1 MAGI
A young couple in financial straits each sacrifices something dear to them to provide the perfect Christmas gift to the other in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's world-premiere chamber musical version of The Gift of the Magi (music by Andrew Cooke, lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman, book by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the O. Henry story), 7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 24. A 6:15 p.m. talk by director John Miller-Stephany precedes today's 7 p.m. preview and a 5:30 p.m. dinner precedes Friday's opening-night performance. Tickets are $48 and $38, $25 students in advance, $15 day-of-show student rush. Call (501) 378-0405 or visit TheRep.org. See storyon Page 4E.
2 MERRIMENT
KTHV's longtime anchor and meteorologist Tom Brannon serves as grand marshal for this year's Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade on Saturday. The parade of floats, bands and dancers starts at Second Street and Broadway at 3 p.m., moving south on Broadway to Capitol Avenue and ending in front of the state Capitol, where the official lighting and fireworks will start about 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call (501) 904-5228 or visit holidaysinlittlerock.com. See story on Page 4E.
• The North Little Rock Sertoma Christmas Parade -- called "Christmas Magic" this year -- starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pershing Boulevard and Main Street, North Little Rock, heads south down Main Street and ends at the North Little Rock City Services building. Call (501) 758-1424.
3 'MOUNTAIN CLIMBING'/MUSIC MINISTRY
Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa rocks North Little Rock's Verizon Arena at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $79-$149 plus fees. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com. See Music Scene on Page 5E.
• Also at Verizon this weekend: The Newsboys headline the Big Church Night Out Tour 2017, 6 p.m. Sunday. The bill also includes Sidewalk Prophets, Christian rockers 7eventh Time Down, Blanca, rapper-hip hopper Derek Minor, Audio Adrenaline lead singer Adam Agee, illusionist Brock Gill and worship leader Jamison Strain. Tickets (plus service charges) are $28; premium ($48) and Ultimate VIP ($103) packages are available. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com. See Music Scene on Page 5E.
4 MUSCLE
The streets of downtown Little Rock will ring with bells as athletes run, walk and trot through the Jingle Bell Run, Saturday at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The Kid's Mascot Run for ages 12 and under starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by the 5K race at 11 a.m. and the 1-mile walk at 11:05 a.m. Registration, which starts at 9 a.m., is $20-$35 and proceeds benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Call (501) 664-4591 or visit jbr.org/littlerock.
5 MUSEUMS
Little Rock's Department of Arkansas Heritage museums will open their doors for seasonal festivities Sunday:
• At the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham St., decorations, hands-on activities and caroling mark the Holiday Open House, 1-4 p.m. Admission is free. Call (501) 324-9685 or visit oldstatehouse.com.
• The Christmas Frolic, 1-4 p.m. at the Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St., celebrates Christmas 1800s-style with living history, re-enactments, music, dancing and helpings of hot cider and ginger cake. Admission is free. Call (501) 324-9351 or visit historicarkansas.org.
• Things will be very tasty at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Ninth Street and Broadway, where the Holiday Open House includes the Say It Ain't Say's Sweet Potato Pie Baking Contest, 2-5 p.m. There will also be musical performances and a craft-making station. Admission is free; take a toy to donate to Say McIntosh's Toy Drive. Call (501) 628-5866 or visit mosaictemplarscenter.com.
6 MOTHER GOOSE
A grandfather (Mark Hansen) makes it his Christmas Eve mission to school a young visitor (Angelina Bearden) in the intricacies of nursery rhymes as the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre stages Mother Goose Christmas by Keith Smith, 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through Dec. 17 at the Arts Center in MacArthur Park, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. There's a special "Pay-What-You-Can" preview at 7 p.m. today. Tickets are $12.50, $10 for members. Call (501) 372-4000 or visit ArkansasArtsCenter.org/theatre.
7 MESSIAH
As it has every year since 1930, the Arkansas Choral Society performs portions of George Frideric Handel's Messiah with the University of Arkansas at Monticello Chamber Chorus and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra musicians, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Calvary Baptist Church, 5700 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Soloists are Kelly Singer, soprano; Diana Salesky, alto; Drew Seigla, tenor; and Gregory Pearson, bass; Kent Skinner conducts. A silent auction starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call (870) 820-9645 or visit lovetosing.org.
8 MAINE
Residents of a remote, mythical New England town fall in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways in Almost, Maine by John Cariani, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday through Dec. 16 (and also 2:30 p.m. Dec. 10) at the Weekend Theater, 1001 W. Seventh St., Little Rock. Tickets are $16, $12 for students. Visit weekendtheater.org. For more information, call (501) 374-3761.
9 MR. OLNEY
Folksinger/songwriter David Olney performs:
• With fiddler Ward Stout at 7 p.m. Friday at the Lyric Theatre, 113 W. Rush Ave., Harrison. Tickets are $20 and $15 plus tax in advance, $25 at the door. Call (870) 319-3504 or visit thelyricharrison.org.
• With bassist David Seymour, performing songs from Olney's newly released album Don't Try to Fight It, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, under the auspices of the Little Rock Folk Club. Tickets are $15, $10 military, $8 students with ID, free for accompanied children 12 and younger. Call (501) 663-0634 or visit littlerockfolkclub.org. See Music Scene on Page 5E
10 MIRTH
The 19th-century buildings of Washington will be dressed up in their holiday finery during the annual Christmas and Candlelight event, Saturday and Dec. 9. Daylight tours of the houses and businesses are 1-5 p.m. with candlelight tours 5-8 p.m. Admission is $10, $6 for children 6-12. Call (870) 983-2684 or visit historicwashingtonstatepark.com.
Weekend on 11/30/2017