Friday, Dec. 8

Laughing Through the Pain: A Dark Comedy Show from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $17. An evening of dark humor with eight comedians who bring on the laughs while tackling taboo topics with wit and charm. Information is here.

Kenice Mobley’s Don’t Kill Yourself Yet” solo comedy show at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. The Brooklyn-based comedian talks with humor about how her lifelong impulse to destroy herself changed when she had a stroke and had to stare death in the face, resulting in the will to be a better person. Tooky Kavanagh also performs. Information is here.

Judith Tick reads from “Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. In this first major biography since Fitzgerald’s death, a professor emerita of music history at Northeastern University describes with fresh and original detail the complicated career of a powerful woman who set a standard for American excellence nearly unmatched in the 20th century. Bob Blumenthal, author of “Saxophone Colossus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins,” joins the conversation. Information is here.

“Head Over Heels: The Musical” at 7 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (through Dec. 10). $10. Those fond of songs by The Go-Gos will love this jukebox musical produced by students from CRLS, based on a play written in 1589 and featuring Elizabethan costumes with a 1980s twist. The high school’s Visual and Performing Arts Department often mounts shows that ran on Broadway. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Jan. 21). $50. An award-winning team of Latine artists created this American Repertory Theater stage production of the 2002 film that still resonates with its empowering story of the immigrant experience, friendship and big dreams. Information is here.

Ninth Annual Prism Concert Spectacular from 8 to 11 p.m. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10. A unique amalgam of music performed by the MIT Wind Ensemble and special lighting designed by MIT’s E33 Productions. Includes Symphony in B-flat, Hindemith’s landmark work for wind ensemble. The Groton Hill Wind Ensemble joins the ensemble for a performance of John Barnes Chance’s Variations on a Korean Folk Song. Information is here.

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Saturday, Dec. 9

Canal District Kendall Winter Market from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 350 Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge (and repeating Sunday). Free. Boutique market featuring local brands, artists and artisanal food makers plus music, food, a beer garden, craft workshops, ice sculptures, holiday shopping and (on Saturday only) free ice skating. Information is here.

Saturday Screenings: “Polite Society” from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Director Nida Manzoor tells the story of martial artist-in-training Ria Khan, who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria tries to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. Information is here.

Saturday Screenings: Talkback with Boston Globe film critic Odie Henderson from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. After a “Polite Society” screening, chat with Henderson, whose “Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema,” will be published in January. Light refreshments will be served. Information is here.

Solstice: “Reflections on the Winter Light” experience from 5 to 8:30 p.m. during timed entries every half-hour at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge (and most days through Dec. 21). $5 to $30. Boston’s Masary Studios’ installation at the cemetery features an outdoor journey through large-scale light and sound artworks and an indoor experience with live music and candle lighting. It’s selling out quickly. Information is here.

Peter Mayer Benefit Concert and Nonprofit Showcase at 6:30 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Peter Mayer, who’s in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and has released five Christmas albums, performs holiday music to benefit more than 20 area nonprofits. Information is here.

“Head Over Heels: The Musical” (continued) at 7 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $10. Information is here.

Qabaret with a Q: It’s Complicated from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and repeating Sunday). $15. This second annual showcase from the Queer Theatre Project includes singing, dancing, aggressive buffoonery, sketches, improv and more. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65. Information is here.

Roots and Routes teaching artists concert from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (repeating Sunday). $10 to $30. A showcase of the talents of eight teaching artists from many regions and cultures. Information is here.

Illuminations Somerville any day, anytime after dark in a range of neighborhoods found by using Somerville’s official online Illuminations Map (and continuing throughout the holiday season). Free. It’s the first official evening to take a self-guided tour to appreciate the artistry and creativity of residents and businesses who transform their spaces and yards with lights, ornaments and shrines of devotion and fantasy. Information is here.

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Sunday, Dec. 10

Vegan Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. An opportunity to buy vegan food and other items from small local makers. Information is here.

Canal District Kendall Winter Market (continued) from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 350 Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

“Head Over Heels: The Musical” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $10. Information is here.

Qabaret with a Q: It’s Complicated (continued) from 2 to 3 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge $15. Information is here.

Latinx Arts and Crafts Sale from 2 to 5 p.m. in the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Conzuelo Perez will sell art made with recycled materials, Leslie Apanecatl with sell handmade jewelry and Nelson Salazar with sell art made with stained glass. Information is here.

“Christmas in Harvard Square” with the Boys and Schola of Saint Paul’s Choir at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 29 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (repeating Dec. 17). $35 to $70. The only all-boys Catholic choir school in the United States, which has collaborated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Pops, will perform music by Benjamin Britten, Franz Biebl, Herbert Howells and more. Information is here.

“The Slutcracker” at 4 p.m. at The Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square (and continuing through Dec. 31). $35 and 18-plus. Our area’s naughty holiday stage tradition is a burlesque version of “The Nutcracker” showcasing the talents of people from nearly every walk of life, body type and kink. Information is here.

Solstice: “Reflections on the Winter Light” experience (continued) from 5 to 7:30 p.m. during timed entries every half-hour at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $5 to $30. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55. Information is here.

Roots and Routes Teaching Artists Concert (continued) from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $30. Information is here.

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Monday, Dec. 11

MIT Glass Lab Holiday Sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the lobby of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 10-250, also known as the Maclaurin Buildings, at 222 Memorial Drive, Cambridge (repeats Tuesday). Free. Students at all levels as well as instructors in the Glass Lab sell their work, a portion of the proceeds raised going toward helping fund the Lab’s ongoing activities. Information is here.

Jukebox release reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. This event celebrates the Cambridge community members who have shared their stories for the participatory public art project “Jukebox” in the Cambridge Foundry and the release of the final 24 Jukebox stories. Information is here.

Climate action information and discussion from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free. Learn from the City of Somerville’s SustainaVille hub what city government is doing for climate and environmental health around high heat, flooding, air pollution and water quality, plus share your own priorities. Information is here.

CCAE Performing Arts Showcase from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square (and continuing through Thursday). Free. Enjoy performances by students, instructors and others in the center’s community in dance (Monday); acting, music and comedy (Tuesday); readings of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, short stories and poetry (Wednesday); and play readings (Thursday). Information is here.

Jazz and Contemporary Music: Fringe Ensemble at 8 p.m at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. The iconic Boston jazz ensemble pushes and prods jazz repertoire and style to creative spaces. Information is here.

Passim Monday Discovery Series: Arden Lloyd at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. The Boston singer-songwriter blends aspects of folk, indie rock and jazz with emotionally poignant lyrics and a voice that won her the National YoungArts Competition in Voice in 2020. Max Morton also performs. Information is here.

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Tuesday, Dec. 12

MIT Glass Lab Holiday Sale (continued) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 10-250, also known as the Maclaurin Buildings, at 222 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

Free Speech, Political Speech and Hate Speech on Campus discussion from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Knafel Center of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 10 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. An interdisciplinary panel (the dean of the Radcliffe Institute and professors from Harvard, New York University and Princeton) discusses the purposes and scope of academic freedom and the legal norms of how universities respond to conflict and protest. Information is here.

Solstice: “Reflections on the Winter Light” experience (continued) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. during timed entries every half-hour at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Pay-what-you-want night. Information is here.

Supper Club: Seasonal Favorites from 7 to 9 p.m. at Remnant Brewing, 2 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville (and on the second Tuesday of every month). Free, but register. Instead of cooking from a book, this time participants make and bring their favorite holiday or seasonal recipes. Information is here.

CCAE Performing Arts Showcase (continued) from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75. Information is here.

Class Performance: What Can a Song Be? at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. A showcase recital of short songs written by class participants. Information is here.

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Wednesday, Dec. 13

Valente Branch Book Group from noon to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free. This new book group for the Valente for fiction and nonfiction launches with a discussion of “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me” by Bess Kalb. Information is here.

Solstice: “Reflections on the Winter Light” experience (continued) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. during timed entries every half-hour at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $5 to $30. Information is here.

100 Years of Boston Comedy from 6 to 8 p.m. in the community room of the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. Journalist Nick Zaino presents, with a focus on the comedy scene in Somerville. Information is here.

Books and Brews from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free, but 21-plus. A collaboration with the Somerville Public Library that this month explores “Deacon King Kong” by James McBride. Information is here.

Somerville Growing Center’s Grounding for Spring Maple Syrup Project from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. In preparation for the community maple boil in the spring, participants will drink tea (grown at the Growing Center) and read and discuss excerpts from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass,” setting intentions for the maple sap harvest. Information is here.

CCAE Performing Arts Showcase (continued) from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. Information is here.

Khanike Klezmer Spectacular from 7 to 11 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $25 to $54. Features Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn with Sasha Lurje. Opening performance by Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band. Afterparty with Zach Mayer’s Electronic Jerusalem. Part of the Boston Festival of New Jewish Music. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $55. Information is here.

Open Mike Eagle performs at 8 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20. The American rapper’s 2023 album, “Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering,” is his ninth solo album and has been described as an ode to the resilience of the working musician. Pink Navel also performs. Information is here.

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Thursday, Dec. 14

The Blurring Lines Between Games and Business from 5 to 6 p.m. at at Venture Café, CIC Cambridge, One Broadway, fifth floor, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Experts from PTC Software and other companies examine how game design is increasingly influencing digital business architecture, e.g. games as simulations, fast-fail-states, spatial computing as it relates to 3D game design and more. Concurrent with the café’s end-of-year celebration with drinks and snacks that runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Information is here.

Skip the Small Talk speed-dating from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. $16.50 and 21-plus. This Somerville-founded company helps you meet a special someone IRL within a safe and fun context by providing psychology-backed question prompts that quickly lead to conversations about the things you care about. Information is here.

CCAE Performing Arts Showcase (continued) from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Harvard Square. Free. Information is here.

Yoni Gordon’s “Non-Tragic Holiday Singles Mingle” at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. The musician Yoni Gordon’s last album “Courtship” may give you an idea of the event’s mood, but there will also be Dating Disaster Bingo and cringey prizes. Forest Romm also performs. Information is here.

“The Slutcracker” (continued) at 8 p.m. at The Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $35 and 18-plus. Information is here.

After Dark Series: Build from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and 21-plus. A night of fabrication, construction, creation and design as Skylar Tibbets shows how MIT’s Self Assembly Lab is growing islands; see the amazing machines created by the Center for Bits and Atoms; make your own automata; and watch a screening of “Eddy’s World,” a documentary short about master toy maker Eddy Goldfarb. Plus modern American eats from Vincent’s and local craft beers from Aeronaut for purchase. Information is here.

Revive retro music experience from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at ZuZu, 474 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and the second Thursday of every month). Free and 21-plus. Two robotic space DJs who have collected song fragments from Earth that have drifted through the cosmos try to piece them back together based on what they theorize are current trends. Expect interesting distortions of electro-swing from DJ Dekichan followed by pop remixes from DJ Catalyst. Information is here.

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Friday, Dec. 15

2023 Holiday Open House from 4 to 8 p.m. at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free and all ages. Stroll through Longfellow House, decorated in period style with seasonal objects from the museum and featuring live harp music. Outdoors, follow the festive front path to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy President’s House at 115 Brattle St. to enjoy carolers and puppet shows, in addition to parlor games, a festive tree, “take-and-make” crafts and treats. Cookies and hot beverages will be served. Information is here.

Solstice: “Reflections on the Winter Light” experience (continued) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. during timed entries every half-hour at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. $5 to $30. Information is here.

A Christmas Concert with Lea Peterson from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Somerville Music Spaces, 1060 Broadway, Suite C101B, Somerville. $20. The Boston singer, music director, vocal arranger and voice teacher sings her favorite musical theatre, pop/folk and Christmas songs after a mini performance of solos by several of her students.  Information is here.

The Midwinter Revels: A Solstice Celebration at 7:30 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square (and continuing through Dec. 28). $20 to $105. The 53nd annual celebration of this moment in the calendar, this year focusing on the colorful medieval Feast of Fools with vibrant processionals, lively carols, delicate harmonies, vigorous dances and a full ritual of the wild and the holy. Information is here.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $90 to $150. Information is here.

“Christmas in Medieval England” at 8 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square (repeating Saturday). $10 (low-income tickets) to $40 (general) and $87 (reserved). The vocal ensemble Blue Heron has a program for the Christmas season of plainchant, carols and polyphonic antiphons and settings of the Mass that might have been heard in England in the 1440s. Information is here.

Miranda Lawson’s “Quarter-Life Crisis” at 8 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $35. Through a blend of movement and stand-up, the Boston dancer and choreographer explores life’s great questions while recounting her ups and downs in young adulthood. Information is here.