Lexington holiday concert, show calendar: Christmas Story, Nutcrackers and more

Tis the season.

Well, maybe not quite yet. The arms of commerce may feel differently, but the holiday season doesn’t really settle in until Thanksgiving is done and the leftover stuffing is stuffed in the fridge.

But once that happens, look out. The sounds of the holidays will ring throughout Lexington with Christmas-themed concerts that cover most every taste, from centuries-old orchestral works to modern electronica, from jazz and soul to country and Americana. Some shows will keep you grounded in hometown pride, others will fly through the air.

Here is a calendar and list of the prime live sounds of the season that will light up December — and, in one bonus instance, this weekend.

Blind Boys of Alabama

Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre, 308 St. Clair St. in Frankfort. $55-$70 through thegrandky.com.

Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.at the Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main. $44.50, $55.50 through kentuckytheatre.org.

Any opportunity to enjoy the rustically unspoiled gospel singing of the Blind Boys of Alabama is well worth seizing. And lucky us, we have two. Not only that, the group is bringing different programs to each of its upcoming Central Kentucky performances.

This weekend’s concert at the Grand in Frankfort focuses on the wildly varied set of resources and inspirations the 85-year-old ensemble has used to fuel a quietly solemn brand of American gospel — one that places songs by Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits and The Impressions alongside familiar hymns.

The Blind Boys’ Dec. 3 return to the Kentucky Theatre adds in a seasonal element. One of only 12 dates on the group’s holiday tour, the performance will incorporate tunes from two albums of spiritually inclined seasonal music — 2003’s Grammy-winning “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and 2014’s collaboration with Taj Mahal, “Talkin’ Christmas.”

The Lexington Theatre Company Presents “A Christmas Story”

Nov. 21-24 at the Lexington Opera House, 430 W. Vine. $40-$115. www.ticketmaster.com.

A 2012 musical adaptation of the immensely popular 1982 film of the same name which was, in turn, based on Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash,” “A Christmas Story” is an adult remembrance of a childhood holiday that stems back to the 1940s. Wow. That’s quite a bit of time travel for one story.

All the characters we have come to know will be onstage — Ralphie, Scut Farkus, The Old Man — as well the tale’s vital trophies, including the Major Award and, of course, the Red Rider Carbine Action BB Gun.

Resist the temptation to get close to the story, though. You’ll shoot your eye out.

Show times: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21-22, 1 and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 23 and 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.

Central Kentucky Dance Theatre presents Nutcracker Ballet

Nov. 23, 2 p.m. at Mitchell Fine Arts Center’s Carrick Theater at Transylvania University, 350 N. Broadway and West 4th St. $14-$18, transytickets.ticketspice.com/ckbcnutcracker

The Central Kentucky Ballet Conservatory presents the Nutcracker with guest artists Tony Oates, Nash Dawson and Bridgette Madden French.

African American Ballet Troupe presents Ebony Nutcracker

Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. at Mitchell Fine Arts Center’s Haggin Auditorium at at Transylvania University, 350 N. Broadway and West 4th St. $15. transytickets.ticketspice.com/ebony-nutcracker-2024

Following the original storyline of The Nutcracker, this version takes you on a cultural dance voyage with Clara and the Nutcracker Prince guided by the Cocoa Bean Fairy. They go to faraway lands where the cocoa bean grows like Africa, South America, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Having never been to these lands, Clara and the Prince experience an exciting array of vibrant dances and musical styles found among the people of the African diaspora.

Lexington Chamber Chorale present “The Power of Singing: Festive Holidays”

Dec. 1, 5 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 460 E. Main. $20-$25. Free for students K-12. lexingtonchamberchorale.org.

The second of the Lexington Chamber Chorale’s “The Power of Singing” concerts brings us to the holidays and a celebration honoring Hanukkah as well as Christmas.

“The Power of Singing: Festive Holidays” will include Morten Lauridsen’s 1994 choir motet “O Magnum Mysterium (O Great Mystery),” the 19th century Austrian carol “Still, Still, Still” and familiar carols including “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

A Vince Guaraldi Holiday/Duke Ellington Nutcracker Suite

Featuring the Isaiah Thompson Quartet and the OJS All-Stars.

Dec. 1, 6 p.m. at the Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main. Pay what you can. originsjazz.org/shows.

The Origins Jazz Series is reprising a popular holiday double bill it debuted last year. The program pairs piano trio versions of the Vince Guaraldi compositions and carol variations popularized in the classic animated TV special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with the 1960 reimagining by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn of the “Nutcracker Suite.”

New Jersey pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, longtime bandmate of guitarist John Pizzarelli, will be in charge of the Guaraldi section. Last year, Thompson issued a full album tribute to the great piano innovator’s seasonal music titled “A Guaraldi Holiday.”

The Ellington Nutcracker, which boasts such hip re-titles as “Sugar Rum Cherry” (“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”) and “Arabesque Cookie” (“Arabian Dance”), will be performed by an ensemble of local and regional jazz artists.

While this will be the second year for this double bill, the Origins Jazz Series first presented the Ellington Nutcracker at the Lyric Theatre in 2019.

Christ Church Cathedral presents Handel’s Messiah

Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 166 Market St. $20-$40. ccclex.org/messiah.

Can we get a Hallelujah, everyone?

Trust me, with a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” we will a whole lot of them. The 18th century oratorio remains one of the Christmas season’s most majestic, as well as most performed, presentations. When it unfolds in a space like downtown’s Christ Church Cathedral, the splendor will undoubtedly be magnified.

The Dec. 6 concert will feature the Cathedral Choir, the Lexington Baroque Ensemble and guest soloists, all conducted by Erich Balling.

Collage: A Holiday Spectacular

Dec. 7 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. at the Singletary Center for the Arts, Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. $21-$44. etix.com.

This has long been the University of Kentucky School of Music’s opportunity to spread its own holiday cheer.

Now in its 27th year, “Collage: A Holiday Spectacular” focuses on, in its own words, “holiday favorites from close to home and around the globe” as performed by UK music ensemble and choirs with a little help from the Lexington Singers Children’s Choirs.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Christmas

Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. at the EKU Center for the Arts, 822 Hall Dr., Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. $25-$75. ekucenter.com/events.

One of Kentucky’s finest is coming home for at least part of the holidays — Lawrence County native, country/bluegrass colossus and 15-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs. Richmond — specifically, the EKU Center for the Arts — is one of only 13 Christmas concert stops Skaggs and his virtuoso Kentucky Thunder band will be making in December.

Expect familiar carols and holiday tunes to be mixed in with Skaggs’s own hit parade. One song will likely stand out — “Christmas Time’s A Comin’,” the Tex Logan favorite first popularized by Skaggs mentor Bill Monroe in 1951.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

Dec. 8, 7 p.m. at Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine. $32.50-$102.50 through ticketmaster.com.

Holidazed and confused? Okay, let’s get right to the question that might surface about this performance. Is Cirque Dreams affiliated with the famed Cirque du Soleil? The answer is proudly given with nearly every news item published on the organization: “Cirque Dreams is a subsidiary of Cirque Du Soleil.”

That means Rupp Arena will be in store for fantasy-level presentation of acrobats, circus acts, jugglers, singers, dancers, penguins ... Wait. Penguins? That’s what the program promises, a childlike fantasy come to life with penguins, toy soldiers and reindeer.

Lexington will be one of 60 cities Cirque Dreams Holidaze will play to through the holiday season.

Classic Christmas with Chris Dennison and Maggie Lander

Dec. 8, 6 p.m. at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $15 through theburlky.com/shows.

Looking for something a little more homemade? Then check in with two of Lexington’s finest — vocalist Chris Dennison (of Chico Fellini) and singer/multi-instrumentalist Maggie Lander as they serve up old-school holiday tunes (“Santa Baby,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silver Bells”) for the second consecutive year at The Burl.

The billing says Classic Christmas, but the feel will lean to the jazz side of the Yuletide. Assisting the two in establishing the hometown holiday mood will be guitarist Robert Frahm, pianist Gregory Willett, bassist Eli Francis and drummer Dave Farris.

Acoustic Jam 2024

With Warren Zeiders, Jackson Dean, Chris Lane, Tigirlily, Bruce Leatherwood and others

Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. at the Lexington Opera House, 430 W. Vine. $49.50-$203.50 through www.ticketmaster.com.

The country roundup known as Acoustic Jam remains one of Lexington’s top-drawing holiday concert events. It traditionally presents a handful of artists — mostly up-and-coming or under-the-radar — forgoing their usual electric band settings to play round robin-style with minimal unplugged accompaniment, hence the concert title.

This year’s crew is led by Warren Zeiders (of “Pretty Little Poison” fame), who has spent much of the fall opening arena shows for Jelly Roll. He closed out that run, though, before the tour played Rupp Arena last week

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet

Dec. 11, 7 p.m. at the Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. $31-$180. etix.com.

This production of the Tchaikovsky ballet is a touring show with an eye toward spectacle. It’s magical. The very billing says so.

“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” will employ an international cast of 40 artists, 10 foot-tall puppets and elaborate backdrops and costuming.

Now in its 32nd touring year, the production averages 100 performances throughout November and December.

David Nail’s A Campfire Christmas Tour

Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. $30-$100 through manchestermusichall.com/events.

Missouri-born singer David Nail was all over country radio in the 2010s with hits like “Whatever She’s Got” and the self-penned “Let It Rain.” That led to an especially high-profile concert visit to Lexington via an opening set for an October 2011 show at Rupp Arena by — drum roll, please — Taylor Swift.

His local return is part of a 13-city tour highlighting Nail’s new, five-song holiday EP “A Campfire Christmas.” The tour was initially limited to 12 stops. The Manchester Music Hall show was a late addition.

Lexington Philharmonic with the Lexington Singers: Cathedral Christmas

Dec. 13 and 14, 8 p.m. at Cathedral of Christ the King, 299 Colony Blvd. $11-$85 at lexphil.org/cathedral-christmas.

With few exceptions, selections in this round-up detail shows emphasizing more modern shadings of holiday music. Here we have, in both artist and setting, a performance that reverently sends us back roughly three centuries.

The Lexington Philharmonic’ s annual December concerts at Christ the King with the Lexington Singers have become a local classical music tradition. Last year, conductor Mélisse Brunet guided the orchestra through Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major,” Humperdinck’s “Abendsegen” (from his opera “Hansel and Gretel”) and, with the Lexington Singers, Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

A sublime video summation of all three selections from that performance is viewable on YouTube.

Hollerday Gitdown with Nicholas Jamerson and the Mornings Jays

Dec. 13 and 14, 8 p.m. at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $20 through theburlky.com/shows.

It’s the third year at The Burl for Nicholas Jamerson’s weekend-long Hollerday Gitdown celebration with his Americana-rooted Morning Jays band.

The Sundy Best co-founder has said these shows are akin to an “end-of-the-year office party,” a celebration of a touring year that will wind down for him with a Nov. 23 performance in Pineville.

As in the two preceding years, the 2024 Hollerday Gitdown will sport different opening acts each evening. Grayson Jenkins and Ireland Owens will help out for the Dec. 13 performance while Eric Bolander and Ellie Ruth with kick off the Dec. 14 concert.

Lexington Ballet presents The Nutcracker

Dec. 13-22 at the Lexington Opera House at the Lexington Opera House, 430 W. Vine. $30.20-$63. ticketmaster.com.

The Lexington Ballet’s version of the holiday staple returns to the Opera House for a two-weekend run. There is a bit of a shine to the Ballet’s Nutcracker this year. The ultra-family friendly production is part of the company’s 50th Golden Anniversary season.

Here is the breakdown of performance times: Dec 13 and 20 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 14 and 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Winter Festival of Song by Uniting Voices Lexington!

Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. at Mitchell Fine Arts Center, at Transylvania University, 350 N. Broadway and West 4th St. Pay what you can, suggested $18 contribution.

Experience an enchanting evening of joyful melodies and heartwarming harmonies as our talented choir brings festive classics and contemporary favorites to life.

Alltech Celebration of Song

Dec. 15, 2:30 and 5 p.m. at Alltech Arena, Kentucky Horse Park, 4089 Iron Works Pkwy. alltech.com/alltech-celebration-song-2024.

The sentiment of giving sits at the heart of Alltech’s annual Celebration of Song, which presents vocalists from the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and winners of the Alltech Vocal Scholarship — a combined ensemble led by Everett McCorvey of nearly 40 singers with orchestral support. Together, they will bring a program of familiar carols and holiday songs to life. You may even be asked to join in on a tune or two.

Here is where the giving comes in. There is no specific admission for the performances (yes, there are two this year), but donations are encouraged to assist in ongoing relief aid for regions recovering from the September devastation left by Hurricane Helene.

Kentucky Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker

Dec. 21 and 22, 2 p.m. at Great Crossing High School, 120 Betsy Way in Georgetown. $18-$28. kyballet.com/the-nutcracker.

Kentucky Ballet Theatre certainly knows how to swiftly shift emotional themes with the seasons. The blood is barely dry from its recent Halloween run of “Dracula” at the Opera House. With Christmas just over a month away, the company is now preparing another seasonal essential — in this instance, a third production of “The Nutcracker.”

This year, Kentucky Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” is returning to Georgetown’s Great Crossing High School, one of several performance locations throughout the state where the company stages performances.

Lindsey Stirling: The Snow Waltz Tour

Dec. 22, 8 p.m. at Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine. $39.50-$348.50 through ticketmaster.com.

Well, here’s something new for Lexington concert stages during Christmas time. The pop world at large has been championing Lindsey Stirling’s multi-genre violin music for over a decade. Though classically rooted, Stirling’s work is richly contemporary. It makes generous use of electronics as it regularly shifts into modern pop territory. That extends to her two holiday recordings, the newest of which is 2022’s “Snow Waltz.”

Similarly, Stirling’s approach to concert performances emphasize the visual — specifically, heavily costumed and production designs that employ dance and, at times, acrobatics.

This will also be one the few times a major concert will be staged at Rupp Arena so close to Christmas Day itself.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

Dec. 29, 7:30 p.m. at the Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short. $53.50-$93.50 through ticketmaster.com.

How fitting that one of the first acts to contemporize holiday music within its instrumental framework and turn it into an ongoing, independent, audience-friendly touring and recording franchise will also serve as the ensemble that will keep the Christmas spirit rolling into Lexington a few days after Santa has finished his rounds and propped up his feet.

Percussionist/composer Chip Davis formed initial lineups of Mannheim Steamroller as far back as 1974. Initially, the group’s instrumental music, a merger of rock and classical accents, surfaced in a series of eight albums, all titled “Fresh Aire.” Beginning in 1984, with New Age music heightening the profile and audience appeal of Mannheim Steamroller, focus began to shift to holiday music. It has never abated.

Aside from annual Christmas tours, undertaken by two ensemble lineups that criss-cross the country simultaneously, Mannheim Steamroller’s music is currently featured on its own Sirius XM channel.