9 essential Atlanta arts events this weekend

Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences. 

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Thursday

William Close & The Earth Harp Collective 

Experience a night of music featuring The Earth Harp, a monumental instrument created by Close that rests on the stage while its strings extend over the audience. Reaching up to 1,000 feet in length, the strings are attached to the back of the venue. Each performance transforms the space itself into a resonant musical instrument, immersing the audience inside the sound. It happens at SCADshow at 7 p.m. on December 18.

Handel’s Messiah

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus Director Norman Mackenzie takes center stage in this presentation of the Christmas portion of Handel’s most enduring oratorio, culminating in the glorious Hallelujah Chorus. The concerts take place at 8 p.m. December 18 and December 19 at Symphony Hall.

TT Mahony and Jeffrey Butzer: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Mahony and Butzer return with one of Atlanta’s favorite holiday traditions. The season wraps up with four shows at The EARL in East Atlanta at 8:30 p.m. December 18, December 19, December 20 and December 21.

Friday

Béla Fleck & The Flecktones

Jingle All the Way is a reunion tour featuring the group’s beloved tunes — along with re-invented, jazz-infused holiday classics from their Grammy-winning album by the same name. Founding members Fleck, Victor Wooten, Roy “Future Man” Wooten and Howard Levy take the stage alongside former Flecktones bandmate and saxophonist Jeff Coffin and Tuvan throat singing ensemble Alash at 8 p.m. December 19 at the Eastern.

Christmas Xtravaganza

More than 10 years ago, a handful of songwriters came together to play Christmas songs at a local folk club, and they’re still at it with this year’s Christmas Xtravaganza. Join Ryan Horne, Nathan Angelo, Micah Dalton and Jonathan Rich at Eddie’s Attic for four more shows at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. December 19, and 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. December 20.

A BlackGround Christmas

BlackGround transforms classic holiday films featuring an all-white (or mostly white) cast by shifting the focus to what Black people were doing during the movie, utilizing improvised comedy. Performances are at 8 p.m. December 19 and December 30 at the Southwest Arts Center.

Saturday

Celtic Woman

Celebrate the holiday season with the celestial voices of the Grammy-nominated multiplatinum Irish singing sensation. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear Celtic Woman’s angelic harmonies with a full symphony orchestra in an intimate concert setting at Symphony Hall at 8 p.m. December 20 and 3 p.m. December 21.

Ballethnic Dance Company: Urban Nutcracker

Ballethnic Dance Company’s beloved Urban Nutcracker will take the stage at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center in Decatur December 20 and December 21.

Sunday

Holiday Hootenanny 

The 14th edition of this annual TDawg Presents production features The Wood Brothers’ Oliver Wood, who performed locally in the ’90s with his band King Johnson; the legendary troubadour Steve Poltz; and multi-Grammy winners Jim Lauderdale and Jason Carter (formerly with Del McCoury band The Travelin’ McCourys). Atlanta folk rock icons Caroline Aiken, Diane Durrett, Donna Hopkins and Liz Melendez and Rev. Jeff Mosier, who has performed at every Holiday Hootenanny, will also join the fun at 7 p.m. December 21 at Variety Playhouse.

More things to do this weekend and beyond

Actor’s Express hosts legendary Atlanta song stylist Libby Whittemore for Libby’s Annual Christmas Cabaret: ‘Ho, Ho, Home for the Holidays and a Connie Sue Day Christmas’  from December 18 through December 21 … Yacht Rock Revue’s Yacht Rock Holiday Special brings the festive vibes to the Coca-Cola Roxy at 8 p.m. December 20 … John Burke and the Superstratum Orchestra, led by Georgia-born pianist and composer Burke, brings Holiday favorites, mashups and nostalgic memories to Eddie’s Attic at 6 p.m. December 21 … Elf The Musical, inspired by the hit film, is the heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa’s sack of toys one Christmas Eve. It’s on stage at the Fox Theatre through December 20 … The Georgia Ballet’s take on The Nutcracker is back at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta from December 18 through December 23 … A Charlie Brown Christmas featuring The Kyle Bryant Trio features jazz guitarist Kyle Bryant, bassist Travis Shaw and drummer Justin Chesarek performing the beloved music of Vince Guaraldi at Eddie’s Attic at 7 p.m. December 18 … Kevin Scott’s 10th Annual Funky Holiday Spectacular dance party will feature tunes ranging from James Brown and Otis Redding to Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin to Frank Zappa and Black Sabbath, along with a few seasonal standards at 8 p.m. December 18 at Variety Playhouse … Joe Gransden’s Little Big Band transports you back to the jazz and big band Era with Swingin’ in the Holidays at Eddie’s Attic at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on December 22 and December 23 … Celebrate the spirit of the holidays from around the world with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Sounds of the Season, featuring orchestral favorites like Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, White Christmas and A A Holiday Jolly Sing Along at 7 p.m. December 23 at Symphony Hall … In NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, world-class dancers perform with towering puppets, breathtaking acrobatics and dazzling costumes on December 23 and December 24 at the Fox Theatre.