ASSASSIN’S CREED
Films based on established video game franchises are never awful. Well, except for Lara Croft, Mortal Kombat, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Hitman, Prince of Persia, Need for Speed, Ratchet & Clank, Angry Birds, Warcraft and pretty much every game-based film ever. It doesn’t help that Justin Kurzel’s action/adventure, about a man reliving his ancestor’s past as a member of an ancient order of assassins and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, looks dreadful. Opens Wednesday, Dec. 21. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

BLOOD ON THE MOUNTAIN
A searing investigation into industrial control of resources in West Virginia, Mari-Lynn C. Evans and Jordan Freeman’s documentary details the struggles of hard-working, misunderstood people who have never benefited fairly from the rich, natural resources of their land. The movie delivers a striking portrait of a people exploited by corporate interests and abandoned by politicians — sadly as relevant now as ever, given the incoming president’s stated intentions of reviving and reducing regulations over coal mining and related industrial practices. Opens Friday, Dec. 16. Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

COLLATERAL BEAUTY
Will Smith loses a child and, struggling in the aftermath, pens letters to the concepts of Death, Love and Time. Suprise! Three people, claiming to be Death (Helen Mirren), Love (Keira Knightley) and Time (Jacob Latimore), show up and try to convince him to move on. Are they real? Were they hired by his friends? We have no idea, but Kate Winslet, Edward Norton and Michael Peña are also here for this confusing drama from David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada). Opens Friday, Dec. 16. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

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LA LA LAND
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) writes and directs a romantic musical dramedy starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Mia (Stone) is an aspiring actress, Sebastian (Gosling) a jazz musician. They meet and fall in love, but their separate dreams threaten to pull them apart. Critically acclaimed, The Guardian called it a “sun-drenched musical masterpiece.” Opens Friday, Dec. 16. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

MOONLIGHT

One of those rare and extraordinary cinematic experiences that pulls you deeply into its narrative, Moonlight artfully guides viewers towards an emotional payoff without once feeling manipulative or artificial. It is an extraordinary achievement in this cut-and-paste era of cinema, a time when movies fail to ignite so much as a spark of genuine, earned emotion. The ’80s-set story of a young boy who comes to terms with his identity and sexuality in a harsh South Florida neighborhood refuses to lazily cleave to its genre. There isn’t an off performance in the film, which employs a solely African-American cast — come Oscar time, Moonlight could be the one film to give Hollywood a credible reason to break its too-white image without resorting to tokenism. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Randy Shulman)

PANDAS: THE JOURNEY HOME
National Geographic captures on film the giant pandas living in Wolong National Nature Reserve in China. One of the rarest species on the planet, the ever-elusive, gentle creature is also on the brink of extinction due to centuries of human expansion and destruction of their habitat. Nicholas Brown’s 40-minute natural history film educates viewers on the life and habits of pandas as well as scientific efforts to increase breeding. In 3D. To Dec. 31. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $7. Call 202-857-7588 or visit ngmuseum.org.

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PASSENGERS
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence wake up early from hibernation pods on a transport spaceship. The only problem? The other 5,000 people are all still asleep, and they’re 90 years from their destination. What are two beautiful people to do? (We can guess the answer, and we’re already booking our tickets.) Opens Wednesday, Dec. 21. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
Star Wars dominated the holiday box office last year and it will probably do it again this year, with the first stand-alone Star Wars Anthology film. Set after Episode III, it follows a group of rebels who attempt to steal plans for the Death Star. Felicity Jones stars as Jyn Erso, who’s recruited to the Rebel Alliance to undertake the mission. Opens Friday, Dec. 16. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

SING
Apparently not terrible, which is surprising, as Illumination Entertainment’s (Despicable Me) animated film about anthropomorphic animals hosting a singing contest looked pretty one-note from the previews. Opens Wednesday, Dec. 21. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
In the run-up to Christmas, the American Film Institute continues its series of films both classic — It’s A Wonderful Life and White Christmas — and curious, from Die Hard to Gremlins. But one classic highlight screening nearly every day over the next week is Brian Henson’s 1992 adaptation of Dickens starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy Bob’s wife Emily, Kermit’s nephew Robin as Tiny Tim and some truly awesome creations from the late Jim Henson’s Creature Shop for the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future. Friday, Dec. 16, at 3:15 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, at 11:10 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 18, at 11:10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 19, at 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 4:45 p.m., and Thursday, Dec. 22, at 4:45 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $10. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Craig Wallace takes over from Edward Gero as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge in Ford’s Theatre’s 35th anniversary production of Dickens’ Yuletide classic. The music-infused adaptation was originally conceived by Michael Wilson. To Dec. 31. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY OF CHRISTMAS
Olney Theatre Center presents another seasonal run of the one-man portrayal of the Dickens classic by Paul Morella, who bases his adaptation on Dickens’ original novella and reading tour. To Dec. 31. The Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL MEMORY
Creative Cauldron’s Laura Connors Hull conceived of and directs a world premiere of yet another twist on Charles Dickens. A young girl reawakens memories and spurs on renewal of a long-lost tradition in her bah-humbug family — a tradition of reenacting A Christmas Carol with puppets. Jennifer Clements wrote the book and Margie Jervis designed the sets, costumes and puppets for this show featuring a 12-member cast led by David Schmidt, Kathy Halenda and 5th grader Madeline Aldana portraying little girl Charlotte. Closes Tuesday, Dec. 20. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. Falls Church. Tickets are $30. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

AN IRISH CAROL
For the fifth year in a row, Keegan Theatre offers company member Matthew Keenan’s homage to Dickens, albeit with typical, Irish biting humor and incisive candor. Mark A. Rhea directs a cast featuring himself plus Kevin Adams, Josh Adams, Timothy Lynch, Mike Kozemchak, Matt Hirsh, Caroline Dubberly and Mick Tinder. Opens Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m., with an after-show concert by Joshua Seymour. Runs to Dec. 31. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

BLACK NATIVITY
Theater Alliance offers a production of Langston Hughes’s retelling of the Biblical Christmas story from an Afrocentric perspective, incorporating gospel, blues, funk, jazz and dance, with griot-style storytelling from an ensemble cast. Black Nativity was one of the first plays written by an African American to appear on Broadway over 50 years ago. The winner of three Helen Hayes Awards last year, the Theater Alliance production is directed and choreographed by Princess Mhoon with music director e’Marcus Harper-Short. Tony Thomas as Joseph and Danielle Glover as Mary lead a 12-member cast. To Dec. 31. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 202-241-2539 or visit theateralliance.com.

BROADWAY BOUND
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 that Time also called “the best play of the decade,” Broadway Bound, the third play in Neil Simon’s “Eugene Trilogy,” focuses on two brothers who mine their family’s travails for laughs and hopes of Broadway success. The cast features Scott Ward Abernethy, Kathleen Akerley, Andy Brownstein, Teresa Castracane, Noah Schaefer and Stan Shulman, Closes Sunday, Dec. 18. 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Rd. Tysons, Va. Tickets are $30. Call 703-854-1856 or visit 1ststagetysons.org.

CAROUSEL
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In many respects, Molly Smith modeled Carousel after her successful revival of Oklahoma almost a decade ago. In addition to Nicholas Rodriguez as Billy Bigelow, Smith brings back that show’s E. Faye Butler, who is as welcome and scene-stealing a presence as ever as Mrs. Mullin, owner of the amusement park in the small coastal Maine town where Billy works as a barker. Though we never actually see the show’s namesake ride, it is evoked in Todd Rosenthal’s imaginative set, centered in the in-the-round Fichandler Stage, complete with a rotating platform installed as part of a whitewashed wood floor. There are modern-day complications with Carousel, dating to 1945, a time when gender equality was far from the norm. Yet it features two of the greatest songs in the musical theater canon: the cleverly seductive “If I Loved You” and the heart-swelling “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” If you give in to its power, the latter’s uplifting sentiment — to keep pushing ahead even when life deals you a setback — just might help you persevere through the problems in our present-day political reality. To Dec. 24. Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $84 to $99. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org. (Doug Rule)

FULLY COMMITTED
Last summer on Broadway, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) took on multiple characters in Becky Mode’s one-man tour-de-force, fictitiously set in one of Manhattan’s most in-demand restaurants. Virginia’s MetroStage now presents the comedy starring indomitable local actor Tom Story, fresh from playing Prior Walter in Angels in America. Alan Paul directs. To Jan. 8. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
A decade after its Broadway debut, Timothy Mason’s musical adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic makes its D.C. debut. With original music by Mel Marvin, including the hit “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the heartwarming tale of the endlessly cheerful Whos from Whoville, who foil even the Mean One in his efforts to dim their spirits. Philip Bryan is the Grinch while Bob Lauder and Andreas Wyder play the Old and Young versions, respectively, of narrator Max the Dog. Now to Dec. 31. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $48 to $108. Call 202-628-6161 or visit thenationaldc.org.

INTO THE WOODS
Fiasco Theater’s streamlined reinvention of one of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular musicals, with a cast playing instruments on stage, was a surprise hit last year in New York. Now the fairy tale borne out of five classic Grimms’ fairy tales ventures down to our neck of the woods for a month-long run over the holidays. To Jan. 8. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $45 to $175. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
The Washington Stage Guild revives Joe Landry’s adaptation of the classic film tale as a radio play after a successful run last year. Joe Brack portrays the lead character, here named Jake Laurents, in this production directed by Laura Giannarelli also featuring Vincent Clark, Jennifer Donovan, Julie-Ann Elliott and Nick Depinto. Steven Carpenter returns as the show’s Helen Hayes-nominated sound engineer, operating in full view of the audience. Closes Sunday, Dec. 18. Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 240-582-0050 or visit stageguild.org.

KING UBU
Helen Hayes Award-winning costume designer Frank Labovitz makes his D.C. directorial debut with a Pointless Theatre Company adaptation of French pioneer Alfred Jarry’s early avant-garde 1896 work Ubu Roi. According to Pointless, King Ubu offers “lowbrow humor, ludicrous language and full-bore puppet carnage all wrapped up into a funhouse take on Macbeth and classical tragedy.” Haely Jardas is Ma Ubu and Colin Connor is Pa Ubu in an ensemble production featuring music by Mike Winch. Costume-making duty falls to another local veteran, Ivania Stack. To Jan. 7. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-733-6321 or visit pointlesstheatre.com.

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES
Two French aristocrats challenge each other to seduce unsuspecting innocents in Christopher Hampton’s bracing drama of control and betrayal drawn from the novel by Choderlos de Laclos. Hana S. Sharif directs a production starring Suzzanne Douglas and Brent Harris that offers a sneak peek into Center Stage’s Pearlstone Theatre, in the final stages of a year-long renovation. To Dec. 23. 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $64. Call 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org.

MARY POPPINS
The holidays at Olney Theatre this year are brought to you by the musical version of the Disney favorite. Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) wrote the book to the adaptation featuring many of the standards from the movie by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman and incorporating new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Jason King Jones directs, with choreography by Tara Jeanne Vallee. Patricia Hurley stars. To Jan. 1. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon’s holiday play is set two years after Pride and Prejudice, with the focus (unsurprisingly) on Mary Bennet. Eleanor Holdridge directs favorite characters as they gather at Pemberley, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, played by Danny Gavigan and Erin Weaver. Katie Kleiger is Miss Bennet. Now in previews. Extended to Dec. 23. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are $55 to $70. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

MOBY DICK
Featuring innovative staging fused with bold trapeze and acrobatic work, the Melville classic is revamped in the famed Lookingglass Theatre Company’s adaptation by David Catlin. Christopher Donahue is Captain Ahab leading the search for the great white whale at Arena Stage, in a co-production with Alliance Theatre and South Coast Repertory. To Dec. 24. Kreeger Theater in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

SCROOGE IN ROUGE
Touted as a merry, madcap mixture of Greater Tuna and Noises Off, Ricky Graham’s Victorian-era rendition of the Dickens classic features original music composed by Jefferson Turner. Shon M. Stacy directs a production featuring all of the original cast from when the Triangle Players staged the show in 2009. That includes Kirk Morton as the Scrooge-like Charlie Schmaltz, Steven Boschen as bubbly, over-the-hill ingenue Lottie Obligato and Lauren Leinhaas-Cook as male-impersonating diva Vesta Virile — as this adaptation has it, the only three members of the 20-member Royal Music Hall ensemble who didn’t fall ill from a cast party the night before. Extended to Dec. 22. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

SILVER BELLES
Talk about a starry cast: D.C. leading ladies Donna Migliaccio, Nova Y. Payton, Ilona Dulaski, Naomi Jacobson and Sandy Bainum help ensure this new holiday musical becomes a must-see affair, particularly for a certain segment of the theatergoing community. Married musical writing duo and local stage actors Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith developed lyrics set to Conner’s score, with a book by fellow D.C. playwright Allyson Currin. Billed as Golden Girls meets Designing Women, Silver Belles, directed by Signature’s Eric Schaeffer, focuses on a small town in Tennessee struggling to keep a beloved holiday pageant alive after the sudden death of its longtime director. To Dec. 31. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

SLEEPING BEAUTY
Closer to Brothers Grimm than Disney, Synetic Theater presents a darkly elegant — and, as you would expect from Synetic, wordless — adaptation of the classic tale. To Jan. 8. Theater at Crystal City, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN
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Given the current nationwide white-geist, Studio Theatre should be applauded for their prescience in bringing Young Jean Lee’s ballsy comedy Straight White Men to the capital. An artist who’s fearless in tackling touchy subjects, Lee delivers in one tight 85-minute play a surgical dissection of the rites and rights of the straight white male. Helmed by director Shana Cooper, this warmly accessible production doesn’t disappoint in eliciting laughs and sparking insight, with its story of three adult sons at home for what could be a testy Christmas with their widower father. Extended to Dec. 31. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets are $20 to $97. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org. (Andre Hereford)

THE KINSEY SICKS’ OY VEY IN A MANGER
“America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet” returns to D.C. with its silly holiday tale that finds these “chicks with schticks” trying to sell off their manger before it gets foreclosed on. Opens Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to Dec. 28. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $47. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
Tom Story directs a two-person cast in the classic tale of three children who venture into the magical realm of Narnia. To Dec. 31. Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Tickets are $19.50. Call 301-634-2270 or visit adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

THE SECOND CITY’S BLACK SIDE OF THE MOON
An all-African American troupe of sketch and stand-up artists satirize what it means to be black in our soon-to-be post-Obama era. The show’s Second City ensemble consists of Angela Alise, Sonia Denis, Dave Helem, Torian Miller, Felonious Munk and Dewayne Perkins. To Jan. 1. At Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. Tickets range from $20 to $59. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.

THE SECOND SHEPHERDS’ PLAY
Mary Hall Surface directs a magical retelling of the Nativity story combining the moving tale with beautiful music — festive medieval English tunes performed by early music ensemble the Folger Consort. The cast features Tonya Beckman, Louis E. Davis, Megan Graves, Emily Noel, Lilian Oben, Malinda Kathleen Reese, Ryan Sellers and Matthew R. Wilson. Closes Wednesday, Dec. 21. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $25 to $60. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

THE SECRET GARDEN
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Twenty-five years after its debut on Broadway, The Secret Garden remains Daisy Eagan’s show. The youngest-ever female Tony Award-winner for her work as Mary, Eagan now assumes the role of chambermaid Martha, a motherly supporting character and the first to show any kindness to the quite-contrary Mary (Anya Rothman), described early on as “the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.” Marsha Norman won a Tony Award for a book about a precocious girl that remarkably doesn’t pander to either children or adults. And yet, it also doesn’t provoke or veer from predictability enough to register more than passing interest. Lucy Simon’s rather plain, tender, tempered score is also not particularly noteworthy, save for some subtle Indian flourishes to give it a bit of exotic oomph. To Dec. 31. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44 to $123. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org. (DR)

TITANIC: THE MUSICAL
Eric Schaeffer has opted to make Peter Stone and Maury Yeston’s Tony-winning musical from two decades ago the latest epic classic to get Signature’s signature intimate spin. The result is a 360-degree, three-story staging intended to make the audience feel as if they are aboard the “ship of dreams” on its fateful maiden voyage. Schaeffer leads a cast, crew and orchestra of more than 50 artists. Now in previews. Opens Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to Jan. 29. The Max Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org.

WICKED
Stephen Schwartz’s hit musical about the witches of Oz, with book by Winnie Holzman, returns once again to the Kennedy Center for another month-long run. Popular! To Jan. 8. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $99 to $359. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

ALLTHEBESTKIDS, FOSTER CARROTS, DJ TEZRAH
Several local music acts come together for what is called “allthebestQREW: A Holiday Collaboration.” Hip-hop/pop bands allthebestkids and Foster Carrots will perform at a benefit concert also featuring an acoustic performance by Selena Benally of the band More AM Than FM and ending in a dance party with DJ Tezrah. Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. 3514 12th St. NE. Cover is $10, with all proceeds going to SMYAL. Call 202-733-5834 or visit facebook.com/qrewdc/.

CRASH BOOM BANG
A pop band representing diverse, modern-day Northern Virginia, Crash Boom Bang was started a decade ago by the Rivero brothers, bass guitarist Raul and drummer Mauricio, and also features guitarist Chaucer Hwang and lead vocalist Omar Ruiz. “If Bruno Mars fronted Cobra Starship,” is how the band has described its sound. Crash Boom Bang performs at the 9:30 Club with Chicago’s TLB, aka That Lying Bitch, a four-piece band including the lead singer (Tom Higgenson) and guitarist of Plain White Ts, as well as the five-piece group His Dream of Lions. Proceeds from the evening benefit Hope for Henry, which offers gifts of consumer electronics to area children suffering from life-threatening diseases. Thursday, Dec. 22. Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

FREDDY COLE
Freddy Cole plays his own instruments, just like his late brother Nat King Cole, but his voice is raspier, smokier, even jazzier. The New York Times has hailed him as “the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” He drops by Blues Alley for another weekend run of his seasonal show, “Here for the Holidays.” Thursday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 18, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $35, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON
Naughty and Nice is the Gay Men’s Chorus’ popular annual holiday show, featuring bawdy and moving takes on gay and holiday favorite tunes. John Moran returns to direct a production that this year includes performances by the organization’s GenOUT LGBTQ youth chorus and GMCW’s new dance ensemble 17th Street Dance, led by Craig Cipollini, who also co-choreographed the whole program with James Ellzy. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $65. Call 202-328-6000 or visit gmcw.org.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Two of the area’s great orchestras take on Handel’s monumental Messiah the weekend before Christmas. Laurence Cummings conducts the National Symphony Orchestra version featuring the University of Maryland Concert Choir and four soloists. Thursday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 16, and Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org. Meanwhile, Stan Engebretson conducts the National Philharmonic and its Chorale plus soloists soprano Danielle Talamantes, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wor, tenor Matthew Smith and baritone Christopheren Nomura. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $28 to $94. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

JANE MONHEIT
One of the most touted female talents in contemporary jazz, Jane Monheit has a sound that blends “natural elegance with potent yet impressively controlled presentation,” as the All Music Guide has put it. After a spring run of shows celebrating The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald, the first release on her label Emerald City Records, Monheit returns to Blues Alley for a special Christmas show. Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $45, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

LIONEL RICHIE
The ’80s hitmaker returns to the area two years after a joint concert at Wolf Trap with Bruno Mars, this time to be one of the first artists to christen the new 3,000-seat theater at the MGM National Harbor. Interestingly, his retrospective concert takes place just a few days before Mars hits MGM for a sold-out solo show. Thursday, Dec. 22, at 9 p.m. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $181 to $1,086. Call 800-745-3000 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

LORRIE MORGAN
Born into the Nashville country music scene as daughter of George Morgan, Loretta Lynn “Lorrie” Morgan has been a country hitmaker of her own the past couple decades. She drops by the Birchmere to perform “Lorrie Morgan’s Enchanted Christmas.” Sunday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $45. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

SHERRIE MARICLE & THE DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Arguably the jazz highlight of the holiday season, the ensemble performs selections from the classic 1960 album Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas as well as other classic big band holiday tunes. Part of a series celebrating the centenary of the “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald, born April 25, 1917. Maricle will be joined by singers Brenda Earle, Sue Giles and Camille Thurman. Tickets remain for shows Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 and 9 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Tickets are $26 to $39. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

STORM LARGE WITH BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Pink Martini vocalist joins the BSO for a SuperPops holiday program of classics and carols conducted by Timothy Myers and also featuring the Baltimore City College Choir and the Baltimore School for the Arts Dancers, including Tap-Dancing Santas. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $25 to $75. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

THE 9 SONGWRITER SERIES
Folk-rock musician Justin Trawick formed the collaborative 9 Songwriter Series in 2008 as a means to book larger venues for shows featuring Trawick and fellow local musicians, giving them a bigger audience and opportunities to improvise and collaborate, and giving audiences an easier way to discover a songwriter or band to love. Next week performers in the series offer its 5th annual family-friendly holiday extravaganza presented by Listen Local First D.C. and featuring traditional and seasonal songs. Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Scott Tucker leads the local vocal ensemble in its annual run of holiday shows at the Kennedy Center, starting Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m., with A Family Christmas, a one-hour concert intended for the young featuring songs of classic Christmas characters, from Santa to Frosty to Rudolph. It’s followed by three A Choral Arts Christmas concerts, including a Gala on Monday night. William Neil accompanies the chorus for selections on the Rubenstein Family Organ, and guest artist Ralph Alan Herndon joins for gospel arrangements of hymns including Go Tell It On The Mountain. Sunday, Dec. 18, and Monday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 24, at 1 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $69. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE INSERIES: GOYESCA
Inspired by Francisco de Goya’s paintings, composer Enrique Granados’s opera/ballet, rarely seen in the U.S., is a cloak-and-dagger story of mistaken betrayals spun with the passion of Spanish dance. Jaime Coronado directs and choreographs an InSeries production honoring the centennial of the premiere of Goyesca, adapted by Elizabeth Pringle, coupled with Manuel de Falla’s Seven Spanish Popular Songs. Remaining performances are Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $23 to $46. Call 202-234-7174 or visit inseries.org.

THE WASHINGTON CHORUS
Julian Wachner directs the annual “A Candlelight Christmas,” featuring the 200-voice chorus singing familiar carols and holiday songs, plus audience sing-alongs and a candlelight processional. The Northwest High School Chamber Singers of Germantown and the H-B Woodlawn Chamber Singers of Arlington will join the chorus. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Also Monday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $18 to $72. Call 202-342-6221 or visit thewashingtonchorus.org.

THE WASHINGTON REVELS
Featuring a cast of over 100, the Revels perform the annual Christmas Revels, this year “A Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance & Drama,” everything from Finland’s epic drama Kalevala to Iceland’s Vivivaki to Sweden’s Sankta Lucia to Norway’s Halling dance. Remaining performances are Friday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m. GW Lisner, The George Washington University, 730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $12 to $60. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.

THE WORLD CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Open to children from throughout the D.C. area, the World’s Children’s Choir works to promote cultural diversity through music, positive international relations and other efforts to create a peaceful, healthy world for all children. Sondra Harnes conducts the choir in its 27th Annual Holiday Concert, “Let Us Be United,” also featuring pianist James Selway and audience sing-alongs. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 4250 N. Glebe Dr., Arlington. Tickets are $10 to $30. Call 703-883-0920 or visit worldchildrenschoir.org.

COYABA DANCE THEATER: KWANZAA CELEBRATION
Sylvia Soumah directs the annual “Kwanzaa Celebration” at Dance Place featuring the Coyaba Academy, Coyaba Dance Theater and special guests. The focus is on the seven principles of the African American holiday. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

MARYLAND YOUTH BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER
Artistic Director Michelle Lees choreographs a family-friendly, full-length production. Opens Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. To Dec. 27. Montgomery College’s Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville. Tickets are $26 to $31 in advance, or $31 to $36 at the door. Call 240-567-5301 or visit marylandyouthballet.org.

THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER
A dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ and an electric violinist reimagine Tchaikovsky’s classic score for a contemporary, all-ages audience with hip-hop choreography and digital scenery, all set in contemporary New York City. Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $32 to $58. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

THE MOSCOW BALLET: GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER
Dubbed the “Great Russian Nutcracker,” this version of the holiday ballet staple pays tribute to Marius Petipa, who developed the Nutcracker choreography — and, for good measure, that of Swan Lake — and is credited as “The Father of Russian Ballet.” The Moscow Ballet has been touring its Nutcracker in the United States for more than 20 years and returns for another annual run at Strathmore. Wednesday, Dec. 21, and Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $48 to $88. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

THE WASHINGTON BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER
Every year for the past 12 years, Washington Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre has offered his own twist on the family favorite, setting it in D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood with George Washington as the titular figure and King George III as the Rat King. After two weekends in the intimate THEARC space in Southeast D.C. as part of the company’s efforts to spread and diversify its audience, the production sets up shop for nearly all of December at downtown’s Warner Theatre. Runs to Dec. 24. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $164. Call 202-889-5901 or visit washingtonballet.org.

A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS
The Baltimore filmmaker known as the “Pope of Trash” returns to the Birchmere for his 12th annual exploration of the gay and sexual possibilities of the holiday. Waters poses questions you’ve probably never pondered before, such as whether there is such a thing as a “Santa hag” or a “flue queen.” Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $49.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

IMPRACTICAL JOKERS
“Santiago Sent Us” features the Tenderloins, the four-member troupe behind the Impractical Jokers brand. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 7:30 p.m. The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $50 to $90.91, or $125 for Official Platinum Seats. Call 844-646-6847 or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged) is an irreverent, heartwarming show described as “the Annual Holiday Variety Show and Christmas Pageant at St. Everybody’s Non-Denominational Universalist Church, where all faiths are welcome because we’ll believe anything.” Its three members send up the holidays, complete with a comical audience gift exchange for all those who bring in a wrapped gift valued at $5 or less. Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. Main Stage at BlackRock, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, Md. Tickets are $27 to $35. Call 301-528-2260 or visit blackrockcenter.org.

THE BALTIMORE IMPROV GROUP: BAH, HUMBUG!
Tiny Tim is sickly, Marley is dead, and other plot points remain the same, but the Baltimore Improv Group offers An Improvised Christmas Carol, with performers using audience suggestions and interaction to inspire wild deviations from the standard script. Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 and 10 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 and 9 p.m. Drafthouse Comedy, 1100 13th St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-750-6411 or visit drafthousecomedy.com. Also Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $20. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

THE SECOND CITY’S NUT-CRACKING HOLIDAY REVUE
Chicago’s legendary sketch comedy troupe offers one of a few seasonal blends of hilarious, original improvised scenes and songs. Intended as an alternative to the usual holiday traditions, expect riffs on uneven gift exchanges with your clueless partner and couples therapy with Joseph and Mary. Remaining performances are Friday, Dec. 16, at 7:15 and 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, at 4, 7 and 10 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 4 and 7 p.m. Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are $30 to $35. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.com.

THE SECOND CITY’S TWIST YOUR DICKENS
The Kennedy Center offers the D.C. premiere of the comedy troupe’s twist on A Christmas Carol, an irreverent and interactive parody featuring a Second City cast including Frank Caeti, Jamie Moyer, Aaron Bliden, Anne Bowles, John Lescault, Tia Shearer and Jamie Smithson. Marc Warzecha directs a largely improvised tale with a script based on Dickens but adapted by former The Colbert Report writers Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort. To Dec. 31. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49 to $79. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CERAMIC GUILD’S LET THERE BE LIGHT
Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center presents its annual show featuring holiday-themed handmade gifts and keepsakes from local clay artists. Think candleholders, lamps, ornaments, dishware, sculpture and more. To Dec. 31. Scope Gallery in Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 North Union St. Alexandria. Free. Call 703-548-6288 or visit scopegallery.org.

ELAINE FLORIMONTE: ACCUMULATION
Using paint and canvas, Elaine Florimonte tackles the notion that the depth of our shared human experience is created by a layering of interaction with each other and our world — a metaphor for the accumulation of human interaction and the depth of identity. This is the first solo exhibition at Touchstone by Florimonte, a veteran art educator with Fairfax County Public Schools. Closes Friday, Dec. 23. Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visit touchstonegallery.com.

ISABEL CUREUX: VARIOUS SMALL FIRES
A site-specific installation and exhibit exploring the Virginia-based mixed-media sculptor and painter’s experiences with mental illness, divorce, bi-raciality and religion — and specifically, the idea that each small event in one’s life helps shape who we are and eventually become. The exhibition is presented by the Convergence Arts Initiative, a progressive Christian-based creative collective valuing the arts, spirituality, diversity, and exploration. Runs through Dec. 17. The Gallery at Convergence, 1801 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria. Call 703-998-6260 or visit ourconvergence.org.

JOHN WATERS’ KIDDIE FLAMINGOS
Few people could have imagined that John Waters’ lovable 1988 film Hairspray would become a hit Broadway musical and subsequent hit musical film. No one in their right mind would pick his startlingly tasteless Pink Flamingos to be next up for a similar resurgence — though you can’t say Baltimore’s king of camp isn’t trying, albeit modestly. In 2014 he filmed children reading a cleverly modified, G-rated version of the 1972 cult classic. The 74-minute film features kids — mostly his friends’ children — wearing wigs and costumes that evoke the legendary performances of Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey and others. Waters has even suggested the new version is “in some ways more perverse than the original.” To Jan. 22. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.

MELANIE KEHOSS: CURIOUS ORIGINS
BlackRock Center for the Arts offers a solo exhibition by this Arlington-based artist featuring a series of light boxes combining paper-cutting, painting, sculpture and light, with an eye to exploring the influences that continually form and re-form culture in the U.S. Through illumination, Kehoss brings her artwork to life, making the characters in her mysterious and sometimes humorous vignettes literally glow. Closes Saturday, Dec. 17. Terrace Gallery, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, Md. Call 301-528-2260 or visit blackrockcenter.org.

SEASONS GREETINGS: NATIONAL PARKS AND HISTORIC PLACES
The centennial of the National Park Service and 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act is the centerpiece at this year’s holiday exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Trains in this year’s model train show chug around, below, through and above re-creations of iconic national parks and sites in the National Register of Historic Places — everything from the Grand Canyon to the Gateway Arch to a 7-foot-tall Statue of Liberty, all made from plants and other natural materials. One of the largest indoor trees in D.C. will be decorated with ornaments celebrating national parks, while miniature models of the nation’s capital landmarks will also be on display. Now through Jan. 2. United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Call 202-225-8333 or visit usbg.gov.

TWIST: THE ART OF SPINNING BY HAND
A dynamic exhibition with hands-on learning experiences, Twist at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown is chiefly focused on documenting the contemporary revival of hand spinning. Works in Twist come from, among others, Jonathan Bosworth, Stacey Budge-Kamison, Elysa Darling, Seth Golding, Ed Jenkins, Michelle Kaston and Emily Wohlscheid. Yet beyond these established spinning artists, Twist will include additional works through the collaborative installation “Spinning Our Yarns: Telling Our Stories,” displaying personal yarns submitted by anyone of any ability level. Closes Saturday, Dec. 17. Kay Gallery in the BlackRock Center, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, Md. The exhibit and all events are free. Call 301-528-2260 or visit blackrockcenter.org.

YAYOI KUSAMA: PUMPKIN
As its nod to the holidays, the Hirshhorn offers the U.S. museum debut of the monumental artwork by celebrated Japanese artist. Pumpkin is a whimsical sculpture of surreal scale in a bold yellow-and-black pattern. The work will remain on display through next spring when it will be featured as part of Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors, the first major traveling survey exhibition to explore the evolution of the painter/sculptor’s immersive infinity rooms. On the outdoor plaza at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

DEL RAY ARTISANS’ 21ST ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET
Alexandria’s quirky, members-only art gallery offers its 21st annual holiday market, featuring unique handmade fine arts and fine crafts from different local artists on a rotating basis over the next three weekends. The artists — working in pottery, photography, jewelry, fiber, paper crafts and glass — donate a percentage of their sales to help support the gallery. Also available at the market will be 2017 wall calendars, upcycled tote bags and handmade ornaments. Closes Sunday, Dec. 18. Del Ray Artisans in the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria. Call 703-731-8802 or visit thedelrayartisans.org.

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District and Diverse Markets Management stage this European-style outdoor holiday market, featuring area vendors selling a diverse range of art, handicrafts and usable products perfect for gifting (or keeping). There’s also live entertainment and seasonal food and beverage on tap. To Dec. 23, from noon to 8 p.m. everyday. F between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Visit downtownholidaymarket.com.

GARDEN DISTRICT’S HOLIDAY MARKET
The popular 14th Street beer garden closes its season with a bang of tinsel and lights — 10,000 of them, twinkling and beckoning you to check out the wares from local craftspeople and merchants set up in a special Holiday Market Tent. A mix of art, candles, candies, clothing, jewelry and cards as well as live Christmas trees are for sale, as are special menu of boozy holiday beverages in addition to its usual lineup of German beers. Closes Sunday, Dec. 18. Garden District, 1801 14th St. NW. Visit gardendistrictdc.com.

BOUDOIR BURLESQUE: HEXMAS
Krampus, aka Buster Britches, hosts this ribald telling of “Creepy Christmas Tales and Fae Folklore” featuring witches, sprites, nymphs and demons going by names Blanche Boudoir, Sally Cinch, Ophelia Hart, Clementine O’Donnell and Salem Sirene. There will also be a special group performance by the DC Gurly Show. Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Call 202-293-1887 or visit inlovewithbier.com.

LA-TI-DO
Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza’s La-Ti-Do variety show features higher-quality singing than most karaoke, often from local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and also includes spoken-word poetry and comedy. Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel host the last event of 2016, the annual “I Love the Holidays” Show featuring the cast of Forever Soulful, with guest performers Joseph Benitez, Eymard Cabling, Kadira Coley, Madeline Cuddihy, Teresa Danskey, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Erin Granfield, Larry Grey, Sarah D. Lawson, Alexandra Linn, Paige Rammelkamp, Meredith Richard, Taylor Rieland, Michael Sandoval, Camryn Shegogue, Tara Trinity and more. Monday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15, or $10 if you eat dinner at the restaurant beforehand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit latidodc.wix.com/latido.

NATIONAL ZOO’S ZOOLIGHTS
Every year the Smithsonian’s National Zoo presents ZooLights, in which more than 500,000 colorful Christmas lights illuminate life-sized animal silhouettes, dancing trees, buildings, and walkways, plus a light show set to music. All that, plus select animal houses will be open and displaying nocturnal creatures, including the Small Mammal House, the Great Ape House and Reptile Discovery Center. Every night except Dec. 24 and 25 until Jan. 1. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free, courtesy of Pepco. Call 202-633-4800 or visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

ROER’S ZOOFARI’S CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL
The National Zoo isn’t the only area preserve lit up at night this season. What was once known as the Reston Zoo presents a Chinese Lantern Festival with authentic Chinese “lanterns” that are far beyond the simple, traditional hand-held candle-lit lamps, made out of silk and paper, that the term might conjure. There are 40 lantern sets of 800 displays in all, portraying animals from around the world. Presented by Hanart Culture, a company focused on bringing the art and culture of China to America, the festival also includes other forms of Chinese art and entertainment — handicrafts, live kung fu performances — to create an enchanting, multicultural experience in the 30-acre park. There’ll also be animatronic dinosaurs for kids to ride. Daily from 5 to 9 p.m. until Jan. 15. Roer’s Zoofari, 1228 Hunter Mill Rd., Vienna, Va. Tickets are $12.50 for children and $22 for adults online, or $15 and $25 at the gate. Call 703-757-6222 or visit ChineseLanternFestival.com.