• CLASSICAL MUSIC

“Joyous Sounds for a Festive Season,” with the University of Southern Maine Chamber Singers, Immanuel Baptist Church, Portland. $9/donation. usm.maine.edu/music. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Borromeo String Quartet, Schubert, Schoenberg and more, Bates College (Olin Concert Center), Lewiston. $6. batestickets.com. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

• DANCE

“The Nutcracker,” by Bossov Ballet Theatre, Skowhegan Opera House. $15; $10 students and seniors. 873-7000. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday.

Maine State Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” featuring 290 dancers, the MSB Orchestra, Musica de Filia Girlchour and the Westcustogo Youth Chorale; Merrill Auditorium, Portland. $20 to $60. porttix.com. 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 4.

December Dance Concert, Bowdoin College (Pickard Theater), Brunswick. Free. 725-3375. 8 p.m. Dec. 1.

• THEATER

David Sedaris’ “Santaland Diaries,” one-man holiday comedy for adults, Portland Stage Company (Studio Theater). $20; $17 students. portlandstage.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Dec. 2. Through Dec. 18.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” classic Edward Albee drama about two bickering couples, Acorn Studios, Westbrook. $15; $12 for seniors and students. acorn-productions.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.

“God of Carnage,” Tony Award-winning comedy by Everyman Repertory Theatre, Camden Opera House. $20; $10 for students and children. everymanrep.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” comedy, Schoolhouse Arts Center, Standish. $12; $8 for seniors and students. 642-3743. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 4.

“Meet Me in St. Louis,” classic musical, Lyric Music Theater, South Portland. $21.99. lyricmusictheater.org. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 4.

“My Mother’s Clothes Are Not My Mother,” one-woman play by Elizabeth Peavey, St. Lawrence Arts Center, Portland. $15; $12 for students and seniors. stlawrencearts.org. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday.

“A Celtic Christmas,” holiday celebration of performance, song and dance by AIRE, Lucid Stage, Portland. $18 to $22; $12 for children under 12. 799-5327. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1-2. Through Dec. 11.

“Broadway at Good Theater,” Broadway hits and holiday favorites, St. Lawrence Arts Center, Portland. $25, $30. 885-5883. 7 p.m. Dec. 1. Through Dec. 4.

• ART MUSEUMS

OPENINGS/RECEPTIONS

“Let Heaven and Nature Sing: Seventh Annual Festival of Trees,” Saco Museum. 283-3861. Public tree lighting and ribbon-cutting ceremony, 5 p.m. Friday. Through Dec. 31.

CONTINUING

Portland Museum of Art: “Madeleine de Sinety: Photographs,” photos of everyday people and public events over a 40-year period, through Dec. 18; “Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection,” Shaker furniture, printed works, visual art, tools, textiles, and small craft, through Feb. 5. portlandmuseum.org

University of New England Art Gallery, Portland: “Faces of War,” photo essay of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by Jerry Robinov, through Feb. 12. une.edu/artgallery/facesofwar.cfm

Maine Historical Society, Portland: “Having in Paris a Great Success,” French fashion from 1928 to 1936, through Dec. 31; “Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In: Adornment & Identity in Maine,” artifacts reveal the way Mainers dressed from the 18th to 20th centuries, through May 27. mainehistory.org

Museum of African Culture, Portland: “Life on the Shores of Lake Victoria,” paintings of street artist collective including the work of Vincent Ouma, Erick Ayoti and Seth Amollo, through Wednesday. 871-7188.

Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk: “Barry: The Art Exhibition,” Edith Cleaves Barry’s paintings, sculpture and pen-and-ink drawings, through Jan. 9. 985-4802.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick: “Along the Yangzi River: Regional Culture of the Bronze Age from Hunan,” 60 bronze vessels and monumental bells cast in southern China between 1300 B.C.E. and 221 B.C.E., through Jan. 8; “Where Hath Fleeting Beauty Fled?”, selections of 19th- and 20th-century art, through Jan. 22; “After Atget: Todd Webb Photographs, New York and Paris,” street photography of Webb, through Jan. 29. bowdoin.edu

Bowdoin College (Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum), Brunswick: “Imagination Takes Shape: Canadian Inuit Art from the Robert and Judith Toll Collection,” through Dec. 6. bowdoin.edu/arcticmuseum

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath: “ALOFT! Topsails to Turbines,” use of wind power through the ages, through Sunday. mainemaritimemuseum.org

Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland: “Jason Larkin: Past Perfect,” 2011 Arnold Newman Prize winner exhibition, through Sunday; Louise Nevelson, sculptures, through Dec. 31; Paul Caponigro, “The Hidden Presence of Places,” black-and-white photographs, through Jan. 15; “Beyond Rugs!”, rug-hooking textile art, through Feb. 5. 596-6457.

Bates College (Olin Arts Center), Lewiston: “Tale Spinning,” narrative art, and “25: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” celebrating the museum’s 25th anniversary, both through Dec. 17. 786-6158.

Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor: “Twisted Path II: Contemporary American Art Informed by Tradition,” contemporary art show featuring native artists from the Northeast, through May; “Indians and Rusticators,” through December 2012. abbemuseum.org

UMaine Museum of Art, Bangor: Dominic Chavez: “The Global Lens,” photography exhibit; Carlo Pittore, “Studio Life,” paintings; and Abe Ajay, “Constructions,” wall-oriented relief sculptures, all through Dec. 30.

• ART GALLERIES

OPENINGS/RECEPTIONS

“New Work,” original paintings by Paul Black, Fore Street Gallery, Portland. 874-8084. Opens Friday. Through Jan. 7.

“Drawing the Line #11,” drawings large and small, June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA, Portland. 699-5083. Opens Dec. 1. Through Dec. 23.

“Peace 2011,” paintings, drawings and sculptures, Greenhut Galleries, Portland. 772-2693. Opening reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1. Through Dec. 31.

“Bringing Art Home for the Holidays,” four craft artists in fiber, metal, wood and clay, Harmons & Bartons Gallery, Portland. 774-5948. Opens Dec. 1. Through Dec. 31.

Invitational Ornament Show, ornaments in glass, clay, wood, fiber and metals, Markings Gallery, Bath. 443-1499. Opens Dec. 1. Through Dec. 31.

Jean Kigel: “Kitchen Americana,” paintings, The Bakery, Damariscotta. 563-2867. Opens Dec. 1. Through Dec. 31.

CONTINUING

June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA, Portland: “Drawing the Line #10” with Noa Warren, Kendra Haines, Greg Parker and August Ventimiglia, through Saturday. 699-5083.

Maine College of Art (Institute of Contemporary Art), Portland: “A Perpetual Present: 2011 MECA Faculty Selects Exhibition,” through Dec. 23. 699-5029.

Greenhut Galleries, Portland: Joseph Nicoletti and Glenn Renell, “Northeast X Southwest,” paintings, through Saturday. 772-2693.

Portland Public Library (Lewis Gallery): “Good Design is Good Business: The Elements of Branding,” showcase of recent branding work by Maine graphic designers, through Monday. maine.aiga.org

Ember Grove Gallery, Portland: Liz Bernier, Stacey Whipple, Patricia Knittel and Jane Sleeper, fall show, through Wednesday. 761-0408.

Art House Picture Frames, Portland: “Portland Overviews,” paintings by Nathaniel Larrabee, through Wednesday. 221-3443.

Aucocisco Galleries, Portland: Lauren Fensterstock and John Bisbee, multi-media and installation, through Dec. 3. aucocisco.com

Green Hand Bookshop, Portland: “Addicted to Love,” drawings and prints by Eric Hou, through Wednesday. 450-6695.

University of Southern Maine (Woodbury Campus Center), Portland: “Many Hands: Wabanaki Paths of Learning,” installation, through Dec. 16. usm.maine.edu/gallery

Addison Woolley Gallery, Portland: “At Work and Play,” woodblock prints by Holly Meade, through Saturday. 450-8499.

Rose Contemporary, Portland: “Enter Night,” multi-media, through Dec. 31. 780-0700.

Harmons & Bartons Gallery, Portland: “This Hour,” original woodcuts by Blue Butterfield, through Wednesday. 774-5948.

3Fish Gallery, Portland: “Davidson and Daughter Revisited,” paintings, sculpture and jewelry, through Dec. 2. 772-6467.

St. Lawrence Arts Center, Portland: “Zero Four 101er,” paintings by Joe Fournier, through Wednesday. stlawrencearts.org

running with scissors, Portland: “Smash Knock ‘Em Dead,” paintings, pastels and ceramics by Robert Nason and Julian Moran, through Friday. 831-5682.

Richard Boyd Gallery, Peaks Island: “Perspective,” new and recent works by painter Jay LaBrie, through Sunday. 712-1097.

Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth: Oil paintings by Jack Riddle, through Wednesday. 799-1720.

University of Southern Maine Art Gallery, Gorham: Juried student exhibition, through Dec. 9. usm.maine.edu/gallery

Elizabeth Moss Gallery, Falmouth: Lori Ingraham, “Foliage”; and Harry Nadler, “Sightings,” through Dec. 4. 781-2620.

Falmouth Memorial Library: Neil Wyrick, “Colors of Maine,” paintings, through Dec. 30. 781-2351.

The Royal Bean, Yarmouth: Artisans collective mixed-media show and sale, through Dec. 15. 846-7967.

Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth: James Allen Walkers, “About Face,” photographic portraits of Maine people, through Dec. 7. yarmouthlibrary.org

317 Main Street Community Music Center, Yarmouth: Michele A. Caron, paintings in gouache, egg tempera and sign lettering enamels, through Jan. 13. 317mainst.org

Skyline Farm, North Yarmouth: “Back to the Land,” exhibit and sale, through Dec. 11. skylinefarm.org

Thos. Moser Showroom, Freeport: “Celebrate Women Artists in Maine,” group show of 20 artists, through Dec. 31. 865-4519.

Gallery Framing, Brunswick: Monika Kirtland, “The World Around Us,” textile art, through Friday. 721-0766.

Summer Island Studio — Gallery of Fine Artisans, Brunswick: “Inside and Outside,” paintings by Abbie Williams, through Wednesday. 373-1810.

Markings Gallery, Bath: “Wearable Art,” handwoven, painted, felted and forged wearables, through Wednesday. markingsgallery.com

Gold/Smith Gallery, Boothbay Harbor: Giacomo Bresciani, mixed media on paper, through Wednesday. 633-6252.

Gleason Fine Art, Boothbay Harbor: Sara Gray, “Transitions,” landscape photography, through Wednesday. 699-5599.

York Public Library: “Courting the Muse,” watercolors by Ken Fellows, through Dec. 30. 363-2818.

Red Door Pottery Studio, Kittery: “Focus on India,” photos by Lawrence Elbroch, through Dec. 15. 439-5671.

The Bakery, Damariscotta: Paintings by Lea Peterson, through Wednesday. 563-2867.

Damariscotta River Grill: “Objects of Affection,” still-life paintings by Liliana Thelander, Denise Rankin, Nancy O’Brien MacKinnon and Pamela Hansen, through Dec. 12. damariscottarivergrill.com

Savory Maine, Damariscotta: Chinese brush paintings by Joan L. Taylor, through Wednesday. 563-2111.

River Arts, Damariscotta: “Small Works,” 2-D and 3-D works by 70 Maine artists, through Dec. 1. 563-1507.

Aarhus Gallery, Belfast: “Holiday Extravaganza,” more than 60 Maine artists, craftsmen, poets and musicians, through Dec. 24. 338-0001.

Perimeter Gallery, Belfast: Paintings of Jobe Cole and Tom Andersen, through Sunday. 338-0555.

Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport: “Still/Moving,” performance, video, sculptural objects, printmaking and photography by Deborah Wing-Sproul; “Sferics and Aural Ecosystem,” installation artists Zach Poff and N.B. Aldrich; and “Pieced” and “Wired,” contemporary artists Gabriella D’Italia, George Mason and Ellen Wieske, all through Dec. 11. cmcanow

CRAFT Gallery, Rockland: “Wearable, Functional, Beautiful,” contemporary graphic design and form, through Sunday. 594-0167.

Archipelago, Rockland: “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” diverse works of four Maine artists, through March 16. 596-0701.

Frost Gully Gallery, Thomaston: Dahlov Ipcar paintings, through Dec. 10. frostgullygallery.com.

L/A Arts Gallery 5, Lewiston: “Precious Things,” multiple artists, through Jan. 7. 576-4805.

Harlow Gallery, Hallowell: “Rules of Domesticity,” work by Cynthia J. Ahlstrin, Debra Arter, Jennifer Booker and Barbara Nelson Emerson, through Saturday. 622-3813.

Finance Authority of Maine, Augusta: J. Donna Asmussen, watercolors and printmaking, through Jan. 6. famemaine.com

Unity College (Leonard R. Craig Art Gallery): “The Art of Recycling,” found object assemblages by sculptor Wally Warren, through Wednesday. unity.edu

University of Maine (Blake Library), Fort Kent: Photographic works by UMA Fort Kent Photography Club, through Monday. umfk.edu