Best of the week: KDWB's Jingle Ball, 'The Crucible,' Stevie Nicks, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,' more

It's hard to pinpoint the biggest star at KDWB's annual Jingle Ball Top 40 sampler. Moms will love the Backstreet Boys. Trite California rapper G-Eazy packed the State Fair grandstand this year, while DJ Diplo was a festival favorite. Fifth Harmony (above) has gone from TV's "X Factor" to the hits "Worth It" and "Work From Home." Denmark's Lukas Graham broke big last year with "7 Years." Sweden's Tove Lo's "Lady Wood" just made Rolling Stone's best-of-2016 list.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

7:30 p.m. Mon., Xcel Energy Center, $35-$150, Ticketmaster.com

Theatre Coup d'Etat, the small troupe that has twice won Ivey Awards for its productions, is doing a bit of counterprogramming this holiday season. And in a church, to boot. The company is staging Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a play that involves witch hunts and mob mentality. The drama made a memorable swan-song production by Joe Dowling at the Guthrie. Coup D'Etat founder James Napoleon Stone plays lead character John Proctor in this timely show.

ROHAN PRESTON

8 p.m. Fri.-Mon., ends Dec. 19, Zion Lutheran Church, St. Paul, $18-$30, brownpapertickets.com

Two of the grand female icons of rock are teaming up on tour. Stevie Nicks made her name with Fleetwood Mac, doing "Rhiannon" and "Gold Dust Woman." But she's had a noteworthy solo career, including the Prince-penned "Stand Back." Chrissie Hynde has always rocked with élan with the Pretenders, though their 2016 album "Alone," produced by Dan Auerbach, finds her in a mellow, soulful mood that probably won't translate effectively to an arena.

JON BREAM

7 p.m. Tue. Xcel Center, St. Paul, $49-$150, ticketmaster.com

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" is a powerful, uncompromising coming-of-age play about an autistic teenager and his embattled parents. The kid is a mathematical genius who can't be touched, and the set — an illuminated matrix — is a perfect vehicle to depict his turmoil, gifts and city life. Adam Langdon is commandingly brilliant in the demanding lead role; Broadway vet Benjamin Wheelwright will appear in Sunday's evening show.

JON BREAM

1 & 6:30 p.m. Sun. Orpheum, Mpls., $39-$139, ticketmaster.com

Music lovers say the greatest orchestral compositions of the baroque period are the six concertos Bach wrote for a German aristocrat, now known as the Brandenburg Concertos. These pieces are rarely grouped together for a single evening. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra plays five of them, in what promises to be a highlight of the holiday season.

TERRY BLAIN

7:30 p.m. Thu.; Temple Israel, Mpls.; 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul; $13-$53, thespco.org

Curtiss A winged it with Bob "Slim" Dunlap and members of Safety Last in 7th Street Entry the night after John Lennon's murder (Dec. 8, 1980), but 36 years later, the Twin Cities rock hero and his large, versatile ensemble have their four-hour routine down pat. They'll be doing the songs chronologically this year — get there early if you want to hear "Love Me Do" — and are promising a few surprises. Always one of the best nights at the best rock club in America.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

7:30 p.m. Thu., First Avenue, Mpls., $16-$18, eTix.com

The annual Christmas in the Village promises a Dickensian experience as you view blacksmithing, printmaking and woodworking demonstrations. Join a round of caroling, and watch the villagers prepare for Christmas. Buildings will be illuminated with special lighting, and trolley rides are available. Kids can make their own ornament in the one-room schoolhouse and watch the silent 1910 film production of "A Christmas Carol."

MELISSA WALKER

1-8 p.m. Sun., Sat. & next Sun. Dakota City Heritage Village, 4008 W. 220th St., Farmington, $3-$6, dakotacity.org

The all-female hip-hop collective She Who Holds Everything (SHE) is one of the buzziest dance companies in the Twin Cities right now. SHE's "Abandon Outlines" production promises a mix of hip-hop styles as the show explores ambiguity, abstraction, creativity — and entertainment. There's sure to be some killer street styling.

SHEILA REGAN

7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Southern Theater, Mpls., $24, southerntheater.org

In 1942, on a boat journey from America to his native England, Benjamin Britten wrote "A Ceremony of Carols," one of the most beautiful compositions associated with the Christmas season. Though often sung by boy sopranos, the piece was originally conceived for women's voices. And that's how it will be presented in "What Sweeter Music," a seasonal program by Twin Cities choir the Singers.

TERRY BLAIN

3 p.m. Sun., Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata; $21-$33, singersmca.org