Guide to Sonoma County’s holiday shows

Every holiday season, the calendar fills up with events. There are neighborhood parties, family gatherings, school pageants and church events, and there also is a burst of activity at live theaters and concert halls across the county.

Here’s a quick sample of seasonal shows, both traditional and novel, but by no means all-inclusive, at some of the county’s most popular venues:

“Bah, Humbug!” - What is the holiday season without “A Christmas Carol?” After a successful turn as Ebenezer Scrooge last year, veteran stage and “Trapper John” television series actor Charles Siebert of Healdsburg returns to Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse Hardt Theatre for another run of Charles Dickens’ venerable tale of redemption. Nov. 25-Dec. 23. $15-$33.

For a more contemporary story, actor David Yen brings his solo performance of David Sedaris’ “Santaland Diaries,” a local favorite for the past nine years, to the 6th Street Playhouse Studio Theatre. Sedaris’ story of his stint as an holiday elf at Macy’s has become a modern comedy classic. Dec. 2-18.

$10-$26. 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 707-523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com.

Busy holiday at Burbank - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts never stints on entertainment during the holiday season. The center has several longstanding traditions, including Posada Navidena, celebrating the culture and traditions of Mexico, now in its 10th year, returning Dec. 9. $5-$10; $2 lap pass for kids 2 and younger.

And the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 13th annual “Christmas Rocks!” show plays the center Dec. 29. $65-$85.

One of the more recent additions to Burbank Center’s holiday roster is “Joy to the World,” a song and dance revue introduced last year by Transcendence Theatre Co., the troupe of Broadway professionals known for their “Broadway Under the Stars” summer series at Jack London Historic State Park in Glen Ellen. Always polished and loaded with energy, the group plans five performances Dec. 2-4. $35-$129.

Other shows at Burbank Center this holiday season include: “Pink Martini’s Holiday Spectacular,” here for the first time since 2009, featuring China Forbes, Dec. 6, $45-$69;

“Symphony Pops: A Charlie Brown Christmas Concert,” Dec. 11, $37-$80;

Donny and Marie Osmond’s live holiday show, Dec. 16, $99-$139;

“Christmas with Aaron Neville,” Dec. 17, $49-$69;

Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker,” two performances Dec. 18, $34-$74.

50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 707-546-3600, lutherburbankcenter.org.

A Green (Music Center) Christmas - Another annual favorite, the “Dave Koz Christmas Tour,” comes Dec. 20 to Weill Hall at Rohnert Park’s Green Music Center, this time with guest performers Jonathan Butler, Kenny Lattimore and Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson. Tickets start at $40.

The a cappella vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock returns with its “Celebrating the Holydays” show Dec. 22 in Weill Hall, with tickets starting at $35.

Other offerings include a Vienna Boys Choir Christmas Concert Nov. 27, with tickets starting at $45; a Hawaiian holiday concert with Na Leo Pillmehana on Dec. 16 ($35 and up), and Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 18, performed by the American Bach Soloists and American Bach Choir ($40 and up.)

Green Music Center, Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. gmc.sonoma.edu, 707-866-955-6040.

Radio-style at The Raven - The Raven Players will stage a live, 1940s-style, radio play version of Frank Capra’s film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” running Dec. 8-18 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater. $10-25. 115 North St., Healdsburg. 707-433-6335, raventheater.org.

One-man Christmas - Sonoma Arts Live presents its own production of the “It’s a Wonderful Life” radio play Nov. 29-30 in Andrews Hall at the Sonoma Community Center.

At the same venue, from Dec. 8-17, the company will host the one-man show “Polar Bears,” written and performed by North Bay playwright, actor and journalist David Templeton. The play tells the personal story of a father trying to get his children through the holidays after the death of their mother.

Ticket information: 866-710-8942, sonomaartslive.org.

Everybody sing - Out of all Sonoma County’s long-running annual holiday traditions, the Symphony League’s “Sing-Along “Messiah” celebration of Bach’s choral classic is among the most cherished.

Dan Earl marks his 36th year with this event, conducting the Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus and Santa Junior College Choirs, backed by Nicholas Xenelis directing the Santa Rosa Chamber Orchestra. And, of course, there will be audience participation.

This year marks one departure from the past, a schedule change. The show will be moved to a 3 p.m. Sunday performance on Dec. 18. $20.

Jackson Theater, 4400 Day School Place, Santa Rosa. 707-522-8786, srsymphonyleague.org.

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 707-521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @danarts.