PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS
Elf: The Musical
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington St., St. Paul
December 5-30
Elf: The Musical adds songs to a modern classic. This staged version of the Will Ferrell movie tells the story of orphan Buddy and his journey from Santa’s Workshop to his father in New York, where he helps disillusioned city folk come around to Christmas. Learn more.
Public Love
Walker Art Center
725 Vineland Pl., Minneapolis
December 6-8, 8 p.m.
Acclaimed choreographer Morgan Thorson teams up with Duluth band Low’s Alan Sparhawk for a new dance commission about Western culture and reciprocal touch, which the performance casts as “an intimate alternative to might and control.” Learn more.
Union Depot Holiday Bake Sale
Union Depot, St. Paul
December 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Some of the best bakeries in the Twin Cities set up at Union Depot for the sixth annual holiday bake sale. Local chefs demonstrate baking and cooking techniques on stage, area musicians provide entertainment, and you can learn about food and drink pairings. Learn more.
Monster Jam
U.S. Bank Stadium
401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis
December 8, 7 p.m.
U. S. Bank Stadium fills with dirt and ramps, where monster trucks roar into center stage performing tricks and stunts for motorsport fans. El Toro, Avenger, Brutus, and Grave Digger return. Learn more.
Nutcracker (Not So) Suite
The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts
528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Through December 22
From the classic Nutcracker ballet, this spicy, naughty take stars Barbie and Ken in a humorous Broadway-style romp, infusing ballet with hip hop and jazz. The cast includes local theater luminaries Bradley Greenwald as Mama Flo, Steven Epp as the Uncle, and Myron Johnson as the Rat Queen. Learn more.
Black Nativity
Penumbra Theatre
270 N. Kent St., St. Paul
Through December 23
Black Nativity is a Twin Cities staple for the holiday season. The long-running gospel-inflected show, inspired by Langston Hughes’ play, features many of our top vocalists in a cast directed by Penumbra legend Lou Bellamy and choreographed by Uri Sands of TU Dance. Learn more.
A Victorian Christmas Guided House Tour
Alexander Ramsey House
265 Exchange St. S., St. Paul
Through December 30
These guided tours, running Thursdays through Sundays until December 30, show how the Ramsey family celebrated in 1875. Era-specific music plays on the Steinway, cookies bake in the kitchen, and gifts sit under the tree. Learn more.
Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log (Monday Event)
Guthrie Theater
818 S. Second St., Minneapolis
December 10, 7:30 p.m.
For one night only, local storyteller and author Kevin Kling presents his annual winter show, telling humorous, heartwarming anecdotes about how families survive and thrive during the holiday season. Learn more.
