Music
Jazz and finger-style guitar will be showcased in a Minnesota Guitar Society concert on Wednesday, December 21, in Fingal’s Cave at MetroNOME Brewery, 289 E. Fifth St. Briand Morrison of Grand Portage will open the show from 6-7:30 p.m. followed by Daniel Volovets of the Twin Cities from 7:30-9 p.m.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return to Xcel Energy Center on Friday, December 23, with two performances of its 2022 winter show, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More. The concerts will begin at 3 and 7:30 p.m. For reservations, visit ticketmaster.com.
Hand drumming for beginners will be taught from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 28, at the Women’s Drum Center, 2242 University Ave. The cost is $15. Drums are provided. To register, visit womensdrumcenter.org.
The Minnesota Orchestra will rink in the new year with concerts on December 31 and January 1 under the baton of Marin Alsop and featuring guest pianist Awadagin Pratt. The program includes Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, Jessie Montgomery’s Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. The music begins at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Saturday’s show will be followed by vintage jazz from the band Belle Amour and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are $25-$130. Call 612-371-5656 or visit minnesotaorchestra.org.
The Minnesota Boychoir will present its winter concert at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, January 8, at Landmark Center. Free and open to all, the program will feature traditional favorites as well as secular hits, including Philip Brunelle’s arrangement of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” sung in English and Latin, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and a sing-along to “Good King Wenceslas.”
Katelyn Emerson will present an eclectic recital on the 55-rank Schlicker organ at 4 p.m. Sunday, January 8, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 3045 Chicago Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Admission is free and open to the public, though donations are welcome. A reception will follow in the Chapel Lounge. Call 612-827-5919 or visit mountolivechurch.org.
Exhibits
Relive Christmas in Saint Paul circa 1910 during guided tours of the James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave. The 60-minute tours of the Gilded Age mansion step out between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily, now through December 31. They feature holiday memories of both the Hill family and their domestic staff. The cost is $18, free for children age 4 and under.
“Threads of Freedom,” the art of veteran Jeffrey Stenbom, is being displayed through January 8 in the North Gallery at Landmark Center. Using primarily glass, Stenbom has created works shaped by his experiences in the Armed Services. Admission is free and open to all.
Tiny Art Expo, a show and sale by 40-plus artists from across the region, continues through January 8 at the Argyle Zebra Gallery, 308 Prince St. The exhibit includes 490 works measuring no more than 12-by-12 inches and selling for $100 or less. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call 651-224-3757 or visit theazgallery.org.
Examine history with the skills of detective Sherlock Holmes at the Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. Holmes, a creation of author Arthur Conan Doyle, was ahead of his time. Learn how he used seemingly trivial observations to solve the most puzzling mysteries. Then see how his techniques are used today in criminal investigations. The exhibit will remain on view through April 2. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors and college students, $6 for children ages 5-17. Visit mnhs.org or call 651-259-3000.
Theater
A long-running holiday tradition, Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity will be performed on December 20-24 at Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St. Lou Bellamy directs. Musical direction is by Sanford Moore and the Kingdom Life Church Choir. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $20-$45. Call 651-224-3180 or visit penumbratheatre.org.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, a musical adaptation of the classic folk tale, is being performed through December 31 at the Ordway Music Theater. Rajané Katurah, Nathaniel Hackmann and Jamecia Bennett star. For reservations, call 651-292-3268 or visit ordway.org.
Books
League of Minnesota Poets members will read from their verse in a free Literary Bridges program at 2 p.m. Sunday, January 8, at Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 S. Snelling Ave. Taking the dais will be Bill Anderson, Jessi Atherton, Mugunthan Ganesan, Patrick Cabello Hansel, Donna Isaac, Stan Kusunoki, Dralandra Larkins, Barry MacDonald, Michael Kiesow Moore, Tony Plocido and Micah Ruelle.
Film
Sound Unseen will screen The Elephant 6 Recording Co. at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 11, at Trylon Cinema, 2820 E. 33rd St. in Minneapolis. Winner of the jury award at the 2022 Sound Unseen festival, director Chad Stockfleth’s documentary tells of the Louisiana high schoolers who through experimentation with musical instruments and recording equipment created whole new worlds as members of the bands the Olivia Tremor Control, the Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel. Tickets are $13. Visit soundunseen.com.
Family
The Snowy Day, a drama about the joys of the season through the eyes of a child, will be performed by SteppingStone Theatre for Youth at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, December 22-23, at Park Square Theatre, 20 W. Seventh Place. Written by Jerome Hairston with music by Victor Zupanc, the play is based on the books by Ezra Jack Keats. Tickets are $16 and $20. Visit steppingstonetheatre.org.
The Twin City Model Railroad Museum, 668 Transfer Road, has brought back its Night Trains experience. From 3-7 p.m. on Saturdays (except Christmas Eve), now through February 25, the lights will be turned down and the model trains and the miniature villages through which they pass will be aglow in holiday decor. Admission to the museum is $15 for Night Trains, $10 at other times, free for children age 4 and under. For more information, visit tcmrm.org or call 651-647-9628.
Et cetera
More than 1,600 dogs in 197 breeds will compete for top honors in the Land O’ Lakes Kennel Club Dog Show on January 5-8 at Saint Paul’s RiverCentre. The show will run from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Owners of puppies ages 4-6 months may enter them in a mock dog show on the mornings of January 6-8. Experts will be on hand on January 7 and 8 to discuss the various breeds. A junior handling competition will be held on January 7. Admission is $10.50, $8.50 for seniors and veterans, $5 for children ages 5-12, $26 for a family of four. For information on particular show times, visit landolakeskennelclub.org.
Join District 64B Representative Dave Pinto for an informal conversation about the Minnesota Legislature’s 2023 session between 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, January 7, at the Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Pkwy.
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