FRIDAY, DEC. 21 

Iraq Moratorium Vigil to Protest the War from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corners of University and Acton. Sponsored by the Streawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Assoc and the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk by Candlelight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Free. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377. 

Teen Playreaders meets to read “Hamlet” and other plays based on the classic, at 4 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6121. 

“Women’s Hormone Balance” Covering PMS, infertiltiy and menopause at 6:30 p.m. at The Redwood Clinic, 3021 Telegraph Ave. Reservations required. 849-1176. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 22 

Nature Theater Sing-Along “Wintertime at Little Farm” a puppet show for the whole family at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Working with Wool Watch the spinning wheel turn wool into yarn, try a drop spindle and make a felt ornament to take home at 1:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Family Workshop: Winter Ornaments from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mocha, Museum of Children’s Art, 528 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770.  

Winter Solstice Gathering at the Interim Solar Calendar, Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina, from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Alan Gould, Lawrence Hall of Science, will lead a mini-workshop on the seasons. Dress warmly. www.solarcalendar.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market Holiday Crafts Fair at Civic Center Park with live music from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and handmade gifts by local craftspeople. 548-3333 . 

Berkeley High Crew 40th Anniversary Celebration from 8 a.m. to noon at the Jack London Aquatic Center. All alumni welcome. www.berkeleyhighcrew.org  

Sunset Walk in El Cerrito Meet the end of Rydin St. at 3:30 p.m. for an hour walk along the bay, on paved trail at Pt. Isabel. Bring binoculars and bird book to help identify hundreds of shore birds. Rain cancels. 234-8949. 

Plant Native Seedlings in partnership with East Bay Regional Park District from 9 a.m. to noon at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. 452-9261, ext. 119. www.savesfbay.org 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, DEC. 23 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Bike Trip in Arrowhead Marsh Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Fruitvale BART. Bicycle helmet required. Bring lunch and dress in layers. 547-1233. 

Berkeley Hiking Club Hike on Mt. Tamalpais Meet at 9 a.m. at Berkeley Way and Shattuck for an 8 mile, moderately paced hike. Bring lunch and liquids. Heavy rain cancels. 649-9787. 

Toddler Nature Walk We’ll splash in puddles and poke in holes. Especially for 2-3 year oldsat 10:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

A Seasonal Family Celebration Come make greeting cards and simple gifts from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Materials fee is $5-$7. 525-2233. 

Family Workshop: Candy Cottages from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mocha, Museum of Children’s Art, 528 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770.  

“Mrs Santa Claus” In person and on film at 1 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. 841-4824. 

Grandmothers at the Oaks Solstice Celebration at 2 p.m. at Piedmont Way Memorial Oak Grove. Please bring food and water, instruments and songs of peace, joy, and hope, and small gifts to share. 

MONDAY, DEC. 24 

Teen Book Club meets to discuss favorite tearjerkers at 4 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6121. 

Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Class on Planning Healthy Meals at 8:30 a.m. at Jefferson Elementary, 2035 40th Ave., Oakland. To register call 595-6445. 

Juggling for Peace Learn juggling and plate spinning at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Marine Recruiting Station, Shattuck Square. 524-2776. 

Simplicity Forum meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. jcecil@chw.edu  

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza. 3290 Adeline. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

TUESDAY, DEC. 25 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Tai Chi for Peace at 1:30 p.m. in front of the Marine Recruiting Station, Shattuck Square. Open Sidewalk Studios at 3 p.m. 524-2776. 

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Walk at Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the large spherical cage near the Nature Center at Perkins and Bellevue to see the winter birdlife at the lake. 834-1066. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, DEC. 27 

Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life An interative exhibit with Make Your Own Musical Instrument from noon to 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $8-$10. 642-5132. 

FRIDAY, DEC. 28 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 29 

Open The Farm Meet and greet the animals at the Little Farm in Tilden Park as you help the farmer with morning chores, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. 525-2233. 

Monarch Butterfly Walk Take a short walk to view clusters of monarchs, learn about their life cycle and migration. At 10:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Mulford-Marina Branch Library, 13699 Aurora Drive, San Leandro. 577-6085. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, DEC. 30 

Reptile Rendezvous Learn about the reptiles that call Tilden Park home at 1:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Family Workshop: New Year’s Party Make noisemakers and party hats from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mocha, Museum of Children’s Art, 528 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770.  

“Leopard Shark Feeding Frenzy” Feed our resident leopard sharks and learn more about them and our other aquatic inhabitants at 2 p.m. at Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. 670-7270. www.haywardrec.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Olivia Hurd on “Buddhist Stories of Compassionate Wisdom” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000 www.nyingmainstitute.com 

FRIDAY, DEC. 21 

THEATER 

“Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Tickets at the door are $12-$15.  

Aurora Theatre Company “Sex” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 23. Tickets are $28-$50. 843-4822.  

Berkeley Rep “After the Quake” at the Trust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Dec. 21. Tickets are $33-$69. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Encore Theatre Company & Shotgun Players “The Shaker Chair” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Jan. 27. Tickets are $20-$30. 841-6500.  

Impact Theatre “A Very Special Money & Run Winter Season Holiday Special” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 22. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468.  

Kids Take the Stage “Footloose” at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $8-$15. 527-1138.  

“A Christmas Carol” with Martin Harris at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-7800. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mark Morris Dance Group “The Hard Nut” at 7:30 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$60. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Oakland Ballet “Nutcracker” at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Oakland Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$50. www.ticketmaster.com 

The Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble “From the Rising of the Sun” Music for the Christmas season at 8 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave. Tickets are $5-$15. www.wavewomen.org  

Farallon Brass Ensemble at 7 p.m. at St. Paul‘s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Tickets rae $12-$15, free for children under 15. 332-9975. 

Holiday Caroling with Terrence Kelly & Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Albany Artists Collective featuring The Matresses and Cody Green in a benefit for the Albany Music Fund at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Mario “Weary Boys” Matteoli at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

In Harmony’s Way “Mid-Winter Sing” at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Lalin St. Juste and Connie Lim at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Starry Plough Bluegrass Session with Jacob Groopman, Ben Bernstein, Erik Yates and others at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Charlie Hunter at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Machina Sol at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 22 

CHILDREN  

“Wintertime at Little Farm” a puppet show for the whole family at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Stuart Little” the movie at 10 a.m. and noon, Sun. at noon at Elmwood Theater, 2966 College Ave. at Ashby. Benefit for local PTAs. 433-9730. 

THEATER 

Kids Take the Stage “Footloose” at 2 and 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $8-$15. 527-1138. www.kidstakethestage.com  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

West Coast Live with Michael Chabon, Will Durst at 10 a.m. at Freight and Salvage. Tickets are $13-$18. 415-664-9500. www.WCL.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“From the Darkness...Solace” a Winter Solstice Concert at 6 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Donation $10-$20. 228-3207. 

Mark Morris Dance Group “The Hard Nut” at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$60. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Oakland Ballet “Nutcracker” at 2 and 8 p.m. at Oakland Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$50. www.ticketmaster.com 

Nicolas Bearde Holiday Blues Fest at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Hot Hot Hot Caribbean Nights with Winston Soso and David Reid Caribbean band at 9:05 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Michael Grandi at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Holiday Revue, bluegrass and acoustic with Lauries Lewis, host, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50-$16.50. 548-1761.  

Bayonics, The Unsmokables at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

Mitch Marcus Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SUNDAY, DEC. 23 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Thomas Lynch performs the Truman Capote classic, “A Christmas Memory” at 3 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets sliding scale $10-$30. 665-5565. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Ballet “Nutcracker” at 2 p.m. at Oakland Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$50. www.ticketmaster.com 

Redwing at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Trumpet Supergroup Holiday Concert with Dave Scott, Mark Inouye, Mario Guarneri, Mike Olmos, and Erik Jekabson at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373.  

MONDAY, DEC. 24 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Musica ha Disconnesso traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26 

CHILDREN 

The Blue Fairy Storyteller “Tales of a Winter Wonderland” for ages 3-7 at 3:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 981-6280. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082  

Will Durst’s Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show XV at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $18-$20. 925-798-1300. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tee Fee Swamp Boogie at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Kurt Ribak Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Spanish Harlem Orchestra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, DEC. 27 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Duece Eclipse, Cataracs, Jack Sprat and others at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ideal Vine, banjo music with Evie Ladin, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

5 Cent Coffee, Freddy Parish, Winter Fall at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

FRIDAY, DEC. 28 

CHILDREN 

“Habari Gani?/What’s the News?” Kwanzaa stories with April Armstrong for ages 5 and up at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223. 

THEATER 

Encore Theatre Company & Shotgun Players “The Shaker Chair” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Jan. 27. Tickets are $20-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life Percussion discussion with Ken Bergman at noon and 1:30 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $8-$10. 642-5132. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mack Rucks Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Moodswing Orchestra at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

David Grisman Bluegrass Experience at 5 and 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $30.50-$31.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ali Weiss and Cris Kelly & Manda Bryn at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Musiciens sans Frontiéres, Talons of Peace at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Albino, heavy afro-beat, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Space Heater at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 29 

CHILDREN  

Folksongs with Chris Molla for ages 3-7 at 10:30 a.m. at Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270. 

Music with Melita and Friends at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 Tenth St. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Otro Mundo at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lady Bianca Blues at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Zydeco Flames at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/Zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

James Brown Tribute at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7-$15. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Jenny Kerr and Kenny Schick at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Bobs, a cappella, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Unreal Band, Lucky Dog at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Justin Hellman Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SUNDAY, DEC. 30 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mon’s Music Trio, featuring Si Perkoff, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Evie Ladin at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Creation at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Lyrics Born at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $35. 548-1159.  

Dani Torres, flamenco,, at 5 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198. 

MONDAY, DEC. 31 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bobi Cespedes Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Reservations recommended. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Balkan Bash with Édessa, Brass enazeri, Joe Finn at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jesus Diaz’s The Cuban Connection at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $25-$27. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Montana Slim at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Medicine Ball Band featuring Pee Wee Ellis and Lady Bianca at 8:30 p.m. at Plymouth Church 424 Monte Vista, at Oakland Ave. Cost is $24-$30. 444-2115. 

High Country, Dix Bruce & Jim Nunelly at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $26.50-$27.50. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

What It Is at 9 p.m. at Jupiter. Cost is $10. 843-8277. 

Flamenco Fiesta at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. at Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $55-$85. 287-8700.  

Spanish Harlem Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $100. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

As Advent draws to a close, the holiday events in the Bay Area roll on, unabated, with something nearly every day for the believer, the enthusiast, the festive, the funseeker—as well as the Grinch and the Scrooge. 

Speaking of Scrooge, stage productions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (and a comic spinoff) are still playing: at Oakland School for the Arts through Saturday; ACT’s adaptation by Carey Perloff running through Sunday; and Sonoma County Rep, up in Sebastopol, doing Jonathan Moscone’s version. 

At the S.F. Playhouse off Union Square, loopy and cynical Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, directed by Joy Carlin, starring Joan Mankin, adds a little salutary bile to heart-warmth as Christopher Durang’s play hauls up Dickens’ creatures into the New World Order. 

The Nutcracker is very much alive and well since Oakland Ballet was reborn as Oakland Ballet Company under the continued guidance of Ronn Guidi. His version, the oldest in the area, runs at the  

glorious Paramount through a Christmas Eve matinee.  

S.F. Ballet’s four-year-old Helgi Tomas-son version goes on at the Opera House through Dec. 30. Alameda Civic Ballet performs in the island’s Kofman Audi- 

torium through Sunday at 2 p.m.  

Ballet San Jose, with Dennis Nahat’s choreography, is on at the San Jose Center. S.F.’s Smuin Ballet presents the late dancemaster’s Christmas Ballet pieces at Yerba Buena Center. 

And Mark Morris’ popular riff on Tchaikovsky-E. T. A. Hofmann classic, The Hard Nut, is at Zellerbach. 

Other stage shows include that chestnut Miracle on 34th St. at the Lafayette Town Hall Theatre through the 29th, as well as those with an unusual spin on tradition: Theatreworks in Palo Alto has reset Twelfth Night in Haight-Ashbury in the Summer of Love, with Ron Campbell’s expert clowning; Dan Hiatt has a tour-de-force solo show of Frank Capra’s beloved movie with Jimmy Stewart, This Wonderful Life, for the stage; Faye Carol is featured in Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s annual gospel musical Black Nativity in downtown San Francisco, and a new interpretation of the Xmas pantomime Cinderella is offered by the African-American Shakespeare Co. at the Zeum in the Moscone Center—the last two running into Kwaanza, through Dec. 30.  

Holiday circus and sideshow treats for the whole family include Cirque de Soleil’s Kooza at San Francisco’s AT&T Park; Habitat at Dance Mission Theater—and at The Marsh, also in San Francisco’s Mission district, Magic Holiday, two magicians and a juggler—all running past Christmas. 

Also at The Marsh, an alternative holiday show for families: Siddhartha, The Bright Path, Marsh Youth Theater’s tale of the young Buddha, with music and dance. Not particularly holiday-themed, but another family treat: Really Rosie, Maurice Sendak’s charming kids’ musical “play-within-a-play” at San Francisco’s New Conservatory. 

For more alternative stage shows: David Sedaris’ monologues The Santaland Diaries & Christmas Greetings are ongoing at San Francisco’s Eureka Theatre; Impact has their special and loopy Money and Run white trash-meets-mafia-meets-mad scientist manger scene at La Val’s, Berkeley, through Saturday; and there are those two contemporarily nascent traditions: Nuncrackers, the Nunsense Xmas musical, at Willows Cabaret in Martinez, and A Tuna Christmas, set in the third smallest Texas town, at San Jose Stage. 

Musical events feature extravaganzas like Jeffrey Thomas conducting the American Bach Soloists in Handel’s Messiah—and Constantine Kitsopolous leading the San Francisco Symphony with The Wizard of Oz on the silver screen at Davies, tonight and Sat. Also tonight, the Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble sings Byrd, Buxtehude, Biebl and others in the Lake Merritt Methodist Church at 8 p.m. The Golden Bough acoustic trio presents A Celtic Christmas at 8 p.m. in San Francisco’s Old First (Presbyterian) Church. Cafe Du Nord on Market has A Bluegrass Christamas.  

Anna’s JazzIsland in Berkeley has Holiday Caroling with Terrance Kelly and Ellen Hoffman. For a different message musicale to a different crowd, House of Voodoo presents the Saints of Ruin and DJs downstairs at Club Hide on SF’s Folsom St. for Deathmas Ball. For “neo-burlesque” humor, song and dance, there’s the Hubba Hubba Revue Holiday Spectacular, also on Folsom at the DNA Lounge from 9 p.m. Ongoing is the Christmas Crap-Array with the Lesbian/Gay Chorus at San Francisco’s Exit in the Tenderloin, as is one of the last Plush Room shows: drag star Jackie Beal in her annual Give ‘Til It Hurts. 

Saturday is Fiesta Navidad, celebrating La Posada, 8 p.m. at San Francisco’s Davies Hall, with Navidad “Navi” Cano and his Mariachi Los Camperos (who backed up Linda Ronstadt on her Grammy-winning “Canciones de Mi Padre”).  

At Oakland’s Chapel of the Chimes, “From the Darkness, Solace,” a solistice celebration on three candlelit stages. Soulmaster Nicholas Bearde sings jazz, blues and holiday music at Anna’s Jazz Island, while Freight and Salvage holds their Holiday Revue, and Ashkenaz goes Caribbean with Soca king Winston Soso and steel drummers. Also, Oakland’s hip-hop duo do their Blackalicious Holiday Affair at the Fillmore. A Very Merry Disco Christmas is at the Castro Theatre from 7:30 p.m. 

Meanwhile, “carolers” with boomboxes who meet in SF’s Dolores Park at 7 p.m. will be given tapes of Phil Kline’s “shimmering, symphonic ambient score of bells and chimes” to snake through the Mission with (last year saw over 1,000 revelers) in Unsilent Night. And the Kinsey Sicks collide comedy, a cappella and drag at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre in “Oy Vey In A Manger.”  

Sunday has the Trumpet Supergroup Holiday Concert at Berkeley’s Jazzschool, A Chanticleer Christmas at San Francisco’s St. Ignatius Church and the SF Girls Chorus “Silver Bells, Golden Voices” at Davies—as well as the Classical Christmas Special 2007 at Herbst with ballet, opera, youth musicians, gymnastics ... and former Mayor Willie Brown.  

At Annie’s Social Club on Folsom: Nightmare Before X-Mas, with a karaoke contest hosted by Ghoulina and Brett. 

Down to the wire: Xmas Eve features two great gospel shows: LindaTillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir (including Nicholas Bearde, among other local luminaries) at Yoshi’s-Oakland, and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble at Slim’s in San Francisco. At the Castro Theatre: the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus with the Lesbian/Gay Chorus, “Home for the Holidays.” At the DNA “A Chaos Christmas Carol” with Chicken John and Friends. A Cuban Christmas Eve at SF’s Biscuits & Blues. SF’s Argus Lounge advertises “Lonely X-Mas w/Visa V; Open Until We Close.” 

On Xmas Day itself: A Yiddish Folk Fest at Berkeley’s Congregation Netivot Shalom with the KlezCalifornia Allstar Band. The Fabulous Bud E. Love’s Holiday Trio Lounge Show at SF’s Red Devil. A free family day at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, with storytellers, singers and dancers.  

Oakland’s Stork Club , after their Sat. Xmas Party, announces a chance for some holiday sharing: “Club Closed for Remodeling: Come Help Paint!” And ongoing at the New Asia Restaurant in San Francisco Chinatown: “Kung Pao Kosher Comedy,” with Esther Paik Goodhart, “the Asian Tammy Faye Bakker,” Palestinean-American comedian Dean Obeidallah—and stand-up legend Shelley Berman.

There must be a gazillion DVDs released every month, and most of it is just filler, nothing worthy of adding to a serious or even semi-serious film collection. But 2007 saw a number of significant releases as well, though they may not get much display space at your local big box retailer. Below are just a handful of the best DVD releases of the year. 

Killer of Sheep 

One of the best theatrical releases of the year is also one of the best DVD releases of the year. Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep languished in relative obscurity for decades, primarily due to the expense required to clear the rights to the songs used in the film. Milestone Films finally got the job done and gave the film a proper release, 30 years after its completion, and the result was a revelation. Burnett’s film is a powerful portrait of black urban life in post-Civil Rights Movement America, a stark, personal movie that imports the aesthetic of the Italian neo-realists of the 1950s to 1970s Los Angeles. 

Milestone’s DVD edition not only contains the seminal Killer of Sheep, but a slightly more recent Burnett film, My Brother’s Wedding, included here in both its original 1983 release version and in a new director’s cut. Extras include a commentary track on Killer of Sheep by Burnett and Lincoln Center Film Society Program Director Richard Peña and a few of Burnett’s critically acclaimed short films, including a new five-minute film, Quiet as Kept, looking at life in post-Katrina New Orleans.  

$39.95. Milestone Films. www.milestonefilms.com. 

I Am Cuba 

Milestone is also responsible for perhaps the most lavish and unique DVD package of the year in the form of Mikhail Kalatozov’s long-forgotten cinematic poem of the Cuban Revolution, I Am Cuba. This is quite simply an extraordinary film, and Milestone’s three-disc set does it justice. Not only does the set come packed in a cigar box, but it includes a wealth of extras, including two fascinating documentaries, one about the film itself and one on the career of Kalatozov. For a complete review, see the Daily Planet’s Dec. 7 edition. 

$44.95. Milestone Films. www.milestonefilms.com. 

Eclipse 

Earlier this year, Criterion, one of the premiere producers of special edition DVDs, launched a new line of discs. The Eclipse collection provided a way for the company to spotlight overlooked films that otherwise might not ever see the light of day on DVD. The company only puts out a few titles per month in its line of special editions, each featuring painstakingly beautiful transfers of classic and significant films. However this arduous production process limits output, leaving many worthy films on the shelf. Thus the Eclipse series allows the company to release bare-bones editions—at least by Criterion standards—of films deserving of preservation.  

The sets are not cheap, but the price is reasonable considering the quality and rarity of the films they contain, as well as the transfers that Criterion has undertaken. Each is an attractively packaged several-disc set, and though the discs don’t contain any extra feature, they do include thoughtful liner notes that place the films and their makers in historical context.  

Previous releases include a collection of five early films by Ingmar Bergman; a set of seven documentaries by Louis Malle; five later works by revered Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu; two films by 1930s French director Raymond Bernard; the first few films made by Samuel Fuller; and Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy. Due for release in the near feature are a collection of five post-war films by Akira Kurosawa and a set of four musicals by Ernst Lubitsch. 

Prices range from $35 to $65. Criterion Collection. www.criterion.com. 

POV 20th Anniversary Collection 

PBS celebrated the 20th anniversary of its critically acclaimed POV documentary series this year by releasing a limited edition DVD set containing 15 great films. This beautifully designed special edition is packaged like an album, with three discs to a page and accompanying notes for each.  

The films run the gamut from one of its earliest presentations, American Tongues, examining the diversity and the English language as spoken in various dialects throughout the country, to powerful topical films about civil rights, and other social and environmental issues.  

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 1994. The film follows the career of the artist/architect from her first major project, the Vietnam War Memorial, through many other works, tracking the evolution of a woman who transformed America’s notion of what a memorial could and should be.  

Taking on the Kennedys follows the Rhode Island congressional campaign of underdog Republican Kevin Vigilante as the optimistic, stay-positive candidate is ultimately forced to sacrifice his principals in order to engage in battle with his moneyed, mud-slinging rival Patrick Kennedy, son of Ted Kennedy.  

These are just two examples. There’s more than 20 hours worth of great documentary filmmaking in this impressive collection. The price may be a bit steep, but proceeds benefit both POV and American Documentary, the non-profit organization that presents the long-running series. 

$249.95. PBS. www.pbs.org/pov. 

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series 

There have been many film versions of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes over the decades, and fans of the master detective are quick to defend their favorites. Basil Rathbone is still considered by many to be the quintessential Holmes. However, Rathbone never had the pleasure of filming any of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Those films were all written specifically for the screen.  

In the 1980s and ’90s, England’s Granada Television undertook the daunting task of faithfully adapting the original short stories and novels with a brand new Holmes. Jeremy Brett proved more than up to the challenge, creating a version that is to this day in its complexity, its faithfulness, its breadth and dynamism, the definitive celluloid incarnation of the character.  

MPI Home Video has released the shows on DVD over the years individually and as box sets, one for each series of the show and one for the five feature-length films. Now the company has released the entire oeuvre in an excellent 12-disc box set. Though Brett and company fell short of their goal of adapting all 56 of the Sherlock short stories and all four of the novels, they achieved something quite remarkable. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series—41 shows in all—is not just a compendium of television shows, but the best, most ambitious translation of Doyle’s works for the screen. 

And though the adaptations remain loyal to the original tales, these are indeed adaptations. Doyle’s stories, told in the first person by his sidekick Dr. Watson, are not entirely cinematic. Most of the action and dialogue revolves around Holmes, with Watson most often playing the role of astonished observer. The Granada series takes much-needed liberties with this arrangement, transferring key dialogue to Watson to keep the stories moving on the screen, creating more give and take and indeed a more friendly and collegial partnership between the two men.  

Watson, played in the first series by David Burke and later by Edward Hardwicke, is a much more substantive character than the structure of the original tales allowed him to be. It’s not that Doyle disregarded him, it’s just that the first-person format cast him as narrator rather than as an equal protagonist.  

Brett plays every facet of the Holmes character: his shifting moods which take him from haughtiness, arrogance and condescension to warmth, compassion, sensitivity and kindness; his eccentricity and stubbornness and his depression and drug addiction. This is Sherlock in all his complexity, a genius tormented by a life that is too mundane for his extraordinary mind.  

The price of the set may be high, but this is an excellent body of work that easily lends itself to repeated viewings. For even when the solution is known, there is still the tremendous charisma and charm of Jeremy Brett and the compassion, humanity and devotion of Watson in the form of Burke and Hardwicke. 

$229.98. MPI Home Video. www.mpihomevideo.com. 

Nosferatu 

F.W. Murnau’s gothic horror masterpiece Nosferatu has been available in any number of DVD editions over the years, in varying degrees of quality. It is probably one of the most widely seen silent films among modern audiences.  

Kino’s new edition of the film far surpasses every previous release. It’s like seeing the film for the first time. Celluloid deteriorates over the years, and surviving prints of Nosferatu have been marred by an unsteady, high-contrast image and the loss or fading of the picture’s many color tints. But the restoration work in this new version is excellent: The image quality is vastly improved, and the original tints have been recreated, making this the most accurate version to date.  

But perhaps the most noteworthy attribute of this two-disc set is the score. For decades the original score for the film has been lost. Many of the scores that accompanied previous DVD editions of the film have been good. But Kino’s previous release contained two synthesizer scores — interesting and effective at times, but more appropriate as alternatives to a more period-appropriate orchestral or Wurlitzer score. Now the film finally gets the proper treatment, as Berndt Heller has finally tracked down the Hans Erdmann’s original score from 1922 and recorded it with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony.  

Finally a resurrection worthy of Count Orlock.  

$29.95. Kino International. www.kino.com. 

She 

Also from Kino is a new two-disc edition of a rarely seen genre classic, Merian Cooper’s 1935 production of She, directed by Irving Pichel. It’s a strange film, a curious little thriller of three people in search of a flame that grants immortality. Starring Randolph Scott, Helen Gahagan, Helen Back and the great character actor Nigel Bruce, the film is certainly dated in its approach and a bit slow in its pacing, but is nevertheless and intriguing glimpse at fantasy filmmaking in the early sound era.  

The DVD edition is presented by famed animation and special effects guru Ray Harryhausen. It was one of his favorite films, and this edition has the bonus of presenting the movie both in its original black and white and in a new digitally colorized version, the process overseen by Harryhausen himself. Whatever your perceptions and memories of the clumsy colorization processes of the past, prepare to have them shattered. The subtlety and depth of this new version is surprisingly convincing, providing a whole different way to experience the film.  

Many directors preferred black and white, of course, and to colorize their films may not seem respectful in the least. But Harryhausen knew many of the people involved in She and other low-budget films of the era, and knew that they would have preferred to make these films in color given the money. Harryhausen also believes that many viewers these days simply refuse to watch anything in black and white, and thus colorization is the only way to get them to take a look at the great films of the past. But what’s crucial here is that the color version is provided as a complement to the black and white version, not as a replacement. 

$24.95. Kino International. www.kino.com. 

Battleship Potemkin 

Kino released another classic silent film this year that may prove to be a definitive edition. Battleship Potemkin is one of the most influential films ever made. Director Sergei Eisenstein’s editing techniques, known as montage, were richly displayed in this dramatization of an event from the Russian Revolution. The famous Odessa Steps sequence has inspired countless filmmakers over the ensuing decades.  

With this release, Kino signaled that perhaps it was on its way to becoming a bit more sophisticated in its packaging and design. Here the company sticks to original artwork from the film’s original release, lending greater dignity to the release. The set includes a 42-minute documentary on the restoration of the film.  

$29.95. Kino International. www.kino.com. 

The Jazz Singer 

Warner Bros. released a deluxe box set of the film that put the company on the map back in 1927. The Jazz Singer wasn’t the first sound picture, but it’s the one that sparked the shift to the new technology.  

This three-disc set includes a wealth of extras, including dozens of Vitaphone shorts of Vaudeville acts from the era, and an excellent documentary covering the evolution of synchronized sound technology, its effect on motion pictures and the end of the silent era. It may not be great film, but it’s a hugely important one, and Warner Bros. has given it its due with this release. 

$39.95. Warner Bros.