The swell of holiday concerts and Messiah and Nutcracker performances has reached a deafening level this week. Still, there are some excellent concerts to hear, if you just need to get away from the tinselly, Santa-hatted madness. HEADLINES: >> Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero will give a nearly sold-out Washington Performing Arts Society recital on Saturday (December 15, 2 p.m.), Sidney Harman Hall. This new downtown venue, if an article in The Economist is to be......

For dance lovers looking to get into the holiday spirit, The Nutcracker is a must at this time of year. Thankfully, the Washington D.C. area has numerous performances of the beloved ballet from which to choose. While there’s over a dozen performances ranging in size from huge ballet troupes to small dance studios, here's a few that stand out among the rest. American Ballet Theater: Few companies can compete with the size and talents of......

If you want to see American ballet at its best, there’s nothing better than the choreography of George Balanchine. The Suzanne Farrell Ballet seeks to remind the audience of that with three of his works at The Kennedy Center. They'll perform two different all-Balanchine mixed repertory programs the company will present over the remainder of the holiday week and weekend. Often referred to as the father of American ballet, Balanchine found a muse in Suzanne......

>> Tonight's a big night for music, beginning with a celebration of one of the great musicians of the 20th century, Frank Zappa. His son, Dweezil, leads a group of Zappa-alums for this tribute, which takes place at Warner Theater. 7:30 p.m., $50/$75 + Ticketmaster fees. >> Tonight, the musical flavor of New Orleans comes to the Wonderland Ballroom tonight as Yamomanem takes the stage. Call 202-232-5263 for cover information. 9 p.m. >> Also tonight,......

>> Those who want to hear smooth sounds with global influences should head down to Blues Alley this week as guitarist Jonathan Butler comes to town for a 3-night stand beginning Thursday. Tickets to the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets are available here. $43 + $12.50 minimum/surcharge. >> Mavis "Swan" Poole, an up-and-coming young vocalist who is an alum of the prestigious Betty Carter Straight Ahead Jazz Workshop will perform at Twins Jazz on......

Written by DCist contributor Meghan Welsh Cultures will collide this weekend at The Kennedy Center as Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company presents the world premiere of "Chico Latino," a work which explores the intersection of Asian American and Latin American communities throughout the Americas. "Chico Latino" is a fusion of Latin and Asian modern dance, and the program will also include classic works by the choreographer, inspired by his experiences, such as a visit......

Dr. Billy Taylor (pictured with his trio) is a walking history of jazz. He began playing professionally in 1944, and in that capacity he has composed over 350 songs, performed with legends such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and led his own trio for decades. The numerous awards Taylor garnered as a performer and educator include 23 honorary doctoral degrees, two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, a Grammy, and the National Medal of the......

FRIDAY: >> Octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson (at right), said to be the last black traditional string band player, plays a free show at The Kennedy Center's The Millennium Stage with fellow folk musicians Wayne Martin on fiddle and Bob Carlin, a clawhammer style banjoist. 6 p.m. >> Space rockers The Gulf sold out their D.C. show in April, and are coming back to play at the Red and the Black with the Joonies, Twin Earth,......

FRIDAY: >> Starting tonight, George Mason Stadium plays host to the region's annual D.C . College Cup. The soccer teams of George Washington, American, Howard, and George Mason will square off in two rounds of games. Though the tournament is conspicuously missing national powerhouses UMD and UVA, the event will still showcase some of the best young talent around. GW and AU kick off tonight's slate (5:00 p.m.), with Howard and GMU rounding the night......

Last night, as part of Shakespeare in Washington, the Kennedy Center staged Such Sweet Thunder — a performance that combined the words of Shakespeare and the music of Washington's son, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. The show combined musical, theatrical, dance, and narrative elements, all inspired by Shakespeare's work, to create a unique event. While the singularity and the quality of many of the performers made for an enjoyable night, the whole was less than the......

FRIDAY: >> At 11 a.m. today or noon tomorrow, grab the kids and a box or twelve of tissues and head down to the National Archives for a screening of An American Tail. Part of their celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, they're sharing the story of Fivel and his cheese-paved streets with the next generation. We can only assume they'll watch it over and over like we did, each time hoping Fivel doesn't go......

FRIDAY: >> Nothing wrong with another strong all-local lineup: Washington Social Club, These United States and Let's French will be on Black Cat's mainstage. DCist has interviewed two of these bands before, and we're set to get up close and personal with the third. So check 'em out. 9:30 p.m., $10. >> We're definitely impressed with the speed at which DC Rollergirls have gotten their act together since hosting a series of recruitment happy hour/arm......

At this point in December, people looking to hear a concert are probably only looking for a performance of Handel's Messiah or Holiday Concerts, and we have already dealt with both of those. Since there is not much else to mention, this will be your Classical Music Agenda until the New Year. There are a few things to hear, so hang in there. We will be back on January 7. >> The year's final free......

It's officially December, so we find our thoughts turning to holiday shopping. Will you be giving the gift of local theater (or hoping to receive it) this season? Here are a couple of things on our wish list for the D.C. theatre community: 1. For tiny companies like Meat & Potato and Natural Theatricals to have their seats filled more frequently, and for small but innovative companies like Rorschach to get Helen Hayes nods this......

Written by DCist guest contributor Michael Lodico. The Kennedy Center Concert Hall was packed Monday evening for the Washington Performing Arts Society’s third and final all-Mozart 250th birthday program. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis offered a program of five sonatas for piano and violin by Mozart. The performance was a rare instance of profound artistic collaboration. This exceptional quality was achieved through the simple consequence of Mutter and Orkis playing precisely at the......

MONDAY >> If you're not high-tailing it to the Maryland end of the Orange line to see the Redskins take on the Vikings, you may want to pay the Black Cat's backstage a visit to see The Whigs. This trio from Athens, GA has been called the "best unsigned band in America" by Rolling Stone. $8, 9 p.m. >> The haunting, violin-driven alt country of the Black Swans is coming our way. Catch these boys......

Labor Day is just around the corner, a time of relaxation, barbecues, final trips to the beach, heavy traffic and...dozens of plays crammed into one weekend? The Kennedy Center hopes it can lure theater-lovers away from their family functions and jaunts to the shore, and get them to take advantage of the Fourth Annual Page-To-Stage New Play Festival, held from Sept 3-5. The free event's lineup was announced this week, and it is brimming......

Sexual intrigue, Hellen Keller and urine; that's what area theaters have to offer us during the slow month of August, the dead time between the close of the '04/'05 season and the beginning of the new one. In all seriousness, August still has plenty of offerings for D.C. theatergoers, as a bunch of well-received shows take final bows and a few exciting new productions make their debuts. People can't stop tinkering with Les Liasons......

We think that Woodward, Bernstein, Bradlee et al, have this whole Deep Throat thing wrong. W. Mark Felt? Seriously, didn't the good folks over at 15th and L streets see the 1999 movie "Dick"? In all seriousness, there is still another mystery that needs to to be cleared up. Where are the sketchy parking garages that Mr. Felt and Mr. Woodward used to exchange information? And will historic preservationists push to declare the sites landmarks?......

Good news D.C. Unlike last weekend, we'll only have to suffer through this rain today; Saturday will be dry and Sunday will be beautiful. Awesome. FRIDAY: >> We hear some big movie opened this week, with "lazer swords" and some dude wearing a black hat. What was it called again? Eh, who cares -- especially when you can watch "Napoleon Dynamite" again on the big screen. The Landmark E St.'s Midnight Movies bring pretty much......

Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 40s. Snow is expected tomorrow, and officials have already issued a winter storm warning tomorrow as 2-4 inches is expected during the day. The photo is by Grayson Shepard. Cat Surgery Banned in Schools: After one school was closed yesterday to disinfect the cafeteria where 500 cats had been spayed over the weekend, D.C. public schools have said they wouldn't let it happen again. Haiti......

With the weather frightful, hibernating seems like the thing to do. But what better place to escape the cold than in the refuge of D.C.'s museums and galleries? >> The Kennedy Center kicked off its six-month tribute to the 1940s on Sunday night. "A New America: The 1940s and the Arts" spans a wide range of performing arts and is the largest, most expensive event the center has presented. >> "Rembrandt's Late Religious Portraits" opens......