West metro arts briefs

'Unitarian Christmas' is a laughing matterA new Christmas comedy, "Hark! A(n) (Ambivalent) Unitarian Christmas," will be presented Sunday by members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka.

This original production by playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher is "a Christmas show about putting on a Christmas show" at a Unitarian church -- one that the church says "finds humor and sweet absurdity in the efforts of middle-class, suburban Unitarians trying to create a traditional holiday entertainment when their instincts are to question, debate, revise and excise."

Show times are 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the church, located at 605 Rice St. in Wayzata. Suggested contribution at the door is $8 for adults, $3 for children, $4 for seniors and $3 per person for groups of 10 or more.

Non-perishable food items will be collected for Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners. For more information, call 952-473-5900.

Holiday concerts at Hopkins Arts CenterVocalist Robert Robinson will present his 2010 Holiday Concert at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $13 to $26.

The O'Neill Brothers will present their holiday concert on two grand pianos at 8 p.m. Tuesday; the event also will feature Katie McMahon, original voice of Riverdance. Tickets are $12 to $24.

Tickets for both events are available at the arts center's box office at 952-979-1111 or at www.hopkinsartscenter.com.

Bloomington Chorale holiday concertsThe Bloomington Chorale will present selections from Handel's "Messiah" and Vivaldi's "Gloria," as well as "An Old-Fashioned Radio Christmas" with 1940s big band music, at concerts Saturday and Sunday at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington.

The 50-member chorale will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for students and seniors 62 and older.

For more information, call the arts center's box office at 952-563-8575 or e-mail info@bloomingtonchorale.com. Tickets also will be available at the door.

The chorale's website is www.bloomingtonchorale.com.

A "Christmas with Cantus Concert" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday at St. Bartholomew. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children and students. Call 612-435-0055 or go to www.cantusonline.org.

St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community is located at 630 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata. For more information, go to 952-473-6601 or www.st-barts.org.

Jazz concert highlights Jewish composersThe Sabes Jewish Community Center's winter "Jazz at the J" concert will showcase Jewish composers and local jazz musicians in a performance at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The event, the Sabes JCC's second jazz concert of the season, will feature local musicians Mark Bloom on keyboards and vocals, Vanessa Dembo on vocals, Kenni Holmen on woodwinds and Marc Anderson on percussion.

Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for JCC members and $10 for students. Call the box office at 952-381-3499 or go to www.theatreormpls.org. The Sabes JCC is at 4330 S. Cedar Lake Rd., St. Louis Park.