The Sactown Weekend Update for Dec. 6-8
’Tis the weekend to get into the holiday spirit, with The Nutcracker, a Christmas play and concert, a Yuletide event at the Governor’s Mansion and Davis Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries.
The Santaland Diaries (Friday through Sunday)
Get into the spirit of the silly season this weekend with this one-man play based on David Sedaris’s beloved 1992 essay, an NPR staple that recounts the humorist’s time playing a Christmas elf at a Macy’s department store in New York City. $20-$38. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Capital Stage. 2215 J St. 995-5464. capstage.org
Christmas Memories (Saturday)
This Saturday, the halls of the 19th-century Governor’s Mansion will be decked with holly, strung with lights, hung with stockings and strewn with other decorations during this annual Christmas open house, where docents will share tales of how the historic residence’s occupants celebrated the season. Visits from Old Saint Nick will stir holiday cheer, as will local choral groups and students performing classic carols on the hour between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. $6 ($4 for ages 6 to 17; free for ages 5 and under). Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park. 1526 H St. 323-3047. historicgovernorsmansion.org
Holiday in the Hills (Saturday and Sunday)
Experience holiday traditions from the Gold Rush era in this yearly Sutter Street Theatre holiday production, which returns on Saturday and imagines how the Christmas season was celebrated in the town in the late 1800s. Featuring local actors ranging in age from 8 to 75 years old, the cast includes real historic figures including Peter J. Hopper, the former editor of The Folsom Telegraph newspaper, and Emma Spencer, a former madam. $15-$23. Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 4 p.m. Sutter Street Theatre. 717 Sutter St. Folsom. 353-1001. sutterstreettheatre.com
Sacramento Ballet’s The Nutcracker (Saturday and Sunday)
Now in its 26th consecutive year of production, Sacramento Ballet co-artistic director Ron Cunningham’s version of The Nutcracker returns starting this weekend, featuring a cast of over 135 local children per show who will help tell the tale of little Clara’s vivid dreams about the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and her beloved Nutcracker. This Saturday’s evening performance and Sunday’s show will feature live accompaniment from the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. $18-$75 (additional $15 for shows with live music). Saturday at 2 & 7 p.m. Sunday at 1 p.m. Community Center Theater. 1301 L St. 808-5181. sacballet.org
The Folsom Symphony (Saturday and Sunday)
The all-volunteer Folsom Symphony will gather for “Music of Many Lands,” a globe-trotting program featuring overtures by Verdi and Mendelssohn as well as a variety of Caledonian folk songs performed with accompaniment from the City of Sacramento Pipe Band. The concert also promises tidings of comfort and joy with an audience sing-along of classic Christmas carols. $20-$55. Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 3 p.m. Harris Center at Folsom Lake College. 10 College Pkwy. Folsom. 608-6888. harriscenter.net
