Must List: The Buttcracker, Handel’s Messiah and Holiday Gifts Galore
What to do this weekend in Seattle
By Seattle magazine staff December 18, 2015
Must Cruise
The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival
(Through 12/22, times vary) Cruise into Christmas on a sparkling boat, while enjoying choral performances, seasonal cocktails and a special reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Santa himself. Landlubbers can enjoy the spectacle, warmed by a bonfire, at one of the cruise’s many stops along Puget Sound, where the choir’s 20-minute performances will be broadcast via speaker to the shore.
Must Rock
The Buttcracker Takes Over the Erikson Theatre
(12/18 to 12/20, times vary) “Hair metal” songs ratchet up a bizarre holiday package very loosely based on the classic. Party on, Clara.
Must See
William Kentridge at Greg Kucera Gallery
(Through 12/24, times vary) The famed South African artist, known for his expressive, socially conscious animated films of his sooty drawings and erasures, shows a series of volatile collage etchings, large and small.
Must Shop
Seattle magazine’s 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
‘Tis the season for giving. Browse our top local finds for him, for her, for home…for everyone.
Must Listen
Seattle Symphony Performs Handel’s Messiah
(12/18 to 12/20, times vary) A centuries-old December tradition, this venerated masterpiece is performed by the Seattle Symphony.
Must Go
Great Seats Left for Late-Night Showings of Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker
It’s the 10th anniversary for this provocative holiday performance and we’re told there are two 10 p.m. shows next week on December 21 and 22 that still have stellar seats left. Nab tickets here and get thee to the The Triple Door, stat.
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Little Ways to December in Seattle
A few (mostly) local things worth picking up, wandering through, or falling into as the year wraps.
December always sneaks up on me even though every year I convince myself I’m going to be organized (I’m not). So I’ve been collecting these simple outings and local spots that feel like unwrapped gifts. If you’re looking for a way to escape or lean in, here are some recommendations. A sip of history You…
Back to Gander
Seattle Rep revisits its original world premiere with a new staging that pulls you straight into the heart of the story.
When you walk into the theater, the cast is already onstage in what looks like a Gander high school gym—setting out dishes for a potluck, chatting, and then cleaning up. It feels like you’ve arrived in the middle of a reunion, which is the point. This run marks 10 years since Come From Away first…
Seattle’s Big Holiday Arts Guide
A full lineup of seasonal performances across local theaters and venues.
In the words of William Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well.” Local theater and arts organizations are hoping for exactly that. Holiday productions often account for as much as half of their annual ticket sales. A 2018 Dance/USA survey found that The Nutcracker alone represented 48% of yearly revenue for many companies producing the Tchaikovsky…
Outside the Frame
In their first solo museum exhibition in Seattle, artist Camille Trautman uses photography to reclaim history, narrative, and self-expression.
You have probably seen Camille Trautman’s work without even realizing it. A huge photograph—20 feet wide—is currently hanging across the exterior of the Frye Art Museum, visible to passersby driving along Boren Avenue. The image is of a wooded landscape in black and white. Its edges are vacuous, with trees swallowed by darkness, but the…