Tuneful seasonal celebrations
The moment the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers are stuffed in the refrigerator, a switch flips and the Christmas season comes roaring back in full force: Trees go up, light displays illuminate the neighborhood, holiday music fills the air and family events fill up our calendars.
While some holiday entertainment is underway – “White Christmas” at Spokane Civic Theatre, “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical” at the Modern Coeur d’Alene, “Christmas With Friends” at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and “A Christmas Story” at the INB Performing Arts Center – there are plenty of new events on the horizon.
This is by no means a master list – there’s a lot going on in the coming weeks – but here are some of the major holiday events to seek out before Christmas.
Spokane Jazz Orchestra – Now in its 40th year, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra continues its current season on Saturday with a program aptly titled “Hot Latin Jazz on a Cold Winter’s Night.” Led by new SJO director Don Goodwin, the show will feature a guest appearance from Nic Vigil of the local salsa band Milonga. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, $24-$26.50; tickets are available through TicketsWest.
The Bartlett Christmas Special – The second annual Bartlett Christmas celebration features music both original and traditional by local acts such as Cathedral Pearls, Friends of Mine, Loomer, Pérenne and Lucas Brown. 8 p.m. Dec. 11, 228 W. Sprague Ave. $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
“Traditions of Christmas” – This annual variety show bills itself as a “holiday spectacular,” and that seems as good a description as any: Its musical vignettes feature Rockettes-style dancers, a living Nativity scene, a tribute to military veterans and audience singalongs to classic Christmas songs. The show opens Thursday and runs through Dec. 23 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Road, Coeur d’Alene. Showtimes for individual performances vary; visit www.traditionsofchristmasnw.com for more information.
“Messiah” Singalong – George Frideric Handel’s 16th-century oratorio “Messiah” has become a holiday tradition at First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar St., and you can participate in the performance. The Handel singalong is free for the public to attend, and if you choose to be a part of community chorus, you can attend a 2:30 p.m. rehearsal on Dec. 13, which is followed by the performance at 4 p.m.
Clarion Brass – This local 13-member brass choir, led by composer and trumpeter William Berry, has been presenting its witty and unconventional adaptations of Yuletide classics for more than 20 years. You have two chances to experience this memorable Christmas show – at St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave., on Dec. 15, and at the Kroc Center on Dec. 16. Both shows start at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $20, and $15 for groups of 10 or more. Spokane tickets are available through TicketsWest. To see the show in Coeur d’Alene, visit www.kroccda.org/hollyjollyevents.html.
“All Is Calm” – As much a play as it is a choral concert, “All Is Calm” details the famed Christmas truce of 1914 through monologues and complex choral arrangements of international hymns and carols. Directed by Abbey Crawford, the show is set on the first Christmas Eve of World War I, when German and British troops on either side of the Western front ceased combat to celebrate the holiday. The show runs from Dec. 17 to 20 at the Bing; tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children 12 and younger. Visit www.themoderntheater.org for details and tickets.
The Singing Nuns – The singing Sisters of Mary Immaculate Queen at Mount St. Michael, 8504 N. St. Michaels Road, are celebrating their 20th year entertaining audiences. Performances of “HIStory,” a career retrospective of hymns and religious odes, occur on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 19 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through TicketsWest and cost $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children 13 and younger.
Symphony Holiday Pops – The Spokane Symphony’s annual Christmas concert is sure to get you in the Yuletide spirit: It boasts an audience singalong, a visit from Santa and a program featuring works by P.I. Tchaikovsky, Bach and Mozart. Conductor Jorge Luis Uzcátegui has also included some traditional tunes from his native Venezuela. Performances are at 8 p.m. Dec. 19 and 2 p.m. Dec. 20; tickets can be purchased through the Fox office, the symphony website, www.spokanesymphony.org, or through TicketsWest. They start at $28.