
There are additional IMAX show times at 6, 7 and 8 p.m., but if you want to get to your next destination on time you’ll have to get going.
From 7 to 9 p.m., take your valentine by the arm and traipse through a lantern-lit path in the evening wilderness at Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus. The Sweetheart Snowshoe program follows a romantic ramble through the woods with hot drinks and decadent desserts indoors. Cost is $30 per couple; BWNC members pay $20 per couple; baltimorewoods.org.
Word to the wise: Experienced snowshoe enthusiasts recommend wearing lightweight layers, waterproof footwear and wool socks instead of cotton, which won’t wick moisture away from your skin. A hat and gloves or mittens are a must, and grab your gaiters if you’ve got ’em – nobody likes a grumpy date with wet ankles.
