LA Weekly

FRIDAY, December 21

Holy Lotus Flower! Clear Cosmo Art Studio performs Pure Lotus. See Monday.
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Who doesn’t love a good movie tie-in? Especially when it’s as harebrained as this doozy: Sweeney Todd’s Old-Fashioned Barber Shop will offer late “cut-throat” deals on razor shaves and haircuts, along with some kinda sicko cocktail called “Barbicide,” in conjunction with Tim Burton’s new movie, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which is playing just around the corner at the Vista. Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop, 4639 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz; Fri., Dec. 21, 6-11 p.m. (323) 667-9690.

That night when they took off from Nazareth, it was crisp and cool, but Mary said, “Joseph, take a sweater. For our-immaculately-birthed-son’s sake! You know how chilly you get!” But did he listen? Men! That was good advice you should also follow if you attend Olvera Street’s Las Posadas candlelight procession. Everybody gathers at 6 p.m. and sings hymns and songs while re-creating the search for shelter (maybe you’ve heard this story before), except in this case you can reward yourself with a big, frothy margarita at the end. El Pueblo Historical Monument, Main & Alameda sts., dwntwn.; 6-9 p.m. nightly; thru Dec. 24. (213) 625-7074.


SATURDAY, December 22

“A gay spoof” may not be the first thing you think of when you hear A Christmas Carol, but that’s what you get at this new production, which the Weekly’s Steven Mikulan calls a “charmingly queer holiday divertissement.” With a goth Scrooge (Michael Taylor Gray), spirits who resemble a Sylvester-like disco queen (Ronn Jones), a party hunk (Matt Marsh) and the mute specter (Michael O’Hara), you’ll be rolling off your yule log. Celebration Theatre, 7051-B Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 23. (323) 957-1884.

SUNDAY, December 23

It comes down to two choices today. What kind of holiday mood are you in? Is it more like: “I’m locked down for tryin’ to hold my block down since a shorty/The Old Earth was like, ‘Street, put the glock down’/I was raised in slums, love how the gun sounds and now I got one — c’mon, who wanna front now?” Or perhaps it’s more like this: “Where’s that money, you silly stupid old fool? Where’s that money?/Do you realize what this means?/It means bankruptcy and scandal and prison/That’s what it means/One of us is going to jail — well, it’s not gonna be me.” If you chose the former, you’ll be at the Wu-Tang Clan concert. The latter quotation represents a movie we all love and need to see yearly, It’s a Wonderful Life. Wu-Tang Clan, House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Sun., Dec. 23, 9 p.m.; $75. (323) 848-5100. It’s a Wonderful Life, American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Sun., Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m.; $10, $8 students and seniors. (323) 466-FILM.

MONDAY, December 24

If you can tear yourself away from TV Land’s 24-hour eighth-annual Merrython, you’ll enjoy six hours of free music and dance from all over this Land of the South at the 48th-annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration. The groups are too many to even list here, but a few highlights include Cecilia Noël and the Wild Clams, Los Pinguos, Little Willie G. y Los Tamaleros, Clear Cosmo Art Studio, Tribaljazz (featuring John Densmore) and the Armenian folk ensemble Araks. This year’s hosts include Fred Willard, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Culture Clash. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Mon., Dec. 24, 3-9 p.m.; free (parking, too). (213) 972-3099 or www.­holidaycelebration.org.

TUESDAY, December 25

His name means “churches,” and we know Gabriel is mentioned in the Bible, so we’re pretty sure it’s okay with the Good Lord for you to go to a Christmas performance by comic Gabriel Iglesias. The Ice House, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena; Tues., Dec. 25, 6 p.m.; $25. (626) 577-1894.

WEDNESDAY, December 26

Many of you find George Lopez extremely funny. So funny that he’s performing six straight nights at the Nokia Theatre. Sadly, I am not one of you. But I did see some of his clips online, and he does a pretty funny thing about children’s birthday parties and bounce houses. Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court, dwntwn.; Wed.-Sun., Dec., 26-30, 8 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 31, 10 p.m.; $55.50-$79.50. (213) 763-6000.

THURSDAY, December 27

In an attempt to end this crazy holiday week with as many laughs as possible, we bring you Lesley Wolff’s I Made It Through the Holidays Alive Show with her All-Ivy (that’s Ivy League, for us plebes) lineup with Stephanie Escajeda, Pedro Hernandez, Ari Shaffir, Jessie Schneiderman, Tig Notaro, Matt Braunger and more. Hollywood Improv, 8162 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; Thurs., Dec. 27, 8 p.m.; $13, plus two-drink minimum. www.hollywoodimprov.com.