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Alice, Homeboyz In Innerspace, and reindeer games
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 11-17, 2025
Kyle V. Hiller
This week, the holidays are in full effect. Bristol Riverside, mimebaby theater, the Bearded Ladies, Elevate Vocal Arts, the Philly Pops, and Lantern Theater all have holiday performances to offer. Then, William Way hosts a huge art sale, Vox Populi and the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival screen films focusing on the Mexican diaspora, and MOMIX puts on a wonderland with Alice.
The Nice List
December 9-28
Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA
The Nice List warms the stage with music filled with plenty of spirit. When Santa announces he must leave the North Pole for an important mission, he puts two eager elves in charge of the all-important Nice List. What begins as a simple assignment turns into cheerful chaos when names start disappearing and the list shrinks to single digits and the elves must restore holiday magic before Christmas morning.
Donner and Blitzen Holiday Edition
December 10-January 4
Proscenium at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street
This new show from performance company mimebaby theater takes the stage at the Drake starting this week, telling a holiday comedy story about scrappy reindeer brothers Donner and Blitzen trying to figure out life outside the North Pole.
It's Giving Cabaret
December 10-14, 9pm
Wanamaker Building, 100 East Penn Square
The Bearded Ladies invite you to gather ‘round the embers and warm your chilly souls at It’s Giving Cabaret. There will be drag, sing-alongs, acrobatics, jazz, and the resurrection of Philadelphia’s favorite long-dead French chanteuse. It’s all in celebration of the dumpster fire that was 2025.
Everything Must Go: Art Sale and Exhibition Closing
Thursday, December 11, 6-8pm
William Way LGBT Community Center
William Way is getting ready to relocate next year, and in preparation, they’re hosting an artwork sale. Over 50 artworks in the exhibition will be up for sale, in addition to out-of-scope and abandoned artwork at reasonable prices.
Black Box Presents: Voices of the Mexican Diaspora
Thursday, December 11, 7pm
319 North 11th Street, 3rd floor
Vox Populi and the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival come together for an evening of contemporary cinema examining the lived experiences, histories, and community power of the Mexican diaspora. The program features short and feature-length works that navigate labor, memory, migration, and collective organizing across Mexico City, Puebla, and Philadelphia, with documentary, narrative, and experimental horror leading the way of the program.
Homeboyz In Innerspace
December 11-March 21, 2026
Opening reception on Thursday, December 11, 6-9pm
TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, 1400 North American Street
TILT’s winter exhibition opens this week, featuring a collection of artwork by Philly-based artists David Evan McDowell, Lendl Tellington, and Rashid Zakat. Set as a meditation on the universal yearning to make sense of our existence and purpose in life, the exhibition questions how institutional systems and prescriptive socialization shape the journey to consciousness.
Immigrant Rights Photography Sale
Friday, December 12-6pm
The Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square
Support immigrant rights with a holiday photo sale hosted by Artists for Immigrant Rights, an all-volunteer association of local photographers using their art to fight ICE and support immigrants.
Alice
December 12-14
Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street
Go down the rabbit hole with MOMIX and their production of Alice. Using imagery, costumes, and movement to create a fantastical Wonderland, MOMIX promises a mind-bending take on Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland universe.
Sip & Paint: The Album Art Edition
Saturday, December 13, 5-8pm
NoName Gallery, 8127 Germantown Avenue
Join Flygirrl at NoName Gallery in Chestnut Hill this weekend, where folks will be listening to the Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder (and the rest of his catalog) while also painting the songs in the album.
A Philly Holiday Spectacular
December 13-14
Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street
The Philly Pops brings its holiday tradition to the stage, featuring Broadway stars Nikki Renée Daniels and Jeff Kready and conductor Chris Dragon—who will conduct his first performance as music director of the Philly Pops.
A Christmas Carol
December 13-28
St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow Street
Lantern Theater Company continues its season with an original adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Entering its seventh year, the adaptation is a solo show helmed by Philly theater artist Anthony Lawton. For those who can’t make it out or prefer to watch from home, a filmed version of the production will be available from December 13-January 5.
Holidays in Mosaic
Sunday, December 14, 4pm
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2800 Duncan Road, Wilmington
Elevate Vocal Arts hosts a concert celebrating the light, joy, and togetherness of the holiday season. The diverse vocal ensemble looks to elevate and unite communities through the power of song in its performances, weaving together Christmas, Yom Kippur, Kwanzaa, and other traditions.
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