The top 10: Nontraditional ‘Nutcrackers’ and Christmas music everywhere

‘LBJ’ at Magnolia at the Modern

1 Woody Harrelson’s cinematic career has been a thing of wonder, don’t you think? Here, he plays President Lyndon Baines Johnson in a 2016 drama that focuses on the period when the Texan assumed the presidency after JFK’s assassination in Dallas. Parts of it were shot there. Showtimes are 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Tickets are $9. 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. 817-738-9215; themodern.org

Voices of Fort Worth

2 The 25-voice a cappella chamber choir will perform Christmas favorites such as “O Tannenbaum” and some more modern classics such as “A Hymn to the Mother of God” during its annual concerts. Voices will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at Arborlawn United Methodist Church, 5001 Briarhaven Road, Fort Worth, and at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Marty Leonard Community Chapel, 3131 Sanguinet St., Fort Worth. Tickets are $15 adults, $12 seniors and $5 students (with ID) online, at www.voicesoffortworth.com, and at the door. For more information, call 817-713-4536.

Asleep at the Wheel’s ‘Merry Texas Christmas, Y’all’

3 Catching this Austin-based band at Fort Worth’s legendary honky-tonk in December is like giving yourself an early Christmas gift. Plus it’s touring behind a Texas-accented holiday album. Ray Benson and the eight-member band will perform at 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at Billy Bob’s Texas. Tickets are $14 general admission, $25 reserved. Billy Bob’s is at 2520 Rodeo Plaza, in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 817-624-7117; www.billybobstexas.com;

‘Nearly Naked Nutcracker’ and ‘The Nutty Nutcracker’

4 These “Nutcrackers” aren’t for everybody, and especially not for kids. The “Nearly Naked Nutcracker,” billed as “a Burlesque Ballet,” is at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Viva’s, 1350 Manufacturing St., Dallas. Tickets are $22 at prekindle.com. Texas Ballet Theater’s “The Nutty Nutcracker” performs a delicate balance between parody and wicked humor each year. It’s at 8 p.m. Friday at Bass Hall. Tickets are $45-$200 at texasballettheater.org.

Speedway Candy Cane Classic at TMS

5 Not a lot of 5Ks involve taking a lap around a NASCAR race oval followed by a run under the twinkle of the Gift of Lights display at Texas Motor Speedway. The race, which starts at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, benefits the Texas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities and the Cowtown CALF. And there’s a 1K Reindeer Dash for kids down pit road, beginning at 4 p.m. Register for the 5K ($30 adults, $20 for age 17 and younger) and the Reindeer Dash ($20 for all ages) at http://bit.ly/2ykuiT7. For more information, call 817-207-0224.

The ‘Colors of Christmas’ tour

6 All is calm when R&B singers Peabo Bryson, Ruben Studdard, Jody Watley and Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. perform holiday classics as this annual tour winds up in Dallas. Bryson, who has performed with “Colors” since 1992 and has missed precious few tours since, returns this year. Bryson and company will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., Dallas. Tickets are $49-$129. 214-880-0202; attpac.org

Artes de la Rosa’s ‘Mariachi Christmas’

7 It’s a weekend for fans of famed Mexican singers Vicente Fernandez and Juan Gabriel as Artes de la Rosa presents mariachi groups performing holiday music Friday through Sunday at the Rose Marine Theater on Fort Worth’s north side. Also performing Friday will be mariachi groups from North Side and Polytechnic high schools. Tickets are $15 online at http://bit.ly/2z6cSNI, $20 at the door and $10 for seniors and students. Performances are 6 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The theater is at 1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth. 817-624-8333; www.artesdelarosa.org

2nd annual Festivus at Martin House Brewing

8 You don’t have to be a “Seinfeld” fan to celebrate Festivus — “a Festivus for the rest of us!” — but it probably helps to love beer if you choose to celebrate the holiday — albeit two days early — at Martin House. The event starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21. Entry cuts off at 7:30 p.m. and last call is at 8. Yes, there will be epic feats of strength, the Pole and the Airing of Grievances. Admission is $10 for three beers and a pint glass. The brewery is at 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Fort Worth. 817-222-0177; www.martinhousebrewing.com

‘Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold’

9 Need a few laughs? Well, who doesn’t in December. Catch this holiday comedy about a sleuth of a nun who’s trying to deduce what happened to the Magi’s gold. With the help of a local choir — and several audience members — Sister will create a one-of-a-kind living Nativity, all in the name of science. The performances are Dec. 13-17 at McDavid Studio, 301 E. Fifth St., Fort Worth. Tickets are $30-$40 at www.basshall.com and at the Bass’ ticket office, 525 Commerce St., downtown Fort Worth.

Starlight Symphony at Crockett Row at West 7th

10 There’s a little bit of everything at this annual holiday celebration in Fort Worth’s West 7th district, including holiday music, a light show and free carriage rides. The light shows are 6-9 p.m. on the hour, through Dec. 31; the carriage rides are 6-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through Dec. 30. Through Dec. 18, Crockett Row is collecting toys and other items for Santa’s Sack, the annual gift drive benefiting SafeHaven of Tarrant County. crockettrow.com

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 12:50 PM with the headline "The top 10: Nontraditional ‘Nutcrackers’ and Christmas music everywhere."