Thursday, Dec. 7
Be a Scrooge
It’s Christmastime, which means all sorts of warm, fuzzy, feel-good events are happening all over Monterey County. One masterful actor, F. Howard Burnham, embodies a different approach than Santa for this appearance: He’ll be in character as Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold-hearted protagonist in A Christmas Carol. Scrooge – and maybe Burnham, if he decides to speak too – appears in conversation with Weekly staff writer Agata Popeda in this seasonally thematic installation of Mic’d Up at The Press Club. Burnham has experience in dozens of roles, from Winston Churchill to Thomas Paine to Lewis Carroll. Those characters may or may not be mentioned, but audience questions for Scrooge (or Burnham) are welcome. [SR]
12:30-1:30pm Thursday, Dec. 7. The Creperie Cafe at The Press Club, 1123 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. Free; food and drink available for purchase. 394-5656, montereycountyweekly.com/pressclub.
To Market
A great way to find handcrafted gifts and support small businesses is to attend pop-up holiday markets. CSU Monterey Bay will host its first Winter Night Market with over 20 vendors and a variety of products including candles, jewelry, food, bread and more. The event features products from local businesses, including those owned by students and alumni like Miss Lippe’s Dumpling Party, Blissful Teas, Sun Paxx, Johnny Wicks Candle Company and Vadroka Illustrations. The night market also includes a hot chocolate bar – a drink to keep you warm while you shop around. Happy hunting. [CJ]
4-8pm Thursday, Dec. 7. Otter Student Union Plaza, 3118 Inter-Garrison Road, Seaside. Free to attend. 582-3000, csumb.edu/events.
Thursday, Dec. 7-Saturday, Dec. 9
Made In Narnia
A trip to the magical land of Narnia, created by an English writer and devoted Catholic C.S. Lewis, is a quintessential holiday-time experience. The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe starts like a nativity adventure, and that’s what ARIEL Theatrical is going with. Lucy (Melanie McGirr), Susan (Sofia Escobar), Peter (Ben Ellis) and Edmund (Talon Hayward) learn during their first visit to the land on the other side of the wardrobe that due to a rule of the White Witch, it’s always winter in Narnia, except that Christmas never comes. In fact, the Pevensie siblings meet Santa and his sleigh in Narnia, far away from their actual reality of the World War II air raids that sent them to a strange house in the countryside in the first place. [AP]
7pm Thursday, Dec. 7-Saturday, Dec 9; additional 2pm show on Saturday. The Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre, 320 Main St., Salinas. $9-$13. 775-0976, arieltheatrical.org.
Friday, Dec. 8
Spell Bound
In a world beset by strife and struggles for power – which could probably be every year humanity has existed – a boy named Coyote walks away from his life of privilege and sets out into the mix. The Ukrainian-born Nick Oliveri, author of a dozen self-published books, comes to Downtown Book & Sound in Salinas to talk about his latest book, The Last Conjurer, a bildungsroman about a boy finding his way amid a civilization in upheaval. Oliveri will answer some questions from the audience – and one need not be there in order to ask him, as the talk will also be broadcast on Facebook Live – and for those who attend virtually, there’s also a bonus: a signed bookplate from the bookstore mailed to you free, anywhere in the world. Unless, of course, the “Minister of Economics” intercepts it en route to further impose his late-stage capitalism vision on the world. [DS]
6-8pm Friday, Dec. 8. Downtown Book & Sound, 213 Main St., Salinas. Free. 477-6700, downtownbookandsound.com.
Friday, Dec. 8-Saturday, Dec. 9
Christmas(back in)time
In the early 1840s, around the time Charles Dickens was penning a story about Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors in England, way over on the other side of the world, Monterey was a burgeoning town. After Mexico took over from Spain, Monterey was opened to international trade – visitors turned into residents and businesses multiplied. Adobes and “Colonial Monterey” style buildings sprung up around the town’s core. Two centuries later we are fortunate to have our own Monterey-style holiday in these historic sites, very different from Dickens’ old England, but just as quaint. The 39-year tradition of Christmas in the Adobes – a fundraiser by the Monterey State Historic Park Association to support elementary school activities within the park – offers a glimpse into Old Monterey’s past, complete with candle-lit luminarias and other holiday decorations. Guests are welcomed by volunteers in period dress and some locations feature live music, activities and treats. [PM]
5-9pm Friday-Saturday, Dec. 8-9. Throughout Oldtown Monterey. $30; $45/two-night pass; free/children 18 and under. Tickets available at Pacific House, 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. info@mshpa.org.
Friday, Dec. 8-Sunday, Dec 10
Get ’Cracking
There are a number of holiday traditions, of course. There is, however, just one that spells out the magic of a child’s imagination during the holiday season. Do we really need to tell you what it is? Think sugar plums dancing, tin soldiers marching, snow kings, the land of sweets and Clara with her toy nutcracker. Did any of that tip you off? Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theatre presents the greatest of all holiday traditions (and the only ballet that even ballet-avoiders love), The Nutcracker. Noted dancers Samuel Jones and Elijah Labay join the team of local performers under the artistic direction of Tia Brown Rosenblum to present this idyllic winter spectacle, set to the beloved Tchaikovsky score. And that’s all we need to say… except that the Sunday matinee is sold out. And the other tickets will go fast. [DF]
7pm Friday-Saturday, Dec. 8-9; 2pm Sunday, Dec. 10. Sunset Center, San Carlos Street and Ninth Avenue, Carmel. $54; $49.50/military; $39/children. 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.
Saturday, Dec. 9
Raise a Glass
Eclectic American band Pink Martini brings a little bit of something for everyone to the stage. Featuring 10-12 musicians, plus lead vocalist China Forbes and occasional guest stars like NPR journalist Ari Shapiro, musical styles range from jazz to Latin to multi-lingual pop and beyond. “At one moment, you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you’re in a French music hall of the 1930s or in a Palazzo in Napoli,” founder and pianist Thomas Lauderdale told CBS Sunday Morning in 2012. “It’s a bit like an urban musical travelog.” Take this opportunity to travel the world through upbeat numbers and ballads alike – this show is sure to be a good time. [TCL]
7pm Saturday, Dec. 9. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $58-$98. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Sunday, Dec. 10
Happy Birthday
The Creperie Cafe in Seaside is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a party and a revolutionary new no-waste product – coffee served in edible cups that are wheat-made and vegan. Go try it yourself on Dec. 10 when the festivities will take place. There will be live music throughout the day by bands such as The Robb Frank Duo, art on the wall made by clients of The Village Project, a nonprofit that concentrates on mental health, and a jewelry stand by a local vendor, Perla’s Jewels. In addition to hosting Mic’d Up at The Press Club every first Thursday of the month (12:30-1:30pm), in January 2024 the cafe is adding trivia night and an open mic event. The last two events will be rotating on Fridays. [AP]
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