Listen to this articleANNUAL EVENTS
The Salt Lake Men’s Choir presents their 37th annual Christmas concert: Remembering Decembers. Awww, it’s all about me! Thank you Dennis. The choir sings Christmas music from many genres: classical, swing, contemporary, sacred, humorous, and always with a smile on their faces. This year the choir is joined by an orchestra, full brass section, and the First Baptist Church’s incredible pipe organ.
7Friday — SLMC: Remembering Decembers
First Baptist Church, 777 S. 1300 East, times vary, through Dec. 10 (The concert on Monday will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Park City). Tickets $15, brownpapertickets.com
CONCERTS
Out singer-songwriter, John Grant had a checkered past but since his debut solo album, Queen of Denmark, he’s grown as an outspoken man with HIV. He’s also fast becoming a bear icon. But most appealing some might say is his incredible songwriting. Songs like “Queen of Denmark” and “Guess How I Know” are putting Grant on a fast track to stardom.
12Wednesday — John Grant
The State Room, 638 S. State St., 8 p.m. Tickets $27, thestateroom.com
DRAG SHOWS
The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire annual Snowball fundraising event this year is a drag-cabaret style show with a couple of fantastical themes. The evening includes dinner and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the RCGSE PWA Christmas Fund.
A Drag Queen Christmas — The Naughty Tour flaunts a hilarious evening of holiday performances featuring undisclosed contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Christmas this year will the cattiest yet! A VIP ticket includes premium reserved seat in the first few rows on the main floor, plus meet all the queens and take pics (before the show), score autographs, and receive an official tour poster and customized laminate with lanyard. You must check-in at the box office upon arrival at the venue to receive your tour swag. Meet & Greet starts at 6 p.m. sharp and concludes when the line ends.
On New Year’s Eve ring in the new year with Latrice Royale, Gia Bianca Stephens, Molly Mormon, Kay Bye, London Skies, Willard, Marrlo Suzzane, Mariška Katastrofa, DJ Shutter, DJ Justin Hollister. Bitches, please! This party will most definitely leave you hurting well into May 2019. Fabulous!
2Sunday — Snowball: A Night in Oz; Something Wicked This Way Comes
Black Box Theatre, Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. 300 South, 5 p.m. Tickets $20, artsaltlake.org
8Saturday — A Drag Queen Christmas — The Naughty Tour
The Depot, 13 N. 400 West, 7 p.m. Tickets $35–50/VIP $150, smithstix.com
31Monday — NYE with Latrice Royale
Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, 9 p.m. Tickets $20, 24tix.com
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
Bestor says about the 2018 A Kurt Bestor Christmas, “As a musician, I resonate with everything happening around me and I can’t help but feel intense sadness about the anger, war, and poverty I see in the world. But if ever there was a year that needed more ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will to Mankind’ it would be this year. I hope to give my audiences a few hours of that peace and the love of the season.” Makes my nipples hard, just sayin’!
Well just more queenie stuff to do before the new year. A night with Queen Nation is a crazy little thing called love.
13Thursday — A Kurt Bestor Christmas
Delta Performance Hall, Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main St., times vary through Saturday. Tickets $25–50, artsaltlake.org
26Wednesday — Queen Nation
Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., Park City, 8 p.m., through Friday. Tickets $35–50, egyptiantheatrecompany.com
THEATRE
Enjoy two charming operettas to get you in the Christmas spirit! First, we meet Amahl and his mother. When the three kings, on their way to witness the birth of Christ, stop at their door, Amahl learns that generosity and compassion are among the greatest gifts we can give. Then enjoy a musical adaptation of the beloved Dickens classic, created by Utah locals Mike Leavitt and Anthony Buck.
Caroline, Or Change is an Olivier Award-winning musical written by Tony Kushner (Angels in America). It’s late 1960, and warm for November in Louisiana. The southern air is thick with the tensions of a changing nation. Caroline continues her work as a maid in the muggy basement of the Gellmans, a Jewish family still rocked by the sudden death of a wife, and mother. Embittered by the limitations of her blackness and tired from a life of servitude, she finds little joy in her life. When she asks for a raise her bosses are unable to give, Caroline finds every relationship in her life strained to the point of breaking.
In Topher Payne’s biting comedy, Perfect Arrangement, it’s 1950 and new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. The twist: Both Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other’s partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap I Love Lucy sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “all-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door, confronting the same struggles facing society today.
29Thursday(Nov.) — Amahl and the Night Vistors & A Christmas Carol
Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College, 1575 S. State St., times vary through Saturday. Tickets $10–20, grandtheatrecompany.com
29Thursday(Nov.) — Caroline, or Change
Good Company Theatre, 2404 Wall Ave., Ogden, times vary through Dec. 9. Tickets $20, goodcotheatre.com
30Friday(Nov.) — Perfect Arrangement
An Other Theater Company, 1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo, times vary through Dec. 22. Tickets $12–14, anothertheatercompany.com
