🎤 Must-see holiday concerts this month | Things to Do

Hey y’all!

Things are really getting chilly around here, which means all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a great bottle of red wine. Still, despite the snow, there are so many exciting shows and events happening around the city that it’s hard to stay inside!

This weekend, snag your tickets to Fat Ham, find out which holiday concert is for you, try a new cookie recipe, and put on those ice skates.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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Fat Ham recently opened at the Wilma Theater and it’s this season’s hottest ticket. The Pulitzer-winning play is a loose adaptation of Hamlet, featuring the lead role as a sensitive, soft Black queer man — Juicy, played with snark and verve by Brenson Thomas — haunted by the ghost of his murdered father, who wants him to kill his uncle. The Shakespeare tragedy is transformed into a smart, self-aware comedy. It’s the first time that Fat Ham has played to a live Philly audience after originating here. I spoke to Penn English professor Ania Loomba, who studies race, gender, and Shakespeare, about why it works so well.

🎻 Your holiday concert schedule: There are dozens and dozens of holiday concerts from bounce to jazz to classical this month, whether you’re bringing family from out of town or planning date night. Big Freedia’s got Christmas in Central City, the Philadelphia Orchestra presents its Children’s Holiday Spectacular, J. Donald Dumpson brings his annual gospel event, A Soulful Christmas, and there’s so much more.

🏛️ Spotlighting Philly’s queer bars: One aromatic and attention-grabbing work in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s exhibit on contemporary Korean art honors various queer bars from the city’s past and present. Inhwan Oh spells their names out in red incense powder.

🍪 Om nom nom: It’s always a good time for cookies, but it’s especially great during the holidays. We’ve got a list of the best cookies from 25 different bakeries around Philly to satisfy that sugar craving.

🎼 Local ties: Bradley Cooper’s Maestro is full of Philadelphia references, if you know where to look. Here’s a useful guide.

🎹 Not your usual Christmas songs: Philly pianist George Burton’s “Yule Log” concert swaps the typical upbeat tunes for a deeper, more emotional setlist, offering something different this season.

💕 Awkward eye contact: What is mindful dating? This event asks singles to break the ice by gazing into each other’s eyes and doing various body exercises together, which sounds wacky but some say it’s way better than swiping on your phone. The Feels is a one-night event at the MAAS Building on Wednesday 12/13. Find out if it’s for you.

📅 My calendar picks this week: See the new show from Philadanco, sing along at Christmas in the Barrio, and get festive at Deck the Alley.

This weekend is the (free!) Philadelphia Rare Book Fair at Trinity Memorial Church. Tens of thousands of books, prints, and ephemera will be available to fulfill every bibliophile’s dream, including historic first editions and banned books. There will also be book talks on Louisa May Alcott and recent censorship efforts as well as on-site appraisers. One big F. Scott Fitzgerald fan might go home with the $125,000 first British edition of The Great Gatsby, while those who prefer Vladimir Nabokov, George Orwell, or Allen Ginsberg can also explore some great finds. Learn more here.

⛸️ Mark your calendars: Ignore the snow and wind chill so you can enjoy some holiday activities this month, from ice skating to sipping hot cocoa at seasonal markets to walking through beautiful light displays. We rounded up some of the best holiday events in the city this season.

🍪 Cookie lovers, this is for us: Bake something special from our list of incredible cookie recipes, straight from your favorite Philly bakeries.

🍷 Red or white: What are you drinking this season? We’ve got some holiday wine recs. Try this white wine that tastes like apple pie or a sweet red best paired with a holiday barbecue.

🎤 Repping Philly: Rapper Tierra Whack stars in a new, dark, and creepy pseudo-documentary on Hulu. She sat down with The Inquirer to talk cheesesteak spots, acting, and why she makes her best music at home in North Philly.

🥂 Know before you go: Holiday bars are everywhere right now and it might be hard to get a seat. If you want to score a spot at your favorite decked-out bar, we’ve got tips.

🥡 Order in: For those of us who aren’t extensively planning our home-cooked menus for the season, there’s always takeout. Here’s where to find takeout to cover your holiday celebration, from Hanukkah to Christmas to NYE.

Which one of these is NOT a holiday bar in the Philadelphia area?

A) Tinsel

B) Taqueria Amor: Señor Grinch Pop-up

C) Harry’s Jingle Bar

D) Frosty’s Christmas Bar

📮 To let me know which of the above is correct, write me back.

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This week, I gave into the zeitgeist and watched the dramatic and cringe-inducing May December. Now I can’t get that piano motif out of my head. What are you watching these days? Let me know!