North Charleston Performing Arts Center | Great Russian Nutcracker
Celebrate Christmas with Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, featuring world class Russian artists, hand-painted sets (by Wes Anderson concept designer Carl Sprague), snow maidens, and nesting dolls. The production is a feast for the eyes, with fanciful flying puppets created in South Africa; 12-foot tall dancing creatures including unicorns and elephants; and period-perfect costumes.
Sat. Dec. 21 at 3 and 7 p.m. $69+. North Charleston Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive. North Charleston. northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com
Gaillard Center | Holiday Pops
Yuriy Bekker leads the Charleston Symphony in a festive mix of symphonic and popular music just in time for the holidays. This annual sell-out event features multiple guest artists, including a very famous resident of the North Pole.
Dec. 20-Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. $27+. Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St. Downtown. charlestonsymphony.org
Charleston Music Hall | It’s a Wonderful Life
The Music Hall rounds out their offerings of holiday flicks with a classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. If you’ve never seen the film — shame! — this is a great opportunity to enjoy it with some special audience interaction. Each person entering the Hall will be given their own jingle bell with instructions on how to use it. A portion of proceeds from this evening will benefit the Charleston Animal Society. Get there early and enjoy some live caroling at 6:30 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. $10. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St. Downtown. charlestonmusichall.com
Cannon Street Arts Center | Miss Dessa
Back by popular demand, Miss Dessa is a delightful comedy which tells the story of the Warnette family and the challenges associated with shared inherited property. This performance is produced and presented by Art Forms and Theatre Concepts.
Dec. 19 at 7 p.m., Dec. 20 and 21 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. $30/student, $35/general. Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St. Downtown. facebook.com/artformstheatre Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.