Highlights this weekend include Mark Morris’ twist on “The Nutcracker” in Brooklyn, a big band holiday concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei‘s return to the stage.
Plus, catch up with Santa Claus at an outdoor Christmas wonderland overlooking the East River, and a Radio City Music Hall Rockette has an entire show of her very own — for free in Chelsea.
Dance
“The Hard Nut”
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House— 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn (Fort Greene)
Through Dec. 22. Various times.
For the first time since 2018, The Mark Morris Dance Group is back in New York City with its witty, beloved update on E. T. A. Hoffmann‘s 18th century fairytale and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. But the action is set in the 1970s, replete with boisterous parties, dancing G.I. Joes and snowflakes throwing their own snow in the air.
While the main story is central to Morris’s irreverent interpretation of the classic ballet, Charles Burns’ comic book art, MMDG Music Ensemble’s live music and gender-bending casting choices take it to another level.
Tickets start at $45.
Music
“Big Band Holidays”
Rose Theater — 10 Columbus Circle, Manhattan (Upper West Side)
Through Dec. 22. Various times.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is home for the holidays after performing a nine-city trek earlier this month.
For its twelfth season, this year’s program of “swinging seasonal classics and new arrangements of timeless holiday tunes” will feature guest vocalists Ekep Nkwelle and Robbie Lee under the music direction of trombonist and arranger Chris Crenshaw.
Special arrangements will be made during Sunday afternoon’s “relaxed performance” for people with autism, sensory and communication disorders or learning disabilities.
Tickets start at $162.
Theater
“Babe”
The Pershing Square Signature Center — 480 W. 42nd St., Manhattan (Midtown)
Through Dec. 22. Various times.
Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei takes on the music business in a new drama produced by The New Group and scripted by award-winning playwright Jessica Goldberg (whose “Refuge” won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize) with original music by indie rock trio BETTY.
The “My Cousin Vinny” actress stars as Abby, protégé to a prickly music producer (Arliss Howard) who hasn’t grasped the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
When a new, younger and “woke” A&R hire (Gracie McGraw, the talented daughter of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill) enters the scene, Abby — who’s a queer, closeted breast cancer survivor — is forced to awaken to the reality of the victimization and abuse she experienced at the hands of her musical mentor.
Tickets start at $67, with discounts available.
Film
“Elf.” (Alan Markfield/New Line Productions)
“Elf”
Regal Union Square — 850 Broadway, Manhattan (Union Square)
Sat. Dec. 21, 11 a.m.
For those who can’t make it to see the new Broadway revival of “Elf” this weekend, the original film — starring Will Ferrell — is back on the big screen at a bargain basement price.
The beloved comedy, also starring Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart and James Caan, tells the story of a human, raised by elves, who eventually outgrows the North Pole. Ferrell plays the titular character, who moves to New York City to find his biological father and his place in the world.
Tickets are $5.
Free
“Chelsea Market Presents: The Market Spectacular”
Chelsea Market — 75 9th Ave, Manhattan (Chelsea)
Sat. Dec. 21, 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Traci Reszetylo, an in-demand choreographer who danced for years in the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” is the visionary behind this weekly event featuring performers performing Rockette-inspired routines and bringing holiday spirit to shoppers.
The high-kicking hoofer tells The News she set out to make the performances “fun and fresh, while embodying the essence of New York City.”
She continued: “Our dancers, who have trained with me for years in precision dance and advanced high kicks, deliver each movement with remarkable grace and artistry — ultimately inspiring an engaging connection with the Chelsea Market crowd.”
Free.
Music
“Norm Lewis: The Best of Christmas”
54 Below — 254 W 54th St, Manhattan (Midtown)
Through Dec. 24, 7 p.m.
Norm Lewis, who made Broadway history as the first Black actor to play the lead role in “The Phantom of the Opera,” is continuing the annual holiday tradition by bringing his majestic vocal prowess to the cabaret hotspot for the 10th year.
The Tony and Grammy Award-nominated star of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” will perform a mix of new material and fan favorites such as “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Home” and “Why Couldn’t it Be Christmas Every Day?”
Tickets start at $106 cover charge (plus food and drink minimum)
Family
Santa’s Winter Wonderland
Watermark — Pier 15 East River Esplanade, 78 South St., Manhattan (Seaport District)
Through Dec. 31. Various times.
Santa holds court on a daily basis at this 10,000-square-foot outdoor venue outfitted with candy-cane-filled hallways, a sleigh, a magic carousel, a game room, illuminated trees and outdoor heated igloos with panoramic views of the Brooklyn skyline.
Seasonal drinks such as “Holly Jolly Ginger,” spiked hot chocolate and tableside s’mores are just a few of the goodies served up at this over-the-top winter wonderland, alongside kid-friendly fare like “Blitzen’s Buttered Pasta” and “Sleigh Bell Beef Sliders.”
Tickets are $15 (plus $4.73 booking fee).
If you have an upcoming weekend event you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming roundup, please email: [email protected] with the details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.