ARTS/CRAFTS/GIFTS

Arboretum Foundation’s “Gifts & Greens Galore” holiday sale, Dec. 6-7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., both days. Great prices on beautiful and unique, locally-sourced fresh-cut greens; decorated and ready-to-decorate wreaths, swags, and garlands; unique and handcrafted holiday gifts from local artisans; exclusive Arboretum honey and Zoka Arboretum Blend Coffee for sale; complimentary cookies, Zoka coffee, tea and cider; FREE admission and parking. Washington Park Arboretum Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Dr. E., Seattle. 206-325-4510; www.arboretumfoundation.org.

Gift for Life Sample Sale to benefit DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS), now through Jan. 12, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Wed.-Sun., except closed 12/24, 12/25 & 1/1). Books, gifts, toys, home accessories, and much more, all offered at wholesale to the public. Special Section proceeds donated to DIFFA. 22824 100th Ave. W., Edmonds. 

Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center Holiday Tree & Greenery Sale Fundraiser, now thru Dec. 23, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. 303 17th Ave. E., Seattle. 206-322-2437; www.sasgcc.org.

Seattle Sampling Artists Studio Tour, Dec. 6-8. Don’t miss the Seattle Sampling Artists Studio Tour – celebrating its 26th year. Thirty-six of Seattle’s award-winning and professional crafts people will be showing at nine locations throughout the greater Seattle area. This free, self-guided tour offers holiday shoppers a relaxed and intimate opportunity to meet the artists in their own environments. An opening night reception at each location will be held Friday, Dec. 6, 4-9 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7-8, each venue is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A map and a complete listing of all the artists and their locations are available for download at www.seattlesampling.com. Shop local this holiday season and support Seattle’s vibrant artist community.

Seward Park Clay Studio Winter Holiday Show & Sale, Dec. 6-24. Opening night, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri., noon-7 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. With the closing of the Northwest Craft Center in the re-do of the Seattle Center, there is now no single location for Puget Sound residents to see a representative sample of the variety of ceramics being produced in this area. That is, except during the Thanksgiving-Christmas window at the annual Winter Holiday Sale at Seward Park Clay Studio. This working studio, usually the creative home for a score of resident artists, plus 120+ students, transforms into a retail clay paradise for the holidays.

What is on view, and available for purchase, is not just the product of those professional and hobbyist potters currently associated with Seward Park Clay Studio, but also art from an additional invited two-dozen local clay artists. These range from such luminaries in the field as Carol Gouthro, Ricky Silver, Tip Toland, and Sam Scott to local favorites including Damian Grava, Pat Colyar, and Carol Ann Bauer.

Also impressive is the range of work: sculpture, majolica, functional stoneware, delicate porcelains, raku, wood-fire, wall hangings. Even if you aren’t in the market for purchasing (and prices are remarkably affordable!), just surveying the range of expression in clay is worth a trip to this event.

A fundraising opening night party, with a suggested donation at the door of $10 will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Attendance gets you first crack at the full shelves, plus a wide selection of finger foods and wine/beer.

Join us in celebrating the diversity of Puget Sound ceramics. Seward Park Clay Studio, 5900 Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle.

South Park Arts 9th Annual Art Under $100 Holiday Sale, Dec. 7, 2-9 p.m. Artists from South Park and beyond will knock your stockings off with original work not seen at a typical holiday sale. This year, over 50 artists will showcase a diverse array of art, including painting, sculpture, neon, jewelry, clothing, photography, glass, letterpress, and more. And everything’s affordable with nothing priced over $100.

Beloved elements of past sales return: Groove to DJ dpauly and DJ Stack as they spin records from their booth high above us in the scissor lift. Create your very own masterpiece with the Makery, a mobile art lab that runs on recycled materials and creativity. Enjoy beer, wine, and appetizers, and support local art. Every 20 minutes, a raffle ticket will be drawn and lucky winners get their pick of art donated by participating artists. All proceeds go to South Park Arts. Two food trucks – Muy Macho and 314 Pie – will be on site to provide substantial fare, joined by Slate Coffee Roasters. South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Ave. S., Seattle. www.southparkarts.org.

HOLIDAY EVENTS

Argosy Cruise Christmas Ship, Nov. 29-Dec. 23. www.argosycruises.com. (See article in this week’s SGN for details.)

18th Annual Gig Harbor Home Tour of Homes & Gift Bazaar, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets: $20; 10 tickets $150. www.gigharborholidaytour.org. (See article in this week’s SGN for details.)

LGBT COMMUNITY

CELEBRATIONS

“Cabaret Snowball!” Dec. 7, 7 p.m. Ingersoll Gender Center celebrates the season and the end of a fabulous 2013 with “Cabaret Snowball!” Mix and mingle with friends old and new. Enjoy the warmth of a delicious soup and salad buffet with wine, beer, and soft drinks. Delight in the very Queer burlesque entertainment of the world-renowned Miss Indigo Blue and the hijinks of Lily Divine’s Debauchery burlesque troupe. Hosted by Seattle City Council President Sally Clark. Tickets: $20 advance; more at the door. City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 5th Ave. & Cherry St., Seattle. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/511874. This is an all-ages event.

Auntie Mame, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. Celebrate the season with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Auntie Mame. The beloved 1958 film starring the incomparable Rosalind Russell returns for one night (only) of festive revelry, a “Homo for the holidays” tradition! Always armed with a colorful dress and an acerbic quip, the flamboyant, vibrant Mame Dennis (Russell) is an unconventional socialite from the Roaring Twenties. When her young orphan nephew comes to live in her madcap party pad, Mame takes him under her wing for an adventure in living life to its fullest. Tickets: $12.50; $10 for Three Dollar Bill Cinema members. AMC Pacific Place Cinema, 600 Pine St., Seattle. www.threedollarbillcinema.org. This is an all-ages event.

Pictures With Santa, Dec. 13-14, 9 p.m.-midnight. Seattle Men in Leather hosts their annual event to celebrate the holidays and raise money for their designated charity, which this year is Chicken Soup Brigade. Get your picture taken with one of SML’s hunky Santas and enjoy the evening’s festivities. $5 suggested donation. The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave., Seattle. www.seattlemeninleather.org.

Bailey Boushay Cabaret and Imperial Court of Seattle & Knights of Mantra Christmas Show, Dec. 21, doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. R Place, 619 E. Pine St., Seattle. www.imperialcourtofseattle.com and on Facebook.

LGBT CABARET

“The Dina Martina Christmas Show – The Best of the Best!” Nov. 29-Dec. 31. PAGENTRY AND PATHOS! GLAMOUR AND GIFTS! HILARITY AND HITS! This year’s Dina Martina Christmas Show will have it all, because this year’s show will be THE BEST OF THE BEST! It’s time for Miss Martina to acquiesce and appease her admirers by performing her ALL-TIME GREATEST HOLIDAY HITS – from the 14 pretty much all-new, pretty much all-unique Christmas shows she’s done in Seattle over the years. From the beloved mash-ups to the treasured abominations, this festive evening will be jam-packed with genius comedy and holiday chestnuts – and there ain’t a rotten one in the bunch! This is the first time Miss Martina, along with famed musician/composer Chris Jeffries, has performed her all-time greatest holiday hits in one show. So get your tickets now, because pretty soon they’ll be goin’ like HOTCAKES! Only they’re TICKETS! $20 advance; $25 at the door. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., Seattle. www.brownpapertickets/com/event/451053. www.dinamartina.com

“Ham for the Holidays: Close Encounters of the Pork Rind,” Dec. 4-22 (Wednesday-Sunday). Comedians Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt (aka Dos Fallopia) bring their sketch comedy chops and a trunkful of characters to ACT this December. Directed by David Hunter Koch, the long-running cult holiday series (think Carol Burnett on steroids) has found a hammy holiday home at ACT’s Falls Theatre, in collaboration with the Central Heating Lab. With characters like mother-daughter country duo The Spudds, the tiny but proud Sequim Gay Men’s Chorus, and the angst-ridden Slam Poet, Platt and Koch create an evening full of wickedly funny social satire, musical parody, and razor-sharp zingers.

“Ham” contains a cornucopia of dysfunctional characters: Jewish lounge act Schmeck Attack is mistakenly booked at a Xmas party; Crassword puts a titillating spin on the popular game show; Northwest icons Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Dale Chihuly, and Jean Enersen band together in a supergroup, The Seatles; Country duo The Spudds present Mama’s bizarre mash-up of classic TV and holiday films with “Meet Me in Mayberry with a Vengeance.” Tickets: $15-$33. Available to ACTPass holders. ACT, Falls Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle 206-292-7676; www.acttheatre.org.

“Homo for the Holidays,” Dec. 12-24. A seasonal spectacle guaranteed to make even the most stubborn yuletides Gay! An unforgettable all-star cast of burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and musical local luminaries come together in a display of glittering grandeur. A hearty holiday fruitcake packed with rollicksome reindeer, enticing elves, ghostly guests, sexy snowstorms, agile angels, musical Maccabees, and new ways to define coming home. It’s not Christmas in July, it’s Pride in December! Light your menorah, stuff your stockings, and join our chosen family in celebrating our favorite wintry holiday of all. Featuring an all-star cast of burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and musical local luminaries: BenDeLaCreme, Kitten LaRue, Lou Henry Hoover, Jinkx Monsoon (performing 12/12-14 & 12/23-24) (sharing a role with Scott Shoemaker performing 12/18-22), Major Scales, Cherdonna Shinatra, Faggedy Randy, ilvs strauss, and announcing their newest cast member, burlesque starlet Inga Ingenue. Tickets: $25 in advance; $30 at the door. West Hall, Odd Fellows Building, 2nd Floor, 915 E. Pine St., Seattle. www.strangertickets.com.

MUSIC

Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition & Fundraiser, Dec. 6, 5 p.m. pre-show, 6-8:30 p.m. event. Join the Pike Place Market Senior Center & Food Bank for one of Seattle’s most magical and festive nights! Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit as 40+ caroling teams sing their hearts out on downtown Seattle street corners in and around Westlake  Center. The top teams compete in a sing-off on the Figgy Main Stage. This heart-warming tradition attracts nearly 10,000 people every year. www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org

Rainbow City Band presents “RCB on Holiday,” Dec. 7, 7 p.m. Featuring music of holiday cheer and gaiety from favorite vacation locales around the world. Tickets: $15-$20. Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave., Edmonds. 425-275-9595; www.ec4arts.org; www.rainbowcityband.com.

Roosevelt High School Jazz Band performs Duke Ellington and Billystrayhorn’s “Jazz Nutcracker,” Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 8, 2 p.m. Tickets: $15 & $12. Roosevelt High School Performing Arts Theatre, 1410 NE 66th St. 206-525-6977, www.rooseveltjazz.org.

The Esoterics present “Sacra,” a concert of choral music by Benjamin Britten, Dec. 7, 8 p.m. Britten’s choral music has been championed by choirs throughout the world, with several notable titles considered standard repertoire for choral ensembles. Tickets: $15 & $18. All Pilgrim’s Christian Church, 500 Broadway E. wwwtheesoterics.org.

Northwest Chamber Chorus presents “Winter’s Warmth,” Dec. 8, 3 p.m., and December 14, 7:30 p.m. Come to our hearth and feel the warmth of a traditional carol sing-along and other songs of winter and the holiday season. Tickets: $22, $17 & $12. Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 7500 Greenwood Ave. N. 206-523-1196; www.northwestchamberchorus.org.

Candlelight Concerts presents “Pleasures of Pan,” Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.; “Festive Baroque,” Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.; “Jazzin’ with the Classics by Candlelight for Christmas” Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The third annual Candlelight Concerts in memory of George Shangrow continues a tradition which George initiated with candlelight evenings of chamber music and holiday favorites over many decades. Chamber music both familiar and new is performed by some of the Northwest’s prominent soloists. Tickets: $10, $15 & $20, 18 and under FREE, series pass $45. University Christian Church, 4731 15th Ave. NE. www.candlelightseattle.org

Seattle Men’s Chorus presents “Play It Again, Santa,” Nov. 30-Dec. 22. Borrowing from the film classic Casablanca, with Santa (not Sam!) at the piano, in an out-of-the-way bar at the North Pole, the Seattle Men’s Chorus fabulous holiday concert is underway.

With their unique blend of song, dance, and campy comedy, SMC has carved its niche as Seattle’s OTHER holiday tradition. As artistic director Dennis Coleman points out, “We try to bring three things to every holiday concert: a goosebump, a laugh, and a tear.”

Goosebumps abound in Act One with several richly harmonic a cappella selections, both traditional and non-traditional pieces. Act Two brings lots of laughs with the special “Santa Set” and there will be a good dose of emotion as SMC celebrates the “Gift of Marriage Equality in 2013.” Expect holiday favorites like “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” And no SMC concert would be complete without their signature holiday piece, “Silent Night.”

For the second consecutive year, SMC is proud to partner with Lifelong AIDS Alliance for a Holiday Food Drive during the Seattle concerts at Benaroya Hall. All non-perishable goods will be accepted and will be used in Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s food program, Chicken Soup Brigade.

The Seattle Men’s Chorus “Play It Again, Santa” concerts will be held 12/8 @ 7:30 p.m., 12/9 @ 7:30 p.m., 12/15 @ 7:30 p.m., 12/16 @ 7:30 p.m., and 12/22 @ 7:30 p.m. at Benaroya Hall, 3rd Ave. & Union St., Seattle. Tickets: $28-$78. 206-388-1400; www.SeattleMensChorus.org.

The SMC’s Tacoma concert will be held 12/12 @ 8 p.m. at Pantages Theatre, 901 Broadway, Tacoma. Tickets are $44-$59. 253-591-5894; www.BroadwayCenter.org.

The SMC’s Everett concert will be held 12/14 @ 8 p.m. at Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave., Everett. Tickets: $23-$43. 206-388-1400; www.SeattleMensChorus.org.

Cascade Symphony presents “Happy Holidays!” 12/16, 7:30 p.m. (pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.). Rejuvenate your spirit with Christmas favorites, a Chanukah medley and some whimsical pieces such as Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.” And what would the holidays be without Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus? Visit www.cascadesymphony.org for complete details. Tickets: $10-$25. Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N., Edmonds. 425-275-9595; www.edmondscenterforthearts.org.

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra presents “Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music,” 12/28, 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss this holiday performance of works drawn from Ellington’s three Sacred Concerts featuring blues, gospel, and jazz pieces that Ellington considered some of his most important works. Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave. (at Seneca St.) Tickets: $14-$36. www.srjo.org; www.brownpapertickets.com

THEATRE & FILM

A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol, Nov. 28-Dec. 28. We all know the story of Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Or do we? In A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol, the audience decides the entire story. Where does Scrooge work? What afflicts poor Tiny Tim? YOU decide! Tickets: $12 & $15. Unexpected Production’s Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley. 206-587-2414, 800-838-3006; www.unexpectedproductions.org;  www.brownpapertickets.com/event/375268.

Coney Island Christmas, Nov. 29-Dec. 22. A Jewish girl is the best choice as Jesus in the school play, but will tradition and family politics bring the curtain down early? Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Donald Margulies, Coney island Christmas features two of the most hilariously inept holiday school pageants ever and a universal tale of what it means to be an American at the holidays. Projections from the 1930s Brooklyn, plus Christmas carols played in traditional Jewish klezmer style by the Klez Katz of Seattle, add rich texture to this delightful production. Coney Island Christmas performs Fri-Sat at 8 p.m. & Sun at 2 p.m. Tickets: $7-$20. Bring nonperishable food for local food bank and get $2 off ticket price. Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave. SW, Burien. 206-242-5180; www.burienactorstheatre.org

Little Women – The Broadway Musical, Nov. 29-Dec. 29. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s enduring classic, Little Women follows the beloved stories of the March sisters as they come of age in Civil War America. This timeless, captivating story is brought to life in this glorious musical filled with personal discovery, heartache, hope, and everlasting love.

This story – based on Alcott’s own childhood – is deeply etched in the cultural and emotional landscape of our country, that it resurfaces generation after generation to capture our hearts. This holiday season, let ArtsWest bring you and your family on this journey of courage, friendship and loss – reminding us to care for what we believe in and to care deeply for those we choose to love. Tickets: $17-$36.50. ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. SW, Seattle. 206-938-0339; www.artswest.org.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Dec. 5-24. For the 13th year in a row, the Herdmans are back with more holiday havoc! Chaos escalates as the kids turn the festivities upside down and ultimately challenge everyone’s traditional notions of Christmas. For young and old alike, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has become a holiday family tradition at SPT and not to be missed. Tickets: $10-$32. Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr. N., Seattle. 206-524-1300; www.seattlepublictheater.org.

The Santaland Diaries, Dec. 5-24. Crumpet the Elf is so over the holidays he’s reached an all-time high in humbug. Joe Montello’s adaptation of The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris’ witty and sardonic chronicle of the holiday season, returns to SPT with its unique brand of yuletide cheer. For mature elves only. Tickets: $10-$32. Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr. N., Seattle. 206-524-1300; www.seattlepublictheater.org.

“Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped,” Dec. 15, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Cornish College of the Arts welcomes back their two alums, Jerick Hoffer and Richard Andriessen (aka Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales), following their acclaimed run in the Off-Broadway sleeper hit The Vaudevillians. They return to the Emerald City to share the holidays with their fans in two exclusive performances of “Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped” after a week of performances of “Unwrapped” at The Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City.

“Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped” gives audiences a look at the holiday season through the jaded, sassy, somewhat boozy eyes of two bitter queens. Featuring original songs, covers, and comedy from these celebrated performers, “Unwrapped” has a little something for everyone at the most wonderful time of the year.

Tickets: $45 VIP (first three rows), $25 general admission. Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center (formerly Intiman Theatre), 201 Mercer St., Seattle. www.cornish.edu/events; www.brownpapertickets.com/event/511213 or 800-838-3006.