Legendary singer José Felciano bring his 50th anniversary tour to Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SPOTLIGHT 29
GOOD TIME JAZZ BAND / DEC. 16
The Good Time Jazz Band hits Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs for a holiday concert inspired by the Big Easy. The group’s New Orleans Christmas Show features your favorite carols played swing-style with a washboard accompaniment.
Tony Clark
TONY CLARK / DEC. 16–18 & 22–24
As a magic consultant, Tony Clark has lent his sleight-of-hand skills to TV programs like Monk and House and stars including Taylor Swift and Nicholas Cage. The illusionist gets tricky at Marvyn’s Magic Theater in La Quinta.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRAWFORDS / DEC. 9–26
Joan Crawford gets ready for her annual Christmas Eve radio show while fielding visits from Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, and Mae West in this quick-paced holiday show at the Desert Rose Playhouse.
THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES / DEC. 10–12 & 17–19
Anne Bannon’s midcentury lesbian pulp novels provide the blueprint for this saga about the reunion of two parted lovers in pre-Stonewall New York. Watch the tale unfold at the Desert Ensemble Theatre in Palm Springs.
HOLIDAY SPARKLE: DEC. 15
Palm Canyon Theatre will present a special holiday concert as talented singers perform many holiday favorites and some fun, “unconventional” seasonal tunes. Guests are encouraged to bring non-perishable food and an unwrapped toy to participate in drives for The Community Food Bank at The Center and Toys for Tots.
MUSICAL THEATRE UNIVERSITY FEATURE FILM: DEC. 16
Musical Theatre University debuts its first feature film, “Blame It On the Mistletoe” at Camelot Theater inside the Palm Springs Cultural Center. The musical comedy stars members of MTU with guest appearances by Lucie Arnaz, Jim J. Bullock, Lindsay Wagner, Bella Da Ball and more.
Diane Schuur
DIANE SCHUUR / DEC. 17–18
Grammy winner Diane Schuur puts her personal spin on iconic numbers by legends including Miles Davis and Paul Simon in this stirring show at the Purple Room in Palm Springs.
DIONNE WARWICK / DEC. 17
Accompanied by a 14-piece string section, the six-time Grammy winner brings her Favorite Time of Year holiday concert to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio. The music legend performs classics like “Silent Night,” “Silver Bells,” and “Joy to the World.”
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KEITH SWEAT AT MORONGO CASINO: DEC. 17
The Harlem-born singer/songwriter released his first album, “Make It Last Forever” in 1987 which spawned the top10 hits “I Want Her,” “Something Just Ain’t Right,” “Don’t Stop Your Love,” and the ballad with Jacci McGhee, “Make It Last Forever.”
Palm Springs GAY MEN’S CHORUS TOY DRIVE: DEC. 18
To support Martha’s Village and Kitchen, the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus will conduct a toy drive during the Palm Springs Farmer’s Market from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Any new unwrapped gifts will be accepted.
JOSE FELICIANO: DEC. 18
Making his 50th anniversary tour, José Feliciano will bring a special holiday show to Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. He is well known for such songs as “Felice Navidad”, and The Doors’ “Light My Fire.”
CK DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS “THE NUTCRACKER”: DEC. 21-22
The Palm Springs dance company will stage their own take on “The Nutcracker” at the Annenberg Theatre inside the Palm Springs Art Museum. This will be the 25th anniversary performances for CK Dance, which run at 7 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22.
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art exhibitions
STORM OF HOPE: LAW & DISORDER: THROUGH FEB. 6
On view at the Palm Springs Art Museum, Robert Longo’s massive, hyperrealistic charcoal drawings serve as a thought-provoking portrait of our contemporary moment. psmuseum.org
HELEN FRANKENTHALER LATE WORKS, 1990–2003: THROUGH FEB. 27
Known for a technique dubbed “soak stain,” in which she used thinned oil paint to create watercolor-like historical paintings, Helen Frankenthaler is among the most important artists of the post-World War II era. See 30 works from her later years at the Palm Springs Art Museum. psmuseum.org
THE MODERN CHAIR: THROUGH APRIL 3
The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center traces the history of chair design through the 20th and 21st centuries. Visitors can see more than 50 spectacular chairs by designers such as Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Frank Gehry. psmuseum.org
theater listings
ELECTRICITY: THROUGH FEB. 1
Terry Ray’s Electricity tracks the history of LGBTQ+ rights in America through the 50-year love story of former high school classmates Brad and Gary. See the desert’s longest-running play at Oscar’s in Palm Springs. oscarspalmsprings.com
THE SOUND OF MUSIC: DEC. 3–19
The Palm Canyon Theatre presents this beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about the von Trapp family and their spirited governess. The show is based on the real-life story told in Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir. palmcanyontheatre.net
WINTER WONDERETTES: DEC. 3–23
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”…but right now, he’s missing! A ’60s girl group sings holiday favorites and saves the Harper’s Hardware Holiday Party in this family-friendly show at Desert TheatreWorks in Indio. dtworks.org
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