Many of the Bay Area’s beloved holiday presentations have gone online this pandemic year. Here’s a list of some old (and new) favorites; Pacific Standard Times are listed.
Marcus Shelby Trio Holiday Swing: Stanford Live presents the jazz combo in a concert filmed in the Bing Concert Hall Studio in October 2020 as part of its ongoing “Films and Screenings” arts programming. Free for Stanford students and members who donate $100 or more. live.stanford.edu/content/films-screenings
The Golden Girls Live-The Christmas Episodes: The show – in which drag performes appear in parodies, based on actual holiday episodes of the beloved TV sitcom – goes online in live-streaming multi-camera performances featuring Heklina as Dorothy, Matthew Martin as Blanche, D’Arcy Drollinger as Rose, and Holotta Tymes as Sophia. 7 p.m. December 17-19, 3 p.m. Dec. 20. $30. thegoldengirlslive.com
The Steadfast Tin Soldier: Recommended for families, Berkeley Repertory Theatre streams Mary Zimmerman’s Lookingglass Theatre Company production based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story about a little tin soldier who never gives up. Through Dec. 17, $25. berkeleyrep.org/season/2021/steadfasttinsoldier.asp
Manual Cinema’s “Christmas Carol”: Cal Performances live-streams the magical production featuring hundreds of paper puppets, miniatures, silhouettes and an original music score performed live. 5 p.m. Dec. 17, 7 p.m. Dec. 18, 1 p.m. Dec. 19. $15-$60. calperformances.org
Cal Performances presents Manual Cinema’s multimedia “Christmas Carol” featuring puppets, silhouettes, miniatures and live music, and online from Dec. 17-19. (Courtesy Manual Cinema)
Winters Gifts-Treasures: The Silicon Valley based group The Choral Project, with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, presents its annual holiday concert online. 7 p.m. Dec. 19, $30. https://www.feelitlive.com/experience/music/winter-s-gifts:treasures/concerts
BATS Improv: The Bay Area’s fun improvisation organization offers seasonally themed shows online, including “Feel Good Holiday Hallmark Movie” at 8 p.m. Dec. 18-19 and “Tales for the Longest Night” at 8 p.m. Dec. 20. $10-$20 suggested donation. improv.org/shows/online-shows
Hershey Felder Tchaikovsky: The pianist-actor livestreams his musical solo show about the famed Russian composer of “The Nutcracker Suite” in a TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presentation in partnership with Hershey Felder Presents Live from Florence. 5 p.m. Dec. 20, on demand Dec. 21-27, $55 per household. TheatreWorks.org
Hershey Felder portrays the composer of “The Nutcracker Suite” in Hershey Felder Tchaikovsky, co-presented by TheatreWorks. (Courtesy Hershey Felder Presents)
The Great Conjunction Virtual Telescope Viewing: Chabot Space & Science Center astronomers host a live look at a rare conjunction, a “Christmas star” that occurs every 20 years, when Jupiter gets very close to Saturn as seen from Earth; this year, it’s the closest it’s been to Earth in 800 years, 6 p.m. Dec. 21. https://chabotspace.org/events/events-listing/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd1Gmidzph0
Joshua Raoul Brody’s Holiday Sing-Along: Part of the Marsh’s continuing series of online “Wildcard Tuesday” offerings, the lovable accompanist plays his favorite holiday songs before pointing the microphone at the camera and inviting audience members to take over. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22, free, donations encouraged. themarsh.org
It’s A Wonderful Life-A Live Radio Play: Tabard Theatre Company live-streams its production based on the beloved movie about a despairing man’s fateful encounter with an angel on Christmas. Through Dec. 24, $15-$50. tabardtheatre.org
Dickens Fair at Home: Instead of the big event at the Cow Palace, the free online compendium brings the Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party to homes. On Dec. 19-20, there’s instruction on making scones and Christmas pudding, on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, there’s a “Hallelujah Chorus” sing-along with the Fezziwig Family, Charles Dickens reading “A Christmas Carol” and Father Christmas responding to children’s holiday wishes. https://dickensfair.com/dickens-fair-at-home
Father Christmas will be in attendance during the Dickens Fair at Home virtual festivities on Dec. 24. (Courtesy Rosemary Guglielmelli)
Smuin’s “The Christmas Ballet: The contemporary ballet company’s first virtual edition of its beloved holiday show features classical dance and modern numbers with jazz, tap and swing; three different programs include premiere pieces by company choreographers as well as old holiday favorites. Through Dec. 24, $49-$139. https://www.smuinballet.org/
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus: The group’s Castro Theatre holiday songfest on its 30th anniversary year is virtual; “(At) Home for the Holidays” includes show-stopping numbers, modern takes on old favorites, the world premiere of “Merry Everything” and some surprises. 5 p.m. Dec. 24, $25-$150. sfgmc.org
The San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus presents its Christmas Eve holiday show online instead of at the Castro Theatre. (Courtesy Gooch)
The Jewelry Box: San Francisco Playhouse streams the lovely holiday show by storyteller Brian Copeland, who tells what happens when, as a youngster in the 1970s, he headed to the “mean streets” of Oakland to buy his mom a Christmas present. $15-$50, through Dec. 25, sfplayhouse.org
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: San Francisco comic Lisa Geduldig hosts the 28th annual event — Jewish Comedy on Christmas in a (Virtual) Chinese Restaurant – from her 89-year-old mother’s home in a retirement community in Florida, with patrons enjoying the show from their couch. She’ll appear along with comedians Judy Gold and Alex Edelman. She says, “Zoom attendees will be able to gather with friends and family around the globe and chat for an hour prior to the show” in rooms similar to the tables at the bustling event traditionally at New Asia restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Shows, Pacific time, are 5 p.m. Dec. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Dec. 26. $25-$50. koshercomedy.com
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy’s online Christmas show running Dec. 24-26 features, from left, Judy Gold, Alex Edelman and Lisa Geduldig. (Courtesy Kung Pao Kosher Comedy)
Fool La La-Home for the Holidaze: Unique Derique’s popular and beloved circus-inspired family holiday show is filled with physical comedy and body percussion is presented, featuring a live post-performance juggling and hambone workshop. 2 p.m. Dec. 27. themarsh.org/marshstream
Unique Derique’s interactive and fun physical comedy show “Fool La La-Home for the Holidaze” streams Dec. 27. (Courtesy Eric Carmichael)
A Christmas Carol on Air: American Conservatory Theater’s holiday classic comes to life as a radio play, with James Carpenter as Scrooge; some free tickets are being offered for frontline and essential workers and people who work in the arts industry. Through Dec. 31, $40-$60. act-sf.org
Christmas at Grace Cathedral Comes to You: San Francisco’s iconic church offers online presentations of holiday concerts: “A Cathedral Christmas” featuring the Choir of Men and Boys; the new “Soulful Joy @ Grace with Destiny Muhammad and her Sonic Ensemble of Masters Leon Joyce Jr., Tammylynn Hall Brown Sturgis & Brown and Ron Belcher playing jazz and telling stories; and the family sing-along “Sing You A Merry Christmas.” $5-$100, through Jan. 5. gracecathedral.org
Speakeasy Virtual New Year’s Eve: The 1920s-themed celebration includes break-out rooms with fortune telling, parlor magic, dance lessons, cabaret and vaudeville shows and the countdown, accompanied by a delivered box of caviar, truffles, cheese, charcuterie and prohibition-era cocktail mixers from Truffle Shuffle. 7 and 10 p.m. Dec. 31. $95-$250. https://www. truffleshufflesf.com/collections/ live-experiences
