DANCE

Dec 3–6
Predator Songstress: Dictator
Since 2012, Degenerate Art Ensemble has stunned audiences with the deep beauty of its Predator Songstress series, where stories of iconic women— from Joan of Arc to Seattle’s Sin Alley madam Gracie Hansen— are interpretatively conveyed through a powder-white dancer who moves in vividly emotive ways to a haunting soundtrack of chanting vocalists and strings. Don’t miss the Seattle premiere of the latest chapter at On the Boards: Predator Songstress: Dictator tells the tale of an antiheroine whose voice is stolen. On the Boards, $25

THEATER

Thru Jan 3
The Sound of Music
It’s a (Von) Trapp! This winter 5th Avenue Theatre whisks audiences away to the Austrian hills for a spirited rendition of The Sound of Music. With classic tunes like “My Favorite Things” and “Do-Re-Mi,” it’s the best musical, Nazi-fleeing entertainment option this holiday season. 5th Avenue Theatre, $29–$143

Dec 2–Jan 3
Emma
Book-It Repertory Theatre revels in presenting Jane Austen’s witty and romantic tales of English gentry, so it’s no surprise that the company would mark the 200th anniversary of Emma with a reprisal of its 2009 production. The comedy of manners focuses on Emma Woodhouse, a rich, egotistical brat who fancies herself a matchmaker. The folly of her failures eventually leads to her own romance. Center Theatre, $25–$55

CLASSICAL & MORE

Dec 3–6
Fauré Requiem
Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem stands out in the classical canon for the tenderness with which it addresses death. The delicate choral tones pair with light, emotive orchestration to create an ethereal serenity that lasts for the entirety of the piece’s 35-minute duration. The Seattle Symphony and Symphony Chorale perform Requiem as part of an all-French program that also features works by Debussy and Messiaen. Benaroya Hall, $39–$124

FAMILY

Thru Dec 27
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Imagination rules the day as Seattle Children’s Theatre presents a musical adaptation of the child-hood classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Join the wacky inventor Caractacus Potts, his children, and their unbelievable flying and seafaring automobile Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on their adventures as they try to outwit the evil Baron and Baroness Bomburst. Seattle Children's Theatre, $25–$45

VISUAL ART

Thru Dec 24
Mark Rediske: Distillation
Mark Rediske doesn’t paint the type of landscapes you see hanging in hotel lobbies. Dark, dripping color washes over his encaustic-on-panelboard scenes, focusing on blurred detail rather than the panoramic scope of a place. For more than two decades, the Seattle artist has been exhibiting his creations at Foster/ White Gallery, and his latest collection, Distillation, draws on memories of his youth in Minnesota and the interaction between water and sky in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Foster/White Gallery, Free

Thru Jan 24
Pae White: Command-Shift-4
Drawing inspiration from the artistic qualities of architectural design, Los Angeles–based artist Pae White transforms one of Henry’s galleries into a mind- bending matrix of colored-yarn shapes that extend from the walls to the floor with Command-Shift-4. Visitors’ perception of the work changes as they move about the installation, giving the piece a disorienting sense of spatiality. Henry Art Gallery, $10

FILM

Thur, Dec 3
Puget Soundtrack: Madeleine Cocolas Presents ‘The Birds’
Prepare to experience Hitchcock like you’ve never seen and more importantly heard before as Seattle-based ambient composer Madeleine Cocolas live scores the cinematic classic The Birds for Northwest Film Forum’s Puget Soundtrack series. The original version of the film has no score at all, so Cocolas’s synth-heavy electronic sounds, which manage to be serenely tense, sonically recasts the avian terror in whole new modern light. Northwest Film Forum, $15

CONCERTS

Thur, Dec 3
Every Little Counts: The Music of New Order
After rising like a phoenix from the ashes of Joy Division, New Order paved the way for an entire aesthetic by mixing post-punk with the emerging electronic dance music of the 1980s.  Local artists including FM Collective, Fly Moon Royalty, Motopony’s Daniel Blue, and Cataldo’s Eric Anderson come together to cover classics from the new wave pioneers and raise money for the musician-supporting nonprofit MusiCares. Neumos, $12

Sat, Dec 5
SMooCH 2015
Each year Seattle Musicians for Children’s Hospital hosts a musical party to raise funds for kids in need of serious medical help. Now in it's fifth year, SMooCH always features a unique VIP silent auction (who wants to pony up to moped with Macklemore?), and this time around the always loaded lineup of performers includes the Afghan Wigs, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and Mary Lambert. The Showbox, $52–$252

Dec 5–7
Odesza
Odesza has officially become a Seattle phenomenon. The chill EDM duo is popular nationally, but the group is orders of magnitude bigger than any other electronic artist in town. Case in point: Odesza sold out three straight nights at the Paramount months in advance. So if you want to see what all the fuss is about, you’ll have to pay premium secondary-market prices. Paramount Theatre, Sold out

SPECIAL EVENTS

Dec 3–13
Rose Gold Popup
Do you think typical holiday shopping not entertaining enough? Well then the Rose Gold popup at Glass Box Gallery might be perfect for you. As the wall house works by local artists, different days of the popup feature live music from artists like Briana Marela, an incense making workshop, readings, and more diversions that blow stores that just pump in holiday music out of the water. Glass Box Gallery, Free