8 best holiday shows this season in the Twin Cities area
Looking for a little comfort and joy? Dashing to these holiday shows should help make the season merry and bright.
GLOW Holiday Festival
Save the family a little extra cash on the electric bill and get your holiday lights fix at this illuminous attraction. The grounds of CHS Field are draped with more than a million lights that wind through holiday vignettes with themes such as the Enchanted Forest, Present Palace and Color Blossoms. For an extra fee, guests can get the perspective of a flying reindeer by whizzing above the field on Vixen's Zip Line. An artist-created mosaic flame represents the regional charities that benefit from the event. One dollar from each ticket is donated. (5-9 p.m., select dates Nov. 16-Dec. 31, $12.75-$20.75, 360 N. Broadway, St. Paul, glowholiday.com)
Tidings of Comfort and/or Tidings of Joy: Even the surliest Scrooge will be enchanted at GLOW.
MELISSA WALKER
Christmas with the Singers
What's your favorite Christmas carol? This sweet-voiced chamber choir asked that on its website and more than 350 fans voted. Matthew Culloton conducts arrangements of the top eight at these concerts, along with seasonal works by B.E. Boykin, Steve Heitzeg, Stephen Paulus, Rosephanye Powell and a premiere by Isaac Lovdahl. Harpist Min Kim supports the otherwise a cappella Singers. (3 p.m. Dec. 3, Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 France Av. S., Mpls.; 2 p.m. Dec. 10, Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1938 Stanford Av., St. Paul, $35, singersmca.org)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: Cuddle up with some familiar favorites and wrap yourself in a warm blanket of harmony.
ROB HUBBARD
'CHILL: The Entire Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack, Played Live and Danced!'
Back in 2017, Rhythmically Speaking hit upon an idea for a holiday show that proved to have a balance of holiday spirit and something a little different. Setting Vince Guaraldi's beloved "A Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack to jazz dance choreography, choreographer Erinn Liebhard, RS' artistic and executive director, created a cheerful pandemonium of rhythmic movement. The next year, they expanded the work, and brought it back in 2019, as well, delighting audiences. Now, after a four-year hiatus, "CHILL: The Entire Charlie Brown Christmas" returns to the Amsterdam Bar in the city where "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz was born. With updated choreography and live music, it's a worthy addition to the Twin Cities holiday show landscape. (7 p.m. Dec. 1, 2 & 7 p.m. Dec. 2, 2 p.m. Dec. 3, Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 6 W. 6th St. St. Paul, $20 advance, $24 at the door, $10 kids 12 and under, amsterdambarandhall.com, 612-285-3112)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: Vince Guaraldi's music conjures nostalgic memories of the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" film.
SHEILA REGAN
Holidays in art
This holiday season, take a self-guided tour through the Minneapolis Institute of Art and learn about four holidays: Yalda (Persian winter solstice), Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas. The tours take place in galleries 243, 250, 254, 357 and 362, and visitors can follow the stops on a flyer, moving along as they see fit. (Starts Dec. 1, hours: Thu. 1-3 p.m. & 6-8 p.m., Sun. 1-3 p.m. No tours Dec. 24. 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls., free, new.artsmia.org or 612-870-3000)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: Seeing artwork connected to these seasonal holidays is a joyful experience.
ALICIA ELER
Peabo Bryson and Hailey Reinhart
Back in the day, Bryson teamed up with various singers like Patti Austin and Sheena Easton for the annual Colors of Christmas Tour. For this season's Home for the Holidays Tour, the veteran Grammy winner is pairing with 2011 "American Idol" favorite Haley Reinhart, who has released five solo albums and toured with Postmodern Jukebox. Bryson is known for his duets, including "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Roberta Flack and the Disney themes "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin" with Regina Belle. (6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Dec. 21-22, the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $60-$75, dakotacooks.com)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: This will be as cozy as roasting chestnuts o'er an open fire.
JON BREAM
Tina Schlieske's Holiday Get-Together
After raising the refinished roof at south Minneapolis' coolest neighborhood theater last holiday season, the incomparable bandleader of Tina & the B-Sides is returning this year for two nights with "friends," of which she has a lot after nearly four decades in the Twin Cities music scene. The Springsteen-like, high-passion rocker will deliver some of her own standards alongside holiday tunes made famous by the classic performers she channels so well. (8 p.m. Dec. 15 & 16, Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., $35-$45, theparkwaytheater.com)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: A genuine home-for-the-holidays vibe with a Minnesota expat.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
German Christmas in St. Paul
Celebrate Christmas the German way this year with authentic food, beer, mulled wine (glühwein), crafts, visits with Sankt Nikolaus and an alpaca petting zoo. Many of the Christmas traditions that Americans know originally came from Germany, so this is a chance to further understand the connection. Snack on bratwurst, pretzels and traditional cakes and tortes from local German restaurants and bakeries. (Dec. 2-3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Nikolaus noon-2 p.m. both days. Germanic-American Institute, 301 Summit Av., St. Paul. 612-222-7027. Check schedule for event times: gaimn.org/christmas)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: Can't go wrong with a visit from jolly old St. Nikolaus and a mouthful of pretzels.
ALICIA ELER
'Dinner for One'
Both as an 18-minute silent-style film and in live performance, Lauri Wylie's 1934 sketch comedy has become staple viewing around Christmas and New Year's Eve across much of Europe. The tradition has now leapt across the pond. "Dinner for One" is centered on an eccentric lady named Miss Sophie who has outlived her four closest friends. She invites them to a multi-course dinner anyway to mark her 90th birthday. James, Miss Sophie's butler, obliges his mistress and brings the ghosts of Sir Toby, Admiral von Schneider, Mr. Pomeroy and Mr. Winterbottom to life as he downs more and more spirits. Jungle Theater artistic director Christina Baldwin guides in this antic slapstick romp that recalls skits by Red Skelton and Lucille Ball. (Dec. 8–31, Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Pay-as-you-can. 612-822-7063 or jungletheater.org)
Tidings of Comfort/Joy: This show uses humor to tap into the besotted mirth and giddy excess of the season.
ROHAN PRESTON