The Scene - December 2013

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Arts and entertainment for the Eastside December 2013

ALSO INSIDE Delicious, chewy macadamia nut cookies How to pick the perfect gift An interview with Paul Reiser

The other Christmas tradition

The Seattle Men’s Chorus and other holiday events you won’t want to miss.

Inside scoop: lifestyle | dine | wine | arts | home | fashion

INSIDE STORY

THE

DINE

04

Your guide to baking delicious chewy macadamia nut cookies

The Scene is a publication of Sound Publishing, Inc.

Publisher William Shaw Managing Editor Craig Groshart Contributing Writers Linda Ball, Rose Dennis, Brandon Macz, Kelly Montgomery, Daniel Nash, Heija Nunn, Josh Suman

Design and Layout Tek Chai, Daniel Nash

Follow us on Twitter @bellevuescene

FEATURE

07

The Seattle Men’s Chorus is the city’s ‘other holiday tradition’

09

Paul Reiser quit stand-up when he began ‘Mad About You.”’ Twenty years later, he’s back

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LAUGHS

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COLUMNS

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LIFESTYLE

Pick the perferct gift even when the recipient’s tastes are hard to pin down

Heija Nunn shares her top gifts, and Rose Dennis gets the skinny on Bellevue’s social happenings

08

OUT & ABOUT

Your calendar of holiday events around the Eastside

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scene

2 THE scene DECEMBER 2013

DECEMBER 2013 THE scene 3

HOLIDAY

Leavenworth Lights

D

BY KELLY MONTGOMERY PHOTO COURTESY OF ICICLETV.COM

uring the first three weekends in December, the streets of Leavenworth will welcome thousands of people to enjoy an annual holiday tradition. There will be carolers, roasted chestnuts and of course, Santa Claus. It’s the Christmas Lighting Festival, Leavenworth’s biggest event of the year. And best of all, it’s free.

“People come from all over to see it,” said Jessica Robinson, director of Leavenworth’s Chamber of Commerce. It’s been televised on the Today Show, Good Morning America and Travel Channel, among

others. It has also been featured in TIME magazine and The New York Times. And for good reason, as Leavenworth perfectly portrays a Bavarian-style village filled with holiday cheer.

“You’ll see a lot of hustle and bustle. It smells like Christmas,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the festival has taken place since 1966, and has continued to be successful because of the amazing volunteer base.

“Local organizations become really involved and help. They’re amazing,” Robinson said.

Robinson said youth groups dress as characters and dance through town, bands and choirs perform throughout the day and churches set up food booths.

But not everything is traditional. Last year, a Hawaiian musical group was brought in to sing Hawaiian Christmas songs. This year there will be a dixieland jazz bad, Robinson said.

The festival has everything, from holiday treats to snow activities, so Robinson said that families like to make a whole weekend out of the trip.

“I think a lot of families make it a tradition,” Robinson said. “We see a lot of the same people year after year, but there’s always new faces.”

For those wanting to take advantage of the outdoors, Robinson said that there’s a sleigh ride, a sledding hill, and of course skiing at the nearby Steven’s Pass. From there you can head inside the

“Glühwein” tent, which is a traditional spiced wine from Germany, and warm up before starting your holiday shopping at all the festive stores. And conveniently, everything is within walking distance.

The actual lighting takes place on Saturday and Sunday night, Robinson said.

Close to dusk, carriers start at the end of town and come through the center, meeting at the gazebo in the center of the strip. They sing a popular holiday song, start the countdown and watch as the city comes alive with lights, a quarter of a million to be exact.

And this year they have converted all of their park lights to LEDs, stating that they continue to brighten hearts and light up the holidays while saving energy and honoring the Bavarian Christmas tradition.

“It is very, very festive,” Robinson said.

Visitors stay at a number of locations, ranging from downtown Leavenworth to as far as Ellensburg. This year the event will take place on Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22. Festivities start at approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday and last through 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Kelly Montgomery is a reporter for the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter.

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4 THE scene DECEMBER 2013

Baking basics: A recipe for holiday success W

hether your end-of-year festivities involve mistletoe and ho-ho-ho, a menorah and dreidel, or a kinara and seven colorful candles, holidays of all cultures seem to have one thing in common: baking. Food is an integral part of many celebrations, and whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or a family get-together, chances are there’s a baked good in attendance.

Whatever dish you make this holiday season, these baking basics help ensure success:

Stock the basics A variety of delectable ingredients is one of the many things to love about holiday baking, but some staples show up in many recipes. Plain white flour is the foundation of many holiday baked goods, so be sure to keep plenty on hand. Baking soda and baking powder are also frequent necessities, as are eggs and sugar (white, powdered and brown).

While peppermint may be apropos for Christmas cookies and candies, and cinnamon and cloves impart ethnic flair to Kwanzaa recipes, vanilla is one flavor that appears in nearly every baking tradition.

Keep these staples on hand in your pantry, and you’ll be ready to tackle any holiday recipe, whether tried-and-true or new and daring.

Prep for performance Pre-cooking preparation will help ensure top kitchen performance. Before you dive into a new recipe, sit down at the kitchen table and read it – beginning to end – twice. Make two lists of ingredients; one for items you already have in your wellstocked pantry, and a second for items you’ll need to buy.

Once you have all the ingredients and utensils you need, line them up and get started. Prep

DINE pans per the recipe directions, such as greasing cake pans or covering cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to the required temperature.

Since this can take 10 minutes or more, depending on the age of your oven, it’s a good idea to start the oven before you begin mixing ingredients. Never attempt to bake in an oven that hasn’t been preheated.

Measure dry ingredients first and set them aside, then measure any “wet” ingredients such as oil, shortening, eggs or vanilla extract. Sifting dry ingredients improves the overall texture of baked goods and gets rid of any lumps.

disasters no amount of icing can cover. After removing your holiday goodies from the oven, set them on a rack to cool and go do something else. You’ll be happy you were patient when that fully cooled item slides easily out of the pan.

Cool for conclusion

Chewy Macadamia Nut Cookies Ingredients:

One of the most common – and worst – baking mistakes is impatience. Most baked goods require a cooling period before they can be safely removed from the baking pan, tray or sheet.

Rushing removal can result in breaking, crumbling, splitting and sticking – the kind of

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened • 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 2 eggs • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose

flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts Directions: • Cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on a medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in the macadamia nuts. Chill for two hours.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an insulated cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

• Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

---Makes three dozen – Brandpoint

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6 THE scene DECEMBER 2013

LIFESTYLE

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Scarves, gloves and other winter-wear gifts are always a safe bet | Brandpoint

‘It’s great. Really.’

How to pick gifts that won’t disappoint; without giving yourself an anxiety attack

BY JOSH SUMAN Holiday shopping can be a drag.

Between horrendous traffic, swarmed parking lots, and even more crowded schedules, finding the right gift for a family member, friend or co-worker is anything but easy.

That’s where Heather Parker comes in.

Parker has been the personal shopper at the Bellevue Square Macy’s for nearly two years and an employee with the company for five. She offered Scene some tips for giving thoughtful, enjoyable gifts.

Know your recipient Finding the right gift is made much easier with a few simple questions. Does the recipient travel? What type of attire is appropriate for their workplace? Have they mentioned something they need?

Knowing or learning a few new things about the person you’re gifting makes the shopping experience easier and ensures the gift is something they will cherish.

Don’t fear the size question

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Maybe that special lady has hinted she wants a new coat, but you haven’t had the chance to sneak in the closet and check her tags for measurements.

Asking detailed questions about size and fit preferences can save her from a trip to the return line.

“You have to know size, and that can be hard,” Parker said. “But size is just the starting point. How it lays on the body can be really difficult.”

The strong, silent type Everyone has one: “I Don’t Want a Gift Guy,” the person who always defers when asked what they want for the holiday.

But even if he doesn’t let on, reading between the lines can be the key to finding the perfect gift for that impossible-to-buyfor person.

Coffee drinkers have made single-cup brewers an in-home staple and for a busy individual, brewing a single cup on the run can be the difference in the work day.

Winter brings items like gloves, scarves and even knit caps into play, and they don’t require nearly as much personalstyle insight as outerwear or shoes.

Half-homemade What was better than the look from mom or dad when they opened those homemade gifts we all made at school as kids? The macaroni art, popsicle construction projects and holiday-themed painted mugs were always met with equal parts shock and love, and being grown-up doesn’t mean the hand-crafted fun has to end.

While buying a box of penne pasta and a stick of glue probably isn’t going to fly, taking some time to create a thoughtful, homemade accessory is a sure-fire way to score sentimental points.

Try grabbing some old family photos and creating a scrapbook of memories or making a homemade 3D card to dress up that gift card and give it a personal touch.

You can’t go wrong putting in time and giving from the heart.

FEATURE STORY

DECEMBER 2013 THE scene 7

Seattle’s ‘other holiday tradition’ F

The Seattle Men’s Chorus borrows From Casablanca with ‘Play it Again, Santa’

or the past three years I have not missed the Seattle Men’s Chorus’ holiday performance. They refer to it as “the other holiday tradition,” and I’ve certainly made it mine. I mean, how many times can you see the Nutcracker? These guys mix it up every year with a different theme, songs and jokes.

Every year this chorus of 300 or so very talented gentlemen bring a joyous mix of sacred and secular music to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. The sheer size of the chorus is impressive, and when they begin to sing, it stirs the soul.

Usually about 200 to 250 members of the choir perform in the Christmas show.

The chorus has a unique way of blending song, dance, campy comedy plus numerous costume changes which make for a very entertaining evening.

Artistic director Dennis Coleman said, “We try to bring three things to every holiday concert: A goosebump, a laugh and a tear.” Goose-bumps abound in act one with several richly harmonic a cappella selections — both traditional and non-traditional pieces. Act two brings the laughs with the special “Santa set” and there will be a good dose of emotion as SMC celebrates the “gift of marriage equality in 2013.”

Expect holiday favorites like “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” and no SMC concert would be complete without its signature holiday piece, “Silent Night.”

After “Silent Night,” the chorus uses their hands to create beautiful choreography using American Sign Language to interpret the song. All you see is the movement of their hands in the dark. All is quiet. It takes my breath away each year.

Other numbers involve “jazz hands,” swaying back and forth or outright dancing.

For this year’s theme, Santa, not Sam, is at the piano and the out-of-the-way nightclub is much farther north — at the North Pole. I can only imagine the hijinks they will come up with for this one. Last year’s theme, “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” was great fun, but 2011’s “The Big Band Theory,” where they had select chorus members acting out the roles of the nerdy scientists from the hit television show “The Big Bang Theory,” was hilarious.

Each year a special guest performs with the chorus at the opening shows.

This year, the 34th season, for the first two Seattle concerts, SMC welcomes Tony award-winning pianist and vocalist Levi Kreis (Nov. 30 to Dec. 1) as the guest artist.

In 2005 Kreis released his debut album and has since released five studio albums and performance recordings.

In 2010 he received the Tony Award for “Best Featured

BY LINDA BALL

The author at last year’s Christmas concert with Mrs. Santa Claus, top, Christina Nguyen, left and Mira Kochel at right. | Courtesy Photo Actor in a Musical” for his role as Jerry Lee Lewis in Broadway’s “Million Dollar Quartet.” Kreis also appeared in the pre-Broadway production at Issaquah’s Village Theatre in 2007.

Kreis’ powerful vocals and ability to tear through a gospel song, along with SMC’s fabulous musical style, might make it hard to stay seated at this season’s concert.

“Play it Again, Santa,” runs Nov. 30 to Dec. 22 (mostly) at beautiful Benaroya Hall, but there will be a performance in Everett at the Civic Auditorium Saturday, Dec. 14, and in Tacoma at the Pantages Theater, Thursday Dec. 12.

For the second consecutive year, the chorus will partner with Lifelong AIDS Alliance for a holiday food drive during the Seattle concerts at Benaroya Hall. All nonperishable goods will be accepted and will be used in Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s food program, Chicken Soup Brigade.

Tickets to Seattle performances are $28-$78. Tickets to the Everett performance are $23-$43. Both Seattle and Everett concert tickets are available at SeattleMensCho-

rus.org or over the phone at 206-388-1400. The Seattle area box office is open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tacoma concert tickets are $44-$59 and available at BroadwayCenter.org.

8 THE scene DECEMBER 2013

LIFESTYLES

The superhero’s guide to gift-giving

company More than $120,000 was raised at this year’s Wine at its Best fundraising event for Bellevue Lifespring on Oct. 5. This non-profit organization has been helping children and their families in our community for over 100 years.

1 Duell Fisher, CEO of Team Photogenic and Allan Aquila 2 Mark Babcock, Owner Lexus of Bellevue Scott and Jennifer Matsuda, Red Fish Blue Fish Photography

BY ROSE DENNIS

1

Masin’s Fine Furnishings and Interior Designs welcomed guests to their Bellevue Store on Oct. 10 for DIFFA Glam, a benefit event for DIFFA Seattle.

The evening showcased beautiful tablescape displays for holiday inspiration, along with a silent auction of exclusive 3 dining experiences donated by top NW chefs and restaurants. DIFFA is the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. 3 Masin’s Fine Furnishings and Interior Designs owners Anne, Dave, Cindy and Bob Masin. Youa Kong for Team Photogenic © 2013

2

New York Rag&Bone contemporary designers Marcus Wainright and David Nevill visited the Bellevue Nordstrom Store on Oct. 2 for an evening “meet 4 & greet” of fashion, music, and assorted fun British candies. Both designers met each other while at boarding school when they were teenagers, and later came to America to fulfill a dream. The Rag&Bone label is a blend of New York street, classic English tailoring and American sportswear.

4 Designers Marcus Wainright and David Neville Vivian Hsu for Team Photogenic © 2013

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It’s a plane! Oops, that’s a helicopter headed to the Hyatt. Look again! There is something or someone else in the air; it’s SuperGifted and HyperLocal, your heretofore unknown shopping superheroes at your holiday service with gift ideas from Eastside merchants.

COLOSSAL believes you should give BIG or give a gift certificate.

■ Veuve Clicquot Tray and stand ($425/$700, Hedge & Vine, Old Main, Bellevue) ■ 3.0k Natural Yellow Diamond Ring ($35,000, Nordstrom, Bellevue Square)

GREATER GOOD likes gifts that make a positive impact.

■ Second Chance Bangkok Child Size Aprons, Hair Clips and Dolls (From $4, StudioDen, Gilman Village, Issaquah) ■ Therapy Animal Vest Donation ($35, Pet Partners (petpartners.org, Bellevue)

THE FOOTBALL WIDOW is always game for fun even if she isn’t watching the field.

■ Roll for It. Dice and Card Game ($14.99, Uncle’s Games, Crossroads Mall, Redmond) ■ In Russ We Trust Hoodie by Casual Industries ($60, Urbanity, Bellevue Square)

GREEN EYE shops with the environment in mind.

■ Kitten Mittens ($38-$40, Hip Zephyr, Mercer Island) ■ Green Toys Ferry Boat ($19.99, Bartell Drugs, Multiple Locations) ■ Rewined Soy Wax Candles ($28 cleanScapes, Gilman Village, Issaquah)

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS follows the market closely.

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■ Traditional French Macaroons or Yuletide Log ($4.50-$38, The French Bakery, Crossroads Mall Bellevue) ■ The Art of Simple Food II signed by Alice Waters-Limited Number Available ($35, Island Books, Mercer Island)

HEIJA NUNN

UNDER THUNDER loves potty humor and proving there is a gift for every interest.

Not Your Momma’s Coasters by Breathless paper Co. ($14.99, Metropolitan Market Kirkland) The Ugglys Pug Electronic Pet (From $24.99, amazon.com)

LITTLE GENIUS invests in high quality toys and books.

■ OGO Build ($29.99-49.99, KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Factoria Mall, Bellevue) ■ Solmates Socks, Pairs with Spares for Baby and Kid ($17-$19, cleanScapes, Gilman Village, Issaquah)

TEEN VENOM ideas protect parents from baleful looks and stony silences.

■ ION Block Rocker Portable Blue Tooth Speaker ($149.99, Costco Kirkland) ■ TopShop Boutique Items (From $4, Nordstrom Bellevue Square) ■ Rich Kids Brand (not what you think) Tees and Sweatshirts ($30-$65, Urbanity, Bellevue

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Mad About The Stage LAUGHS

INTERVIEW BY DANIEL NASH

T

hough Paul Reiser began his career as a stand-up, he set the mic aside in 1992 after creating “Mad About You,” starring alongside Helen Hunt for eight seasons.

After the cancellation of “The Paul Reiser Show” in 2011, he resolved to develop a new act and return to the stage. His latest tour will come to Bellevue’s Parlor Live on Dec. 6 and 7. Tickets and times available at parlorlive.com.

Reiser discussed his return to stand-up with The Scene:

SCENE: Your current tour is billed as your return to standup. How long had you been away?

PAUL REISER: I did the math and I realized I hadn’t been out on stage in about 20 years. I mean, “Mad About You” started in 1992 and it was on for eight years and it didn’t really leave a lot of time for other projects.

SCENE: And I imagine you were busy with family after the show ended.

REISER: Yeah, I had my two boys and a lot of other stuff going on. But the thing with stand-up is, it was my first love.

So if I was going back into it, I didn’t want to do it halfassed. I didn’t want to just do my old act. I’m in a different place in my life than I was 20 years ago, and I wanted to write material that was new and true and funny to me.

SCENE: Before your career began, you studied music in college and you were involved in local theater. So how did you start in stand-up the first time around?

REISER: I always loved stand-up, but it hadn’t occurred to me that it was something I had wanted to do. I just enjoyed seeing it. Other kids were going out to see Led Zeppelin, and I was going to see George Carlin.

So I was drawn to it, but I hadn’t even thought about actually doing it. Then around that time, comedy clubs and other places comedians could perform were just becoming ubiquitous. I’d hear about somebody making it big and I’d think, they were performing at (comedy club) Catch A Rising Star last year. Maybe I should try it.

SCENE: You debuted on film in “Diner” in 1982 and it seemed, very quickly, you were appearing in several popular movies. Just five years later, you were the villain in a James Cameron blockbuster. Was that ever overwhelming?

REISER: No, it wasn’t overwhelming. They… each movie,

each experience was just great on its own. “Diner” was great because it was just us, five knuckleheads just goofing around. Then “Aliens” was very exciting. I knew James Cameron from “Terminator” – not personally, but I knew his work – so it was exciting to work with him.

None of these things happened overnight. They happened very gradually. That led to work on a few television pilots that didn’t make it, until I got to the one that did.

SCENE: Your work seems very focused on relationships,

between “Mad About You” and your books “Couplehood,” “Babyhood” and “Familyhood.” And each of those books had long periods of time between their publication. What is it that inspires you to sit down and write about where you are in your family life?

REISER: (chuckles) Well, I tell my wife she can never leave me or I won’t have any material left.

(With the most recent book) what happened was I was working on a show (“The Paul Reiser Show” in 2011). It didn’t get very far. We made, I think, six episodes and the network pulled it after two weeks. But… at the time I was writing what I was living. That show was about where I was.

Writing that show really generated a lot of ideas and topics (about fatherhood), that eventually became “Familyhood.”

I’m immensely proud of that last book. I’m proud of the others, too, but the first one I was just coming into my relationship with my wife, the second was more in-depth.

But the third was deeper, I was further down the road with my family, so it had a different feel to it.

SCENE: How has that worked into your new act now that you’re back into stand-up?

REISER: Being married for 25 years is different from being eight months in. The relationship isn’t as exciting and new, but you understand it better. And when you talk about that stuff on stage, the audience is connecting to it in a deeper way. When they laugh, it’s not just a regular laugh, but a laugh where they say “Ha, I know exactly what he’s talking about!” That connection now is stronger than it was.

I’ll do meet-and-greets with the audience before or after a show, and I’ll have people come up and tell me, “My wife and I have been doing this joke from ‘Mad About You’ through our whole marriage.” Another woman brought me her copy of “Couplehood,” I opened it up and there was already an inscription in there. So I ask what it is, and it turned out it was from her husband. The guy proposed using “Couplehood.” It’s really a great feeling.

Daniel Nash is a reporter for the Bellevue Reporter.

DECEMBER 2013 THE scene 9

10 THE scene DECEMBER 2013

Events Nov. 29

Bellevue Place Tree Lighting: 7:30 p.m., following Santa’s arrival at Snowflake Lane in downtown Bellevue (see below). Bellevue Place Wintergarden, Northeast Eighth Street and Bellevue Way.

Nov. 29-Dec. 1

It’s A Wonderful Life: Bellevue Youth Theatre presents timeless tale with favorite characters, from George Bailey to Mr. Potter. $5-$12. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. http://www.bellevuewa.gov/ BYT-productions.htm.

Nov. 29-Dec. 24

Snowflake Lane: 7 p.m. A nightly display along the sidewalks of Bellevue Way and Northeast Eighth Street of dazzling lights, music, dramatic drumming from live toy soldiers and magical snow.

Free.

Nov. 30-Jan. 4

Garden d’Lights: 5-10 p.m. (last entry at 9:30 pm). Thousands of lights form animals and plants. Hot beverages available at the Shorts Visitor Center. $5, but some nights free. Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue

Dec. 1

Wells & Woodhead – FOOLZ: 2 p.m.

Internationally renowned vaudevillians present an amalgam of music, circus arts and comedy. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 1-23

Issaquah Reindeer Festival: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Meet Santa, see and feed his reindeer team, sit in the Grand Traveling Sleigh, hear a story from an elf, shop for gifts, enjoy hot drinks and snacks. $10-$14 donation; children under are 2 are free. Cougar Mountain Zoo, 19525 S.E. 54th St., Issaquah

Dec. 2

A Charlie Brown Christmas with David Benoit: 7:30 p.m. Jazz pianist and composer David Benoit and his quartet play Vince Guaraldi’s holiday

OUT AND ABOUT music made famous on the original Charlie Brown Christmas special. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 6

Sammamish Symphony Orchestra presents Holiday Pops: 7:30 p.m.

Annual favorites and classical masterpieces. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. sammamishsymphony.org.

An Evening with the Lulo Reinhardt Latin Swing Project: 8 p.m. $25.

Lulo Reinhardt is one of the foremost authentic and distinctive musical voices in Gypsy music today. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 7

Bellevue Girlchoir presents Good Cheer: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Holiday carols sung by young singers, accompanied by a string quartet. $13-$18 advance; $15-$20 at door. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. bellevuegirlchoir.com.

Annual Holiday Tree Lighting & Music Festival: 5-8 p.m. Downtown Kirkland on Lake Street. A festive evening filled with performances, bonfires, kids’ activities including Radio Disney, pictures with Santa, shopping and seasonal surprises! Tree lighting at 7 p.m.

Redmond Lights: Event starts at City Hall Plaza with fun activities and a festive campus lighting. Enjoy musical entertainment, refreshments and kids activities then join in the RCC Luminary Walk between City Hall Plaza and Redmond Town Center. redmondlights. com.

Annual Snoqualmie Holiday Tree Lighting: 6:30 p.m. Visit with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, live music, cookies and cocoa. Railroad Park Gazebo across from the Snoqualmie Depot.

Dec. 8

Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra: 7:30 p.m. Works by Bellingham composer Austin Huang as well as Humperdinck and Berlioz to celebrate the theme of Folk Music Around the World. $12-$15. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. byso.org.

Seasons of Light – Christmas and Chanukah: 2 p.m. Bright holiday

carols that sing of light, plus a delightful collection of new Chanukah songs.

Presented by Master Chorus Eastside.

Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 13

Tudor Choir – My Dancing Day – Advent Carols and Motets: 7:30 p.m. $10-$20. Doug Fullington directs the 8-voice Tudor Choir in a program of unaccompanied carols and motets for the season of Advent. Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church Chapel, 315 Third Ave. S., Kirkland. earlymusicguild.org

Dec. 13-14

Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas Celebration: 8 p.m. Special guests, dancers, a visit from Santa Claus and the artistry of violinist Geoffrey Castle. $20-$25. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 13-22

A Christmas Carol: This original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is rich with traditional carols, alive with color and movement, and is created to tell this enduring tale in a fashion that will appeal to people of all ages. $22-$27. 425-881-6777. SecondStory Repertory, 16587 N.E. 74th St., Redmond (in Redmond Town Center)

Dec. 15-15; 19-23

International Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker: A cast of 80 talented young people, experienced professional dancers and visual performance artists. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. internationalballettheatre.com

Dec. 15

Once Upon A Holiday: 2 p.m. Pacific Sound Chorus’ 6th Annual Holiday Show with several new holiday tunes plus old favorites. $15-$18. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 16

Magical Strings - A Celtic Yuletide: The internationally recognized Boulding family performs musical celebration of the holiday season, including Celtic

music, Irish dancing, story-telling, a processional and an audience sing-along. Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue. brownpapertickets. com/event/478345

Dec. 19

Caroling at the Depot: 6-7 p.m. Join in caroling at the historic Train Depot in Issaquah. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served.

Dec. 21

Portland Cello Project: 8 p.m.

Celebrate the holidays with a group of rotating cellists who take on everything from Britney’s “Toxic” to the Dandy Warhols and postmodern Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 22

Portland Cello Project: 7:30 p.m.

With special guests, holiday sweaters, and yes, plenty of cello, celebrate the holidays with a group of rotating cellists who take on everything from Britney’s “Toxic” to the Dandy Warhols and postmodern Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 26-Dec. 31

Celebration Lane: 7 p.m. Ring in the New Year with nightly performances of Celebration Lane featuring live toy soldiers with new festive routines and music worth celebrating. Dazzling lights, music and dramatic drumming with a New Year’s twist. Northeast Eighth Street and Bellevue Way.

Dec. 28-29

Owl & Pussycat: 2 p.m. Riffing on the Edward Lear poem, the escapades of Owl and Pussycat in a pea-green boat illuminate a love of adventure and the adventures of love. Fur, feathers, and puns will fly. (Pigs will not.) Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

Dec. 31

LeRoy Bell & his Only Friends – New Year’s Eve Rock & Soul Eve: 9 p.m. Send out 2013 with an evening of rock and soul. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. kpcenter.org

DECEMBER 2013 THE scene 11

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