Winter events for non-hibernating mammals

BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE

Your holiday events guide – random and quirky

There are SO MANY events to share this year, the whole thing will be presented in list format. For online ticket sales, I’ll provide the name (search term) for the website only. If in-person or phone ONLY ticket sales, that will be noted. In most cases, both the phone number (and sometimes email also) and the location and hours of the box office are given on the ticketing website or web page.
Ticket prices are mostly not given. Be sure and ask about senior and children’s discounts, and also pay-what-you-can programs. Specific times are given only for single events, with a date span given for theater runs and series. The following lists are in date order. If the presenting organization does not have its own venue, the venue will be given after the organization.

Plays, revues, musicals

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Children’s Theatre – Nov. 8 thru Jan. 8, 2023 – tickets online or by phone or at the Children’s Theatre box office. Based on a children’s book by Dr. Seuss.
• A Christmas Carol – Guthrie Theater – Nov. 12 thru Dec. 31 – tickets online or by phone or at the Guthrie Theater box office. This is the same adaptation that debuted last year and is directed by the artistic director, Joseph Haj.
• Mysterious Affair at Styles – Theatre in the Round – Nov. 18 thru Dec. 18 – tickets online or by phone or at the Theatre in the Round box office. Based on a 1920 novel by Agatha Christie, this tale marks the first appearance of the iconic Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
• Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley – Jungle Theater – Nov. 19 thru Dec. 23 – tickets online or by phone or at the Jungle box office. This is the third episode in a series, but you don’t need to have seen 1 and 2. (It helps if you are familiar with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, though.)

• A Servant’s Christmas – History Theatre – Nov. 19 thru Dec. 18 – tickets online or by phone or at the History Theatre box office. The play is set in a Summit Avenue stately home in the year 1899. It was first performed in 1980, when the History Theatre was only one year old.
• Black Nativity – Penumbra Theatre – Nov. 29 thru Dec. 24 – tickets online or by phone or at the Penumbra box office. This is one of the most revered holiday events in the Twin Cities, so if you haven’t seen it yet, make it a priority. As we have learned, these cultural gems don’t always last forever.

• Christmas at the Local – Theater Latte Da – Nov. 29 thru Jan.1, 2023 – tickets online or by phone or at the Latte Da box office. A world premiere, featuring Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” composed by Cerys Matthews and Mason Neely and “The Longing for Amazing Peace,” music by Chastity Brown and lyrics by Dr. Maya Angelou. On a

cold winter’s night, a group of locals gather to raise a glass and play a tune, calling forth the spirit of the holidays through story and song.
• A Christmas Carol : A Ghost Story – Wayward Theatre Company at the James J. Hill House – Nov. 30 thru Jan. 1, 2023 – tickets online ONLY thru an app on the Wayward Theatre website (but there is an email address if you have problems or need to cancel). This is a walking performance where audiences will move with the troupe throughout the house.
• The Snowy Day – Park Square Theatre – Dec. 1 thru Dec. 23 – tickets online or by phone or at the Park Square box office. The play is based on the wildly popular children’s books by Ezra Keats.
• Christmas Carol Krampus – Classics Lost ‘n’ Found Theater Company at Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church – Dec. 9 thru Dec. 17 (Fridays and Saturdays only). NOTE: tickets are NOT sold online but are available only at the door and only cash or checks accepted. Call 612-724-4539 if

you need more information. (They do have a website.)
• Cancel Cultured Pearls with Miss Richfield – Illusion Theater at Center for the Performing Arts – Dec. 9 thru Dec. 18 – tickets online ONLY (all tickets are e-tickets which you print and bring or display from your smartphone). Start on the Illusion Theater website and use the “View Calendar” option to access tickets. “Miss Richfield 1981 returns to bring her annual, always irreverent, always different every night Holiday Pro’grum back to Illusion.”
• Basement Ladies – Troupe America (previously Plymouth Playhouse) at the Ames Center – ongoing now thru Feb. 15, 2023 – tickets online thru Ticketmaster (link on website) or in person at the Ames Center box office. This is a long-running comedy series, and each year is a little different. Troupe America is one of three resident companies at the Ames Center in Burnsville.

Music events

• Xmas by the Pool: Trailer Trash’s Trashy Little Xmas Show – Trailer Trash at the Parkway Theater – Dec. 3 only – tickets online at the Parkway website.
• Xmas by the Pool: Trailer Trash’s Trashy Little Xmas Show – Trailer Trash at the Hook & Ladder Theater and Lounge – Dec. 9 only – tickets online or at the Hook & Ladder box office.

• Ginger Commodore: Christmas With A Whole Lotta Soul – Chanhassen Dinner Theatres – Dec. 14, shows at 1 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – tickets online at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres website.
• Greg Brown “Retirement Party” with Bo Ramsey – Cedar Cultural Center – Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. – call the Cedar’s box office at 612-338-2674 for tickets and more information.

Films

New category this year! These are all in the Parkway Theater’s Christmas Movies+ series. You can buy individual tickets online at the Parkway website, or at the door. You can also buy a series pass for significant savings.
• Gremlins (1984) with pre-movie live music by The Orange Goodness – Dec. 1, 7 p.m. music, 8 p.m. film.

• Bad Santa (2003) with pre-movie Bad Santa Costume Contest – Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. costume contest, 8 p.m. film.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) with pre-movie live music by Ben Cook-Feltz – Dec. 22, 7 p.m. music, 8 p.m. film.
• Die Hard (1988) with pre-movie debate: “Is this a Christmas movie?” – Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m. debate, 8 p.m. film.
• Love, Actually (2003) with pre-movie live music by Simon Husbands – Dec. 29, 7 p.m. music, 8 p.m. film.

Dance

• Cirque Dreams Holidaze – Hennepin Theatre Trust at the Orpheum Theatre – Nov. 25 & 26 – tickets from the Hennepin Theatre Trust website or the State Theatre box office.
• Nutcracker Ballet – Hennepin Theatre Trust at the Orpheum Theatre – Dec. 2 & 3 –tickets from the Hennepin Theatre Trust website or the State Theatre box office.
• Ballet Minnesota presents its 34th annual The Classic Nutcracker – The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University – Dec. 16 thru Dec. 18 – tickets available online at The O’Shaughnessy website. Enjoy the return of this classic seasonal favorite which has become a family holiday tradition.
• Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy – Minnesota Dance Theatre at the State Theatre – Dec. 16 thru 23 – tickets available at Ticketmaster (Minnesota Dance Theatre) or at the State Theatre box office.
• MDT Nutcracker Festivi-Tea – Minnesota Dance Theatre at the Minneapolis Club – Dec. 23, 12:30 to 2 p.m. – tickets available through Eventbrite (MDT) for this fundraising tea party to coincide with the 3 p.m. performance of the Nutcracker the same day. (Purchase Nutcracker tickets separately.) Attending the tea party also gets you VIP status and perks at the show.

Markets and fairs

Most of these are free admission, as far as I know. Most also include food for purchase.
• Walker/New City Church Holiday Art Fair – Walker United Methodist Church – Nov. 19 & 20.
• Excelsior Christkindlmarkt – City of Excelsior at Municipal Lot behind Excelsior Brewing – Nov. 25 thru 27.
• European Christmas Market St. Paul – City of St. Paul at Union Depot – Nov. 25 thru Dec. 18 (weekends).
• Handmade Holiday Markets – Minneapolis Craft Markets at Lakes and Legends Brewing – Nov. 26, Dec. 3 & Dec. 10.
• Roseville Holiday Craft Fair – Harriet Alexander Nature Center at Roseville City Hall – Dec. 3 & 4.

Miscellaneous

• Ephemeral and Eternal: Holiday Paper Ornaments from the Soviet Union – exhibit at the Museum of Russian Art – Nov. 12 thru Jan. 15, 2023. Tickets are available at Eventbrite for the opening reception (Nov. 12, 7 to 9 p.m.).
• Sip and Wrap (21+) – Bitter North Studio at Casket Arts in Northeast Minneapolis – Dec. 7 & Dec. 14, 6 p.m. Learn creative wrapping techniques and go nuts with pompoms, tinsel, tassels, bottle brush trees, bows and more. Bring up to five items/boxes to wrap and an ID. Wrap materials and fine wine are included in the $65 ticket, available via Eventbrite.