Photograph by Dave Dostie, courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art

For many people, holidays are about routines and traditions that involve attending a concert, dance, musical or play, or simply sharing a story. The holiday calendar in southern Maine is packed with all of those things. We’ve culled through it to present a handful of arts-related ways to help celebrate the holidays or lighten them up with a little humor. Some are more obvious than others, and other are surprises that might inspire new traditions.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ at Portland Stage

The cast of “It’s A Wonderful Life” at Portland Stage Company, from left: Dustin Tucker, Steve Brady, Courtney Moors, Ross Cowan, Lauren Orkus and Shane Van Vliet, music director. Photo by Mical Hutson, courtesy of Portland Stage Company

Portland Stage returns with the seasonal story of human renewal, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Actor Jimmy Stewart and director Frank Capra turned the 1946 movie into a Christmas staple the world over. This stage version is presented as a 1940s radio broadcast, with sound effects and commercial breaks performed by the five-member cast of Dustin Tucker, Steve Brady, Courtney Moors, Ross Cowan and Lauren Orkus. Shane Van Vliet is the musical director. “It’s a Wonderful Life” also has a large contingent of young actors from across the community.

Holiday shows, and kids, have been a tradition at Portland Stage since Anita Stewart arrived as co-artistic director in the 1990s. Her first truly Christmas show for Portland Stage was “Holiday Memories,” an adaptation of Truman Capote short stories, in 1992. She worked on that as a freelance designer, and returned as co-artistic director in 1996. There’s been a holiday show every year since. She and the theater’s technical director, Ted Gallant, have designed and built every set for every holiday show, including long runs of “A Christmas Carol,” “The Snow Queen” and more recently “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Stewart, who serves as artistic and executive director at the theater, gives most of the credit to her creative partner. “Ted is brilliant at what he does. He is the guy who can do anything,” she said. “I can design the way I design because of Ted. He’s able to look at my ideas and think about them and bring what I want into fruition – he takes my ideas and makes them better.”

Stewart embraces the tradition of holiday plays, because they offer a chance to impart an important message. The message of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of affirmation and the value of a single life. “It’s a brilliant story, and it’s one we should be embracing,” she said. “Its message is so relevant in our world.”

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave., Nov. 29 to Dec. 24, $38 to $70, portlandstage.org or 774-0465.

Good Theater’s ‘Who’s Holiday!’

Good Theater’s grown-up comedy is winning raves in its first year at St. Lawrence Arts Center. Better hurry, though. The Maine premiere of “Who’s Holiday!” is only through Dec. 2, and many of the remaining performances are sold out. The show updates the saga of Cindy Lou Who of Whoville, the little girl made famous in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” by Dr. Seuss. She’s grown up and living in a trailer, and uses the occasion of Christmas Eve to recount what really happened when the Grinch paid her a late-night visit. This is an adults-only comedy, described by the New York Times as a “brassy” holiday offering that “dirties up Christmas while ultimately reveling in its spirit.”

Grace Bauer as Cindy Lou Who in “Who’s Holiday!” by Good Theater at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland. Photo by Stephen Underwood, courtesy of Good Theater

It stars Grace Bauer, with Sally Wood directing.

Good Theater presents “Who’s Holiday!,” St. Lawrence Arts, 76 Congress St., Portland; 5 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Dec. 2; $25, goodtheater.com or 835-0895.

It’s one of two holiday-themed shows by Good Theater this season. The theater also presents its annual fundraiser, “Broadway at Good Theater.” This year’s show pays tribute to Broadway music of the 1940s, as well as holiday classics.

“Broadway at Good Theater,” St. Lawrence Arts; 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7,  2 p.m. Dec. 8; $35.

Louise Nevelson’s ‘Trinity Columns’ at the Farnsworth

The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland has been given the gift of a loan of a trio of dramatic sculptures by the great sculptor Louise Nevelson, who grew up in Rockland. The “Trinity Columns” are part of Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan, in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Nevelson, who died in 1988 at age 88, was commissioned to design an interfaith chapel that was open to the public. She completed the project in 1977. The columns are on loan to Nevelson’s hometown museum through spring 2020 while the chapel is restored to preserve one of Nevelson’s most ambitious and distinctive environments.

Louise Nevelson’s “Trinity Columns,’ the white sculptures hanging on the right, are on view at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland while their permanent home, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan, is being restored. Photo courtesy of the Farnsworth Art Museum

“The three white wood sculptures refer to the Christian doctrine that its deity consists of three divine persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” said Farnsworth curator and Nevelson expert Michael Komanecky. “Nevelson has depicted these fundamental persons of Christianity through purely abstract means, giving form to the formless.”

The columns are about 5 feet tall.

Nevelson was born in Ukraine and raised in Rockland. She is enjoying a bit of a “moment.” As the chapel that she designed is being restored, Edward Albee’s play about her, “The Occupant,” just opened at Theater J in Washington, D.C., starring Susan Rome as the artist.

Also at the Farnsworth, “Share the Wonder,” an annual holiday open house with music, crafts, model train displays and carriage rides, is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and admission is free throughout the day.

Farnsworth Art Museum, 16 Museum St., Rockland, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday; $15 adults, $13 seniors, 10 students, free 16 and younger; farnsworthmuseum.org or 596-6457.

A Day Without Art, Portland Museum of Art

The Portland Museum of Art will cover eight pieces of art as part of a Day Without Art on Dec. 1. Photo courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art

At 10 a.m. Dec. 1, members of the Portland Museum of Art curatorial team will cover from view eight works of art as part of an annual observation of A Day Without Art, which brings attention to AIDS and remembers those who have died from AIDS. It coincides with World AIDS Day, and 8,000 museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS service organizations, libraries, high schools and colleges worldwide will participate.

Gallery visitors will see personal reflections accompanying each covered work. The idea is to prompt visitors to pause and consider the empty pockets in the art world and the community caused by AIDS. It is a reminder that AIDS impacts everybody and is symbolic of the loss of life caused by AIDS.

The museum galleries are crowded because of the popularity of the ongoing exhibition “N.C. Wyeth: New Perspectives.” It is expected to be most-attended PMA exhibition since “Weatherbeaten: Winslow Homer in Maine” in 2012. To accommodate crowds, the museum is open seven days (other than holidays) through Jan. 12, when the exhibition closes. The museum will host its annual Copper Beech Tree Lighting on Dec. 6 as part of Portland First Friday Art Walk. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. and the tree will be lit at 6:30 p.m.

Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; $18 adults, $15 seniors and students, and 21 and younger free; free after 4 p.m. Fridays; portlandmuseum.org or 775-6148. The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

PSO’s Magic of Christmas

The Portland Symphony Orchestra has presented its holiday concert, Magic of Christmas, for 40 years, beginning in December 1980. This year’s performances, with new musical director Eckart Preu at the podium, begin Dec. 12 and run two weekends, through Dec. 22, at Merrill Auditorium. The program will be consistent with what we’ve come to expect, with spiritual classics like the Hallelujah Chorus from “The Messiah,” a spirited “Sleigh Ride,” a dramatic recitation of the “The Night Before Christmas” and a thundering take on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” with guest bass-baritone Kevin Deas.

Four musicians – Betsy Miller, Ann Stepp, Lynn Hannings and George Rubino – have performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra for 50 years or more, and all are planning to perform for Magic of Christmas this year. Photo courtesy of the Portland Symphony Orchestra

But the stars of Magic are the the musicians and singers. Four members of the orchestra are celebrating 50 or more seasons of performance with the PSO, and all are playing the Magic concerts: Ann Stepp, Betsy Miller, Lynn Hannings and George Rubino. All but Hannings have played all Magic concerts. Another six musicians also have played all the Magic concerts: Deirdre Oehrtmann, Pam Doughty, Nina Miller, Alison Hale, Ardith Keef and Nic Orovich. Chorus member Mia Dodge has missed only one season of Magic performances, and ushers Nancy and Eliot Ashley also have missed just one year of ushering.

Magic of Christmas, Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland; 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 12, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13-14, 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 15, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21, 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 22; $22 to $92, porttix, portlandsymphony.org or 842-0800.

Sabbathday Lake Christmas Fair is Dec. 7. Photo courtesy of Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

Shaker Christmas Fair

The Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, America’s only active Shaker community, hosts its annual Shaker Christmas Fair on Dec. 7. This festival celebrates the food and craft of Shaker life, with Brother Arnold‘s beer-batter bread, fruitcakes from Sister Frances’ beloved recipe, wheat bread, herbal biscuits and cookies. There are Shaker cooking herbs and herbal teas, pickles, jellies, old-fashioned candy, maple syrup, cheese, woodenware, furniture, antiques, baskets, yarn, knit goods, toys, ornaments, balsam wreaths, hot cider, homemade doughnuts and lunch plates, as long as they’re available.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7, maineshakers.com or 926-4597.

Dada Art Santa Selfie Project

The Union of Maine Visual Artists’ Holiday Art Sale will offer the opportunity to take a selfie with Dada Art Santa and donate money to refugees and artists. Photo by Ann Tracy, courtesy of Union of Maine Visual Artists

The Union of Maine Visual Artists will help local artists sell their work and host an unusual selfie opportunity to raise money for refugees and artists. The Dada Art Santa Selfie Project opens at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 as part of First Friday, and continues Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

The Dada Art Santa Selfie Project asks for a $10 donation and offers the chance to take a selfie with an artist-crafted, physical metaphor for compassion. The money will be split evenly between the Union of Maine Visual Artists and the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. The rest of the event is free.

Dada Art Santa Selfie Project creator Ann Tracy said news reports of refugees forced into camps at the U.S. Southern border made her think of the rise of the Dada art movement at the end of WWI. Dadaism rose out of the European avant-garde in reaction to World War I. Dadaists rejected capitalist ideals. The Dada Art Santa Selfie Project installation will be in the front window of Portland Media Center on Congress Street. Tracy will help people with their photos, so they can pose with the Dada Art Santa.

Dada Art Santa Selfie Project, Union of Maine Visual Artists, 516 Congress St., Portland; 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 7 and Dec. 14; free admission, $10 donation for a selfie.

DIY Gifts, Steel House

A bottle cap candle holder by Sherry Frazer, part of a DIY gift workshop at the Steel House in Rockland. Photo courtesy of the Farnsworth Art Museum

Local artists come together to lead a DIY holiday gift-giving workshop, 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 14 at the Steel House in Rockland, presented in collaboration with the Farnsworth Art Museum. The artists who will offer ideas, tips and thoughtful conversation are Annie Bailey, a multimedia visual artist, born and raised in Tenants Harbor; Kim Bernard of Rockland, who was artist-in-residence in the physics department at Harvard University and shows sculpture, installations and encaustic works nationally; and Karen Francomano, an artist, writer and programs and studio coordinator at the Farnsworth.

DIY Gifts, Steel House, 714 Main St., Rockland; 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 14; free, with a $10 suggested donation; farnsworthmuseum.org.

Frank Vignola’s Swingin’ Christmas, Chocolate Church

Frank Vignola, right, and guitarist Vinny Raniolo perform a holiday concert at the Chocolate Church in Bath. Photo by Lynn Redmile, courtesy of the Chocolate Church Arts Center

Jazz guitarist Frank Vignola, considered a virtuoso for his ability to adapt songs across genres to his particular style, will perform holiday songs and a mix of music, from Beethoven to Frank Zappa, when he brings his Swingin’ Christmas holiday instrumental to the Chocolate Church in Bath at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6. He will share the stage with guitarist Vinny Raniolo, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and singer Audra Mariel. Tickets cost $20 and $25.

The Chocolate Church has a lot going on. It presents David Sedaris’ “The Santaland Diaries,” starring Zachariah Stearn and directed by Daniel Burson, both of Portland, from Friday, Nov. 29, to Dec. 1 and Dec. 5-8 in the Annex. Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations will find a groove for “A Motown Christmas” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, with songs by the Temptations, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye.

The Chocolate Church presents “A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol,” a family-friendly adaptation of the Dickens’ story with each role embodied by a fairy tale character, Dec. 12-15. Michael Millett of Topsham directs. The Big Bad Wolf is Scrooge, King Midas as Jacob Marley, with appearances by Mother Goose, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel and others.

The Don Campbell Band plays a Christmas show on Dec. 21, and Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers performs a holiday show Dec. 22. The Chocolate Church closes the season with its “Sing! It’s Christmas” community sing-along, beginning at 7 p.m. Dec. 23.

Chocolate Church, 804 Washington St., Bath, chocolatechurcharts.org or 442-8455.