Things to do in Chicago through Jan. 10: The Mix

The Chicago History Museum introduces kids to classic children’s television at “Kukla Fran and Ollie Days,” which features screenings of digitized episodes of the 1950 TV show. (Chicago History Museum)

Theater

• Music Theater Works presents “Shrek: The Musical,” David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s adaptation of the 2001 DreamWorks animated film, a twisted fairy-tale romance about an ogre (Jordan DeBose) who teams up with a wisecracking donkey (Eustace J. Williams) to fight a fearsome dragon and rescue a princess (Dani Pike). From Dec. 21-31 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $39-$106. Visit musictheaterworks.com.

Practical Theatre Company’s “Ho-Ho-Holiday Revue” features Steve Rashid (from left), Emilia Barrosse, Dana Olsen, Victoria Zielinski and Paul Barrosse. (Bea Rashid)

• Practical Theatre Company — the sketch comedy troupe that launched the careers of several “Saturday Night Live” stars —  presents “Ho-Ho-Holiday Revue,” a throwback to the TV variety shows of the 1960s and ’70s. Includes sketch comedy, improv, stand-up comedy and music. From Dec. 28-Jan. 6 at Studio5, 1934 Dempster, Evanston. Tickets: $30-$55. Visit studio5.dance.
• Pegasus Theatre presents the 37th annual Young Playwrights Festival which celebrates the work of teen playwrights with fully staged productions of their one-act plays. This year’s authors and plays are “Splashes of Paint” by Amanda Heckler, “You’re Like, Dead” by Ella Johnson, “Can’t Sleep” by Alexander Loaiza and “Listen” by Grant Parris. From Jan. 4-28 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Tickets: $15-$30. Visit pegasustheatrechicago.org.

Magician Jamie Allan stars in “Amaze.” (Starvox)

• With a reputation as one of the most innovative magicians, Jamie Allan has wowed audiences around the world. His new show, “Amaze,” does more than just showcase magic — it places it directly into the hands of the audience and takes them into the realm of mystery where the line between reality and illusion blurs. To Jan. 7 at Rhapsody Theater, 1328 West Morse. Tickets: $35. Visit rhapsodytheater.com.
• Tickets for Chicago Theatre Week (Feb. 8-18), the annual celebration of local theater, go on sale beginning Jan. 9. Participating theaters include Broadway in Chicago, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Timeline, Northlight, Marriott Lincolnshire and many more. Tickets prices vary. Check out the complete list of productions at chicagotheatreweek.com.

Music

Mariachi Herencia de Mexico. (Herencia Music, 2023)

• Mariachi Herencia de Mexico: A Very Merry Christmas Concert features the Latin Grammy-nominated group performing Mexican and American holiday favorites. It’s a colorful celebration of traditions perfect for the whole family. At 7 p.m. Dec. 22 and 2, 5, 8 p.m. Dec. 23 at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $40. Visit oldtownschool.org.
• Punk rock songwriter-poet Patti Smith counts down to her Dec. 30 birthday in the city where she was born 77 years ago. Expect songs from throughout her vast and accomplished songbook and, since she’s a great storyteller, expect reminiscences from her 50+ year career. At 8 p.m. Dec. 27 at The Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston. Tickets: $45, $65. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Patti Smith and Her Band perform on day three of Riot Fest in Douglas Park in 2019. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times)

• A holiday favorite: Sir Andrew Davis conducts Handel’s “Messiah” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Nearly 100 voices join in glorious harmony for the rousing “Hallelujah” chorus. From Dec. 21-23 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $69+. Visit cso.org.
• The Tuba Christmas performance returns to the Palmer House Hilton (17 E. Monroe) at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 23. The event brings together tubists and other musicians from around the world for a fun holiday event in the hotel’s ballrooms. Retired Col. Michael Colburn (U.S. Marine Band) conducts. Admission is free. Visit tubachristmas.com.
• Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang welcome the sun on the shortest day of the year with their 33rd annual Winter Solstice Sunrise Concert, which features the duo on drums and percussion plus appearances by special guests. At 6 a.m. Dec. 21-23 at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western. Visit linkshall.org.
• Chicago favorite Michael McDermott presents his annual holiday show “Mischief & Mistletoe,” an evening filled with tunes from his songbook and a few for the holiday. At 8 p.m. Dec. 21-23 at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph. Tickets: $32-$45. Visit citywinery.com.
• Winter Chamber Music Festival features six performances to welcome the new year: Balourdet Quartet (Jan. 5), Ariel Quartet with pianist Orion Weiss (Jan. 7), Dover Quartet (Jan. 12), Calder Quartet (Jan. 14), Parker Quartet (Jan. 19), Gryphon Trio (Jan. 21). At Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle, Evanston. Tickets: $30, $10 for students. Visit concertsatbienen.org.

Smokey Robinson performs during the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony in February. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

• Motown legend Smokey Robinson performs many of his greatest hits at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 at Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee, Waukegan. Tickets: $99-$179. Visit geneseetheatre.com.
• Shemekia Copeland brings the blues to Forest Park’s new music venue Robert’s Westside, 7321 Madison. Nathan Graham opens the show at 8 p.m. Dec. 30. Tickets: $35. Visit robertswestside.com.
• Metropolitan Jazz Octet with Paul Marinaro presents “The Bowie Project,” a reimagining of David Bowie songs for voice and jazz octet. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston. Tickets: $20-$35. Visit evanstonspace.com.
• It’s a Motown Christmas features salutes to Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Supremes. At 8 p.m. Dec. 23 at Des Plaines Theatre, 1476 Miner, Des Plaines. Tickets $29-$69. Visit desplainestheatre.com.

Movies

Alma Pöysti (left) and Jussi Vatanen in “Fallen Leaves.” (MUBI)

• Close out 2023 with Be Kind Rewind, a series featuring some of the best films of 2023: Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” Raven Jackson’s “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean,” Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up,” Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardner,” Lea Mysius’ “The Five Devils,” Saim Sadiq’s “Joyland” and a 30th anniversary restoration of Chen Kaige’s “Farewell My Concubine.” From Dec. 22-31 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $13. Visit siskelfilmcenter.org.
• And to start off the new year, get cozy and enjoy the Settle In film series which features marathon movies with very long running times: Abel Gance’s “The Wheel” (426 min.), Wang Bing’s “Dead Souls” (506 min.), Bela Tarr’s “Satantango” (439 min.), Ken Jacobs’ “Star Spangled to Death” (440 min.), Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Berlin Alexanderplatz” (902 min.) and Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” (312 min.). From Jan. 6-Feb. 10 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $40, box lunches available for additional fee. Visit siskelfilmcenter.org.

Museums

“Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980.” (Andy Sweet, via Letter16 Press)

• “Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980” is an exhibit of the photographer’s images that capture Jewish life in 1970s Florida. During this time, more than 20,000 elderly Jews, many Holocaust survivors, called South Beach home. Sweet captured the liveliness of this “shtetl in the sun,” the daily activities that illustrate the ways survivors lived full and joyful lives after the Holocaust. To Oct. 13 at Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods, Skokie. Admission: $18. Visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.

Maryam Taghavi. (Shelby Ragsdale, © MCA Chicago)

• “Chicago Works: Maryam Taghavi” is the first solo exhibition of work by the Iranian artist. Her work with talismans, calligraphy and the Islamic occult has coalesced into a series of sculptures and paintings culminating in an immersive installation. From Dec. 20-July 14 at Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago. Admission: $10-$22. Visit mcachicago.org.

Family Fun

• Chicago History Museum introduces kids to classic children’s television at “Kukla Fran and Ollie Days,” which features screenings of digitized episodes of the 1950 show in which Burr Tillstrom’s puppets and their human friend Fran Allison, working without a script, improvised conversations about everyday life. From 2-4:30 p.m. Dec. 26-31 at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark. Admission: $19, free for 18 and under. Visit chicagohistory.org.

Holiday Fun

Garfield Park Conservatory’s winter flower show is underway. (Chicago Park District)

• Winter Flower Shows at Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park) and Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton) offer a splendid way to enjoy the ever-present greenery but with the added colors of holiday foliage. Silver trees, red and pink poinsettias and other winter flower favorites are highlights at Garfield Park; poinsettias in gold, green and orange hues plus salvias, violas and flowing lime ipomea with silver dichondra dress up Lincoln Park. Both shows run to Jan. 7. Admission is free. Visit chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Ice bumper cars are part of the fun available at Wrigley Field’s Winterland. (Gallagher Way Chicago)

• For the holidays the inside of historic Wrigley Field is filled with colorful vignettes and plenty of seasonal fun. The playing field has been transformed into a colorful Winterland with an ice skating rink, ice bumper cars, a carousel, an ice slide, a train and other rides plus carnival games and more. To Jan. 7 at 3635 N. Clark. Admission $5+, additional fees for attractions. (Admission to Gallagher Way outside Wrigley is free.) Visit gallagherway.com.
• Chicago Kids Company presents its biggest and most colorful show,  “Mrs. Claus: A Holiday Musical,” in which Santa’s list goes missing and Mrs. Claus comes to the rescue just in time. To Dec. 30 at Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $18. Visit apollochicago.com.