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The Ticket: music, theater, art, dance, comedy, and more

“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” is at the Shubert Theatre Dec. 9-11.Cirque Dreams/Courtesy of Cirque Dreams

MUSIC

Pop & Rock

LIZZO This singer-slash-MC's major-label debut might be an EP (“Coconut Oil”), but it more than ably shows off her range — the title track is sparse soul over which she sings out proudly, while the laundry list of last-call regrets “Phone” and the summer-ruling self-empowerment anthem “Good as Hell” show off her dextrous flow and winking humor. Dec. 4, 7 p.m. $15. Brighton Music Hall. 617-779-0140, www.crossroadspresents.com

AMP 103.3’S ELECTRIC BOUNCE HOUSE Boston’s pop-radio upstart brings in the bro-EDM duo the Chainsmokers, who beat back novelty-act status (courtesy of their sneering 2014 hit “#SELFIE” ) by releasing dour quasi-ballads — the gasping “Don't Let Me Down,” the mopey “Closer” — that pair up-and-coming female vocalists with grouchy lyrics. Dec. 5, 6 p.m. $50-$65. House of Blues. 888-693-BLUE, 1033ampradio.cbslocal.com

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BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS The annual celebration of music from Boston and its environs shifts to the House of Blues and offers a wide-ranging lineup of between-trophy talent, including the gleefully grand Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys, the plainspoken MC Michael Christmas, the effervescent politi-pop outfit Sad13, and the defiantly anthemic the Hotelier. Dec. 8, 6 p.m. $25. House of Blues. 888-693-BLUE, www.bostonmusicawards.com

MAURA JOHNSTON

Folk & World

AMERICANA SUNDAYS PICKS WILDFLOWERS  This weekly aggregation of local Americana practitioners helmed by Greg Klyma periodically recapitulates albums that have become markers of the genre. Sunday, Klyma and company will take on Tom Petty’s 1994 solo gem “Wildflowers,” performing it in its entirety. Dec. 4, 7 p.m. Tickets: $5. Thunder Road, Somerville. 866-468-7619. www.ticketweb.com

THE MAVERICKS  These Latin-rockin’-country-soulsters switch up their set list every night, so you’ll never see them play the same show twice. This time, there’ll be an additional source of the new and different: The band comes around on their “Sleigh Bells Ring Out!” tour, and will be throwing some holiday fare into their eclectic mix. Dec. 4,  7 p.m. Tickets: $37-$67. Lynn Auditorium, Lynn. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com

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THE O’CONNOR BAND, AN APPALACHIAN CHRISTMAS  Fiddle master Mark O’Connor has been presenting his string-band versions of Christmas classics for five years now, but this year he’s accompanied for the first time by his musical family — wife Maggie, son Forrest, and imminent daughter-in-law Kate Lee. Dec. 4, 7 p.m. Tickets: $38-$52. Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport. 978-546-7391. www.rockportmusic.org

STUART MUNRO

Jazz & Blues

JOE LOUIS WALKER The gritty singer-guitarist, a San Francisco native, is immersed in the blues tradition: In his youth he performed with and was mentored by the likes of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Ike Turner, Albert King, and Jimi Hendrix. Dec. 9, 8 p.m. Tickets: $20. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Route 2A, Shirley. 978-425-4311, www.bullrunrestaurant.com

AARDVARK JAZZ ORCHESTRA Boston’s own venerable progressive big band, led by trumpeter-composer Mark Harvey, performs its 44th Annual Christmas Concert featuring Harvey’s “No Walls,” some jazz carols, and selections from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s joyously swinging arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” Proceeds benefit the Refugee Immigration Ministry, an organization of multiple faiths and cultures supporting people uprooted by violence. Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20. Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St., Boston. 617-776-8778 or 617-452-3205, www.aardvarkjazz.com

WALTER BEASLEY The Boston-based smooth jazz star is a saxophonist in the soulful mode of Grover Washington Jr. and a suave singer to boot. His music and band veer toward the funky R&B side of the genre, generating irresistible grooves with the best. Dec. 10, 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets: $38. Scullers. 617-562-4111, www.scullersjazz.com

KEVIN LOWENTHAL

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Classical

COLIN CURRIE The Scottish percussionist brings a wide-angle program of modern and contemporary works by Carter, Stockhausen, and others to the Celebrity Series of Boston’s Debut Series. Dec. 7, 8 p.m., Longy School of Music of Bard College Pickman Hall. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org

TALLIS SCHOLARS The most regular of regular visitors to Boston, the renowned vocal ensemble and director Peter Phillips bring seasonal music of Josquin, Victoria, and Taverner. Dec. 9, 8 p.m., St. Paul Church, Cambridge. 617-661-1812, www.bemf.org

DOVER QUARTET Having recently released its excellent all-Mozart debut recording, this young foursome plays the penultimate quartet by that composer, as well as Britten and Beethoven. Dec. 9, 8 p.m., Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport. 978-546-7391, www.rockportmusic.org DAVID WEININGER

ARTS

Theater

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE Thirty circus performers — aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, illusionists, contortionists — from a dozen countries showcase their skills in a holiday-themed production in which Christmas tree ornaments come to life. With a total of 300 costumes in all, the characters include gingerbread men, toy soldiers, elves, and reindeer. Dec. 9-11. Shubert Theatre at the Boch Center, Boston. 866-348-9738, www.bochcenter.org

MURDER FOR TWO A clever musical spoof of the murder-mystery genre that allows Jared Troilo to showcase his comedy chops while portraying an ambitious police officer determined to solve the fatal shooting of a hated novelist in a New England mansion. The versatile Kirsten Salpini portrays more than half-a-dozen suspects. Directed by A. Nora Long. Through Dec. 24. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com

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FINGERSMITH In Victorian England, a pickpocket is enlisted to assist a con man who is intent on cheating a young heiress out of her fortune. However, that proves to be just the beginning of a very twisty tale. Kristine Nielsen, Tracee Chimo, and Christina Bennett Lind star in the New England premiere of Alexa Junge’s adaptation of the novel by Sarah Waters. Directed by Bill Rauch (“All the Way’’). Dec. 4-Jan. 8. American Repertory Theater. At Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater.org

THE CHRISTMAS REVELS This year’s theme is “An Acadian-Cajun Celebration of the Winter Solstice,’’ inspired by the original Acadians, French immigrants who were expelled from the Canadian Maritime provinces and ultimately wound up in Louisiana, paving the way for Cajun culture. The 100-member ensemble includes musician and song leader David Coffin, the Revels chorus (adults and children), fiddler Lisa Ornstein, Acadian singer Josee Vachon, and Cajun fiddler David Greely. Also: traditional favorites like the “Lord of the Dance’’ and the Sussex Mummers Carol. Dec. 9-27. Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, Cambridge. 617-496-2222, www.revels.org

DON AUCOIN

Dance

THE HARVARD DANCE PROJECT Harvard University’s director of dance, Jill Johnson, collaborates with artist-in-residence Sidra Bell for a new original dance installation, with performances by the student company. The two creators are cofounders of New York City’s Movement Invention Project. Dec. 4, $5-$15. Harvard Dance Center, Cambridge. 617-495-8683, www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu/dance

AURORA BOREALIS: A FESTIVAL OF LIGHT AND DANCE Boston University faculty and students collaborate in this exploration and celebration of the relationship between light and form. This year’s 15th annual concert includes choreography in styles ranging from aerial work to hip-hop, jazz, and improvisation. Dec. 4-5, Free. Boston University Dance Theater. 617-353-1597, www.bu.edu/fitrec/programs/dance

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GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER Touring troupe Moscow Ballet brings its version of the holiday classic (performed to taped music) to Boston with a company of nearly 40 dancers and flamboyant handmade costumes and sets, including a 60-foot Christmas tree. Choreographed by Stanislav Vlasov in 1993, the ballet includes some flashy Soviet-style virtuosity and a special Act II “Dove of Peace.” Dec. 4, 3 and 7 p.m., $28-$173. Orpheum Theatre. 617-482-0106, www.nutcracker.com

KAREN CAMPBELL

Galleries

CONSTRUCTING PLACE: ELAINE ALIBRANDI AND FRANK POOR Places tell stories. Alibrandi’s photos go underground to explore the textures, lighting, and design of MBTA stations and trains. Poor uses sculpture and photography to conjure up Southern history and architecture. Through Dec. 15. Trustman Art Gallery, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway. 617-521-2268, www2.simmons.edu/trustman

RE//WOVEN Six artists, including Nathan Green and Maria Molteni, blend traditional crafty notions about textiles into contemporary approaches to painting, sculpture, and conceptual art. They weave (sometimes metaphorically) such materials as cinder blocks and tennis racket strings. Through Dec. 17. Montserrat Gallery, Montserrat College of Art, 23 Essex St., Beverly. 978-921-4242, www.montserrat.edu/galleries

CREE BRUINS: DRAWN TO LIGHT Bruins employs materials from analog photography — exposed film, gel filters, film sleeves — to create a large-scale wall installation, mixed-media drawings, and prints that often take a painterly approach to light, color, and form. Through Jan. 1. Kingston Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave. 617-423-4113, www.kingstongallery.com

CATE McQUAID

Museums

CHRISTIAN MARCLAY: THE CLOCK A masterpiece of our time, Marclay’s 24-hour montage of clips from film and television is its own timepiece: Almost every clip contains some reference to the actual time as you watch it. Unmissable. Through Jan. 29. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300. www.mfa.org

BEYOND WORDS: ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS IN BOSTON COLLECTIONS This three-venue exhibition displays medieval and Renaissance illustrations that appear in rare books held in local libraries and museums. The exhibition, which inaugurates the new home of Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Art, is also at Harvard’s Houghton Library and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The most extensive selection is at the McMullen, with more than 180 exquisite works on display, many for the first time. Through Dec. 11. (At the Gardner through Jan. 16.) McMullen Museum of Art, 2101 Commonwealth Ave. 617-552-8587, artmuseum@bc.edu

MOUNT WASHINGTON: THE CROWN OF NEW ENGLAND The first exhibition devoted to depictions of Mount Washington. Includes prints, photographs, illustrated guidebooks, and paintings by such artists as Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, John Frederick Kensett, Winslow Homer, and George Inness. Through Jan. 16. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, N.H. 603-669-6144, www.currier.org

SEBASTIAN SMEE

EVENTS

Comedy

GREG FITZSIMMONS The sharp host of Fitzdog Radio returns to his old stamping ground, where he began his comedy career as a BU student. Dec. 8 at 8 p.m., Dec. 9-10 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $25-$39. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com

IMPROVISED HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR A fully improvised holiday show based on audience suggestions. Featuring members of ImprovBoston’s National Touring Company. Fridays through Dec. 30 at 10 p.m. $18. ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 617-576-1253, www.improvboston.com

THE HOLIDAY SHOW Not to be outdone, the Main Stage cast over at Improv Asylum is putting together its own holiday cheer three nights a week, directed by Main Stage alum Jeremy Brothers. Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $22-$28. Improv Asylum, 216 Hanover St., Boston. 617-263-6887, www.improvasylum.com NICK A. ZAINO III

Family

REJECTED PRINCESSES Well-behaved women seldom make history and no one knows that better than Jason Porath, author of “Rejected Princesses.” Don your favorite ball gown or medieval heroine garb and join Porath for a night of crafts, food, and epic tales of adventurous ladies who did much more than marry rich. Dec. 8, 7-8 p.m. Free. Trident Booksellers and Cafe, 338 Newbury St., 617-267-8688 , www.tridentbookscafe.com

PUPPY PARTY Release the hounds, it’s Copley canine ambassador Carly’s sixth birthday! Join Carly and retired canine ambassador Catie as they celebrate their special days. In lieu of gifts, guests are invited to bring donations for the Animal Rescue League’s Boston Shelter. Dec. 10, 1-2 p.m. Free. Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 Saint James Ave., www.eventbrite.com

ICA COMMUNITY DAY Celebrate the ICA’s 10 years on the waterfront with a community event full of activities, performances, and free admission to the museum. Dec 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 25 Harbor Shore Drive, 617-478-3100 www.icaboston.org/ica-10

CARLY SITRIN

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Dec. 8-9 “Into the Woods” at Oberon www.americanrepertorytheater.org

Dec. 11 Jingle Ball (Alessia Cara, Ariana Grande, Daya, Diplo, DNCE, Ellie Goulding, Niall Horan, Shawn Mendes, and Tove Lo) at TD Garden www.ticketmaster.com

Dec. 11 The Weepies at Wilbur Theatre www.ticketmaster.com

Dec. 17 Andrea Bocelli at TD Garden www.ticketmaster.com

Dec. 17-31 “James and the Giant Peach” at Loeb Drama Center americanrepertorytheater.org

Dec. 26 The Roots at House of Blues concerts.livenation.com

Dec. 30-Jan. 22 “The Scottsboro Boys” at Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion www.bostontheatrescene.com

Dec. 31 and Diarrhea Planet and Vundabar at Sinclair www.axs.com

Jan. 6-Feb. 5 “A Doll’s House” at BU Theatre www.huntingtontheatre.org SONIA RAO