Friday, December 22
Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve
What: Christmas Storiessz V: Silent Night
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Southern Theater, 1420 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis
Detective Dick Mahoney—because what other name would a P.I. have?—is back at the Southern Theater, filling out a Christmas-themed series of campy intrigue. So far, someone was murdered on the Polar Express, and Frosty the Snowman has been used as a nuclear warhead. In the latest installment, taking place years later so you can jump in, Santa’s gone missing. It’ll teach you “there’s a little Santa inside all of us.” Learn more.
A Celtic Christmas
What: Katie McMahon’s Celtic Christmas
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The O’Shaughnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul
It’s the only performance this year: Irish transplant to Minneapolis and soprano Katie McMahon has graced the Cities with her rousing Christmas concert for years now—with none of the commercial stuff; instead, lesser-known European classics and international carols, accompanied by Corda Mor Irish Dancers and her own harp-playing prowess, plus the Center for Irish Music’s Advanced Youth Ensemble—featuring fiddle, banjo, and accordion. Learn more.
Saturday, December 23
Need a Hug?
What: “Kenneth Tam: Cold Open”
When: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. (museum hours)
Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis
Video artist Kenneth Tam presents an exhibition exploring physical intimacy. But don’t think of Hallmark cuddling or mistletoe canoodling. His work challenges heteronormative social assumptions, specifically mulling over the male body, with all of the tacitly mandated limits on its expression. Tam often recruits strangers for his videos, putting them in scenarios ranging from awkward to compassionate to just weird. Learn more.
Bah H’um Ghew
What: A Klingon Christmas Carol
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Historic Mounds Theater, 1029 Hudson Rd., St. Paul
This is your last chance to see A Klingon Christmas Carol, which is exactly as it sounds: The classic Dickens story performed in Klingon, now in its tenth year of production, having since then shipped around to Chicago and LA. The Guthrie presented its first female Scrooge this year with Charity Jones, and Mounds Theater is following suit, with Lana Rosario taking on the cantankerous role—this time pronounced “SQuja’.” Learn more.
Rappin’ Reindeer, Singin’ Socks
What: “The Night Before Christmas” by Sounds of Blackness
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Fitzgerald Theatre, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul
The three-time Grammy Award–winning gospel group Sounds of Blackness present their 39th annual “Night Before Christmas” concert, with all the larger-than-life holiday trappings: rapping reindeer, singing socks, and James Brown–inspired mice. That makes this a soulful, kid-friendly way to amp up for the big day, and a great way to introduce yourself to a musical icon of the Twin Cities if you haven’t already. Learn more.
