The Kansas City Ballet’s Own Nutcracker
Like the growing Christmas tree, the grand Tchaikovsky score and the sparkle on the snow queens, there are certain things audiences expect from their annual viewing of "The Nutcracker," and…
The Incredible Shrinking Macy’s Parade
The first half of The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (NBC, 9 a.m.) was always concentrated on Herald Square, where Broadway stars would incongruously stage big production numbers of the type you’d…
She & Him Throw a Christmas Party
The first time Zooey Deschanel sang a Christmas song for huge audiences was 16 years ago in the movie “Elf,” crooning “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in the shower, eventually dueting with…
A Soulful ‘Motown Christmas’ at Signature
Because Christmas is mandatory on entertainment stages all month, it’s no surprise that a cabaret at Signature Theatre is again devoted to the Yuletide songbook. But in a clever and…
Riding Rev. Horton Heat’s Holiday Hayride
The Rev. Horton Heat issued his Christmas album 13 years ago, but only for the last few years has he loaded up a big holiday revue that includes a few…
Regarding Looking at the Sun
You’d think the sky was a BB gun, aiming to put your eye out every time there’s an eclipse. But Angela Des Jardins, director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium…
The Old 97’s Ring in Another New Year
In the 2014 song “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive,” The Old 97s note “most of our shows were a triumph of rock, although some nights I might have been checkin’…
Inside A Rainy ‘A Capitol Fourth’
An invitation to the “Capitol Fourth” concert on the National Mall seemed interesting. Smokey Robinson was headlining, a bigger draw for me than, say Barry Manilow or Frankie Valli, who…
Ten Christmas Songs That Aren’t Really
Think of it as the inverse of the War on Christmas. Rather than being downsized by supposed political correctness, Christmas is the aggressor, swallowing up land (mall parking lots), airwaves…
Nick Lowe’s Quality Holiday Revue
The snow white hair of Nick Lowe is about the only concession to seasonal decor in his tasty “Quality Holiday Revue” that played a sold out show at the Birchmere…