It’s been 25 years since Trans-Siberian Orchestra began touring — starting with just seven shows during December 1999, including a date at Detroit’s State Theatre (now the Fillmore Detroit).

The orchestral rock troupe had a hit single, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” and two multi-platinum albums to its credit, but guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli acknowledges that: “We didn’t know if people would come out to see us or not. Records are one thing, selling tickets is another. It was a brave new world.”

Any concerns were quickly dispelled, however, and TSO — founded in 1996 by the late Paul O’Neill and members of the band Savatage — is now a holiday season monolith with two companies that cross-cross North America each November and December presenting pyrotechnic-laden spectacles twice daily in most cities. Last year, the group sold 920,000 tickets and grossed $66.7 million, with $1 per ticket donated to local charities.

And on Nov. 16, meanwhile, the group celebrated its 20 millionth fan in Denver.

For this year’s trek, TSO is commemorating the 20th anniversary of “The Lost Christmas Eve,” the double-platinum third album in its Christmas trilogy, by playing it in its entirety for the first time since 2013, along with other TSO and Savatage favorites. “We like to change it up,” Pitrelli, 62, explains. “The people we see every year — I consider them ‘repeat offenders.’ They’ve made (TSO) a part of their holiday tradition. They love the stories and they want to come in and be comfortable and familiar, but we want to keep them on their heels as well and do something different.

“So we change it up enough, musically, to make it interesting, and with the advances in technology, what the crew can do now is unbelievable compared to the last time we did it. It’s new but very familiar, which is the balance I like to keep.”

The year’s TSO tour wraps up on Dec. 30, and Pitrelli says ideas for next year’s production are already being discussed. Meanwhile, there’s the perennial question of new TSO recordings, as O’Neill had begun work on several projects before he died in 2017.

“It’s the biggest punch in the gut ever when you lose a family member like that,” Pitrelli explains. “We’re still catching our breath and continuing his legacy. Paul left us a lot of demoed work, half-started things we want to kick the tires on and bring to life.

“We’ll get to it. I wish I could tell you, ‘There’s these three songs that are gonna come out’ but, no, not yet. All of us … the question we always ask is ‘What would Paul do?’ We were all fairly well trained by him, but at the end of the day, it’s about him and honoring his vision, so we’re taking our time to make sure it’s right.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit.  313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

• Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley will be back in the Detroit Rock City groove at 7:30 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• Poor Player celebrates the release of a new album at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Joe Serrapere and Mike Galbraith also perform. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Sidepiece, Botex and Sillygirlcarmen man the decks in Building 6 at the Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay St, Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 248-434-7699 or paxahau.com.

• The Beastie Boys tribute Imposters in Effect hosts a “Fake Ass NYE Party” at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.

• Drummer Jeff Canady and his band hold forth through Saturday, Dec. 28 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.

• Trumpeter Karim Gideon and his Quartet play through Saturday, Dec. 28 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Virtual: Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros — including Detroit native Don Was — livestream at 7:30 p.m. from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and also on Saturday, Dec. 28 as well as Dec. 30-31 via nugs.net.

• Virtual: Kitchen Dwellers play at 8 p.m. from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, for subscribers to nugs.net.

• Virtual: “Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs,” hosted by Mickey Guyton and Gayle King and spotlighting award-winning tunes by Adele, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, the Doobie Brothers and more, airs at 9 p.m. on CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit) and Paramount+.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

• Homegrown rock favorite Sponge will plow through at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Bane, Koffin Cats, Throw Rag and Bill Kozy and His Rising Force are among nearly three dozen acts playing as part of a Black Christmas festival at 3 p.m. throughout the Majestic complex, 4120-4140 Woodward Ave. 313-833-9700 or majesticdetroit.com.

• Michigan favorite Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers bring a joyful noise to the Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.

• Rapper Jahshua Smith celebrates the release of his new album, “But I Do,” at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Joe Serrapere and Mike Galbraith also perform. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Jim McCarty & Mystery Train keep the blues rockin’ at 8:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Turner Porter, 800cc and four others play a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• Tribute acts The Nightmare (Alice Cooper) and Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin) rock at 8 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• Crossroads Celli offers a night of between-holidays Celtic fare at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Virtual: Twin Atlantic’s “Meltdown: Live in the Studio” documents the Scottish alt-rock band during the recording of its latest album, in Glasgow, at 3 p.m. Tickets via veeps.com.

• Umphrey’s McGee plays at 10 p.m. and again on Sunday, Dec. 29, from Denver, for subscribers to nugs.net.

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

• MJ Live pays tribute to Michael Jackson at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• RJ Spangler and James O’Donnell’s All-Stars play a 3 p.m. matinee, followed by the Leftovers Jaxx Sextet at 7 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• The In The Tradition ensemble blends styles at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Virtual: Icelandic singer Laufey hosts “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” at 3 p.m. Tickets via veeps.com.

• Virtual: The Decemberists hold a Veeps Watch Party at 8 p.m., via veeps.com.

• Virtual: Billy Strings livestreams at 8:30 p.m. from New Orleans, for subscribers to nugs.net.

• Virtual: “Grammy Greats: The Most Memorable Moments,” hosted by Jimmy Jam and Gayle King and featuring performances by Dua Lipa, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Keith Urban, St. Vincent and more, airs at 9 p.m. on CBS (Channel 62 in Detroit) and Paramount+.

• Pianist Jon Cleary performs at 10:30 p.m. from the legendary Tipitina’s in New Orleans, for subscribers to nugs.net.

One thing’s for sure about this year’s Planet Antics variety show — you won’t get bored.

The fourth annual celebration of the creative community built around the Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck features a diverse night of entertainment on Saturday, Dec. 28.

Live music? Check, from Detroit favorite Duende and Alison Lewis. Improv? Check, from the Planet Ant Home Team and Soul-Prov’s blend of “R&B, Soul & Fun.” Performance art? Yes, from Hot Talent Buffet. There will be more comedy from the Planet Ant Farm Team and the Independent Comedy Club, videos by Aaron Johnstone and Big Big Baby, and performances from Rouge Reveal, Lilith’s Big Ol’ Golden Show and Midnight Garden.

The evening also includes special episodes of Planet Ant’s monthly blind-dating show Match Made on Stage and the Tapes only live VHS movie-watching series, while Devin Jetski and DJ PP Girlfriend host an after-party.

Festivities begin at 8 p.m. at the theater, 2320 Caniff St. 313-403-1814 or planetant.com for tickets and other information.

Hannah Jewel Kohn has a clear memory of hearing Neil Diamond’s music for the first time. It was during a friend’s bat mitzvah party while growing up in West Bloomfield.

“I remember hearing ‘Sweet Caroline’ being played over the loudspeakers and every person in that room loving the song,” she recalls. “I just remember everyone dancing and singing and going, ‘ba, ba, ba!’ It was just, like a huge celebration, so joyful.

“Ever since then, I’ve become such a big fan, and I think it’s really interesting that everyone has a memory tied to a lot of Neil Diamond’s music.”

These days, Kohn, 29, is much more than just a fan.

She’s portraying Diamond’s second wife, Marcia Murphey, in the first national tour of “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” which opened in Boston and then on Broadway in 2022, ending its run at the Broadhurst Theatre this past June 30.

A production assistant who became Diamond’s wife in 1969 and stayed married to him for more than 25 years, with two sons, Murphey was a significant force in Diamond’s life and in the musical with Kohn leading performances of Diamond hits such as “Forever in Blue Jeans” and dueting on “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from doing this show about Neil Diamond is how much women have played a pivotal part in his career, his life, his success,” Kohn says. “His first wife, Jaye (Posner), was believing in him and always pushing him to believe in himself, and then he had Marcia, kept him from his negativity and his doubts and insecurities and pushed him to believe in himself and his gifts.”

Kohn has met Katie McNeil, Diamond’s wife since 2012 (Diamond himself is planning to attend the tour’s upcoming Los Angeles run), and finds her “just lovely.” But the divorce from Murphey still stings in the show. “It’s really heartbreaking,” Kohn notes. “They finish with ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,’ and that’s pretty much where their story ends.”

Bob Gaudio, the former Four Seasons member who went on to produce and write for Diamond and is a co-producer of “A Beautiful Noise,” concurs that Murphey plays a key role in Diamond’s ascent to pop icon status.

“Neil and I had the same manager, and Marcia was his Girl Friday and always there,” Gaudio notes. “I like to call her a visionary; she saw things in Neil I don’t think anybody realized, just from his songs. She saw bigger things. I think she was very responsible for helping Neil cross that line from songwriter to performer, and the rest is history.”

“A Beautiful Noise” is a high mark in Kohn’s theatrical history, meanwhile.

She “started tapping my toes at age 2” but started training, in dance first, at 10 years old. A transitional moment was seeing a production of “Mary Poppins” on Broadway as an adolescent. “I looked over at my mom and said, ‘I want to be up there doing what she’s doing!'” Kohn remembers. “My family are huge supporters in chasing your dreams. She said, ‘Let’s make it happen. …'”

Kohn spent two years at West Bloomfield High School, where a starring role in “Annie” “was the moment where I really started to take it seriously and hone in my craft.” She then moved to a homeschooling program at Dance Dynamics in Walled Lake, which included traveling to New York to network and audition “and see what that life was like and if it’s something I wanted to try out.”

Upon graduation, Kohn moved straight to Manhattan and “gave myself three months to book a job.” The backup plan was studying at Pace University. That wasn’t necessary, however, as Kohn scored a lead role in a production at Bush Gardens, and then on the national tour of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

That in turn led to roles in Disney’s “Frozen” (as Princess Anna on the first national tour) and in “Come Fall in Love,” “South Pacific” and on FX’s “Fosse/Verdon.” Kohn also appeared with the New York City Opera, the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, New York.

“I’ve been really lucky,” Kohn acknowledges. “It comes from a lot of hard work and a lot of rejection. One of the main things I’ve learned through this whole process is how often your castmates can become the people behind the table, producing a show you’re auditioning for or directing or choreographing. That really taught me to be kind to every single person and to really work as hard as I can and do the best I can, because it’s all about connections and networking and who you know and word of mouth.

“I’ve just worked really hard to have a reputation as someone who’s reliable and who shows up and does their job 150 percent, even on the hard days, and who’s kind to people and loyal … and I think that’s paid off.”

Being part of “A Beautiful Noise,” Kohn says, “means so much to me because I’m able to do all three things I love doing, which is acting, singing and dancing.” And her favorite moment of the show comes during its second act.

“‘Forever in Blue Jeans,’ I get to sing my face off, then break out into a dance break, then go back to singing — all that while I’m telling a story about how money does not fill you up and all Marcia really wants is her husband to be there for her,” Kohn says. “She doesn’t care about diamonds or Malibu houses or at; she cares about spending time with her husband in blue jeans, just chilling on the couch, enjoying each other.

“It’s really exhilarating. I’m so grateful to be doing this and doing something that is so fulfilling and so rewarding.”

Kohn is just three months into her yearlong contract with “A Beautiful Noise” and says a future goal is to originate a role in a new musical. “I’m really interested in collaborating and building something that feels truthful and meaningful and real,” she says. Being “on the other side of the table,” which she’s “dabbled in,” is also appealing, she adds, but not in the immediate future.

“I absolutely loved it, and I do plan on doing that in the future,” she says, “but right now I have that hunger to perform every night, to be on stage. It really does fill me up and it’s so rewarding. So that’s what I really want to do.”

“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” opens Tuesday, Dec. 24 and runs through Jan. 4 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-872-100 or broadwayindetroit.com.

OneRepublic is no stranger to the world’s pop charts, with seven Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — including “Counting Stars,” “Apologize,” “Good Life” and “Love Runs Out” — during the past 17 years.

But co-founder and multi-instrumentalist Brent Kutzle maintains the Colorado-formed sextet is “more of a rock-leaning band at the core.

“We grew up listening to U2, Radiohead, the Beatles — all of the usual suspects,” explains Kutzle, 39, who, outside of OneRepublic, has worked with artists such as Beyonce, Matchbox Twenty, Kelly Clarkson and others. “I think for us, anything with a rock edge is more our speed. The songs take shape differently on tour than the record. When you see us on stage, it’s more rock, it’s more live.”

Kutzle adds, too, that, “it’s a very eclectic show — that’s just who we are as a band. We’re all into different things. I grew up playing cello, so I’m a classical guy at the core. Our singer (Ryan Tedder) grew up singing R&B. Rock is the ultimate anchor for us, but we’re all pretty different in our approach.”

“Artificial Paradise,” OneRepublic’s sixth and latest studio album, came out in July, while the group released a new version of the track “Hurt” with Jelly Roll added to the mix. Kutzle co-wrote eight of the album’s 15 tracks and co-produced 10, and he’s comfortable with the diversity that’s become stock in trade for the band’s recorded work.

“We have to experiment with the music,” he acknowledges. “We have to try everything and anything, all the time. I think that keeps it fresh, too. We don’t place rules on ourselves as far as songwriting goes or how the songs should sound.

“There’s so many bands that say: ‘We’re this. We’re a three-piece. We always have a lead guitar solo. We always have a bass line that sounds like this.’ That’s never who we’ve been. We just let the chips fall how they will. That’s just fun.”

OneRepublic headlines the 96.3 WDVD Blaine and Lauren’s Not So Silent Night at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave., on Sunday, Dec. 8. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Judah & the Lion and the Blaine Fowler Experience open. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.

Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …

FRIDAY, DEC. 6

• Ray Chen joins the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and musical director Jader Bignamini for Samuel Barber’s “Violin Concerto,” plus two versions of “The Nutcracker Suite” — Tchaikovsky’s Ballet and the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn rendition — at 10:45 a.m. at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Additional performances at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Saturday’s show will stream free via the “Live From Orchestra Hall” series. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Dru Hill, Ginuwine, 112 and Next lineup for Ladies Night Out at 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

• Pianist Cyrus Chestnut and Friends perform Vince Guaraldi’s score from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• The Rackham Choir and Wayne State University Choirs perform Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah” at 6 p.m. at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, 18700 James Couzens Freeway, Detroit. Baritone Jonathan Lasch stars as the biblical prophet, and WSU Department of Music department chairman Jeffrey Sposato gives a pre-show talk at 5 p.m. 313-861-1300 or events.wayne.edu.

• Bassist Nick Sample celebrates his legendary father with an “All-Star Tribute to Joe Sample” through Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.

• Flint’s Americana rebel Whitey Morgan plays at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.

• Troubadours Matthew Bell, Jobe Fortner and Audrey Ray create “A Night in Nashville” at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• The Morbid Angel spin-off I Am Morbid is joined by 14 other bands for a night of headbanging at the Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 5 p.m. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.

• Connor Chee presents “Sandpaintings For Piano” at 7 p.m. in the Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. 313-833-7900 or dia.org.

• LP Giobbi, Le Chev and Mascolo man the decks at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.

• Country singer Tanner Adell celebrates her debut album, “Buckle Bunny, at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.

• Los Angeles’ Christian Death celebrates the season, sort of, at 7 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.

• Ohio’s in the house as Cleveland’s Disintegration and Cincinnati’s Louse play at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Olinda, Wild Shape and DJ Justin Carver are also on the bill. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• The New World plays what it calls “REAL rock ‘n’ roll” atop a five-act bill at 7:30 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• Stay at Home Dads & Friends (Paper Lanterns, Greg & the Degens, Petalwave) play a Holiday Jamtramck show at 7:30 p.m. at the New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Jos Campau, Hamtramck. 313-638-1508 or thenewdodgelounge.com.

• Detroit favorite Thornetta Davis plays one night only, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com. Davis also performs with the Firewalkers and Tino G & Dumpster Machine on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m.  313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Ben Portsmouth will be “Taking Care of Elvis,” thank ya very much, at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren. 586-268-3200 or andiamoshowroom.com.

• Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis join forces, with some guests, for a special Christmas show at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• Piano virtuoso and Detroit native BLKBOK does his thing at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Virtual: Pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s “A Nonsense Christmas” begins streaming at 6 p.m. on Netflix, with a guest list that includes Chappell Roan, Tyla and more.

• Virtual: “RM: Right People, Wrong Place,” a documentary about K-Pop group BTS’ leader, is screening now, worldwide. rmrpwp.com for theaters and showtimes.

• Virtual: Icelandic pop singer Laufey’s “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” premiers in theaters. anightattthesymphony.com for locations and showtimes.

• Virtual: Billy Strings performs at 8:30 p.m. and again on Saturday. Dec. 7, from Memphis, for subscribers to nugs.net.

SATURDAY, DEC. 7

• Joe Reilly Music presents a family-friendly program at 10 a.m. in The Cube at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Texas alt-rock quartet the Jesus Lizard crawls into Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.

• “The Jingle Jam” presented by endprejudice features music and poetry by the Drew Keys Band, Sofia Goetz, Myla Hope, La Shaun Phoenix More, Jazmine Jamai and more at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• The Minnesota rock trio Tiny Moving Parts tops a four-band bill at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• Kalamazoo’s Saturdays At Your Place headlines a five-act bill at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.

• Country upstart Dylan Schneider is joined by Marynn Taylor and Rob Stone at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. Doors at 7 p.m. district142live.com.

• Caleb Robinson and his band Reaching fuse jazz and R&B at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Party for the holidays with No Rest Fest at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.

• With the real Cure enjoying a new hit album (“Songs of a Lost Word”), Re-Cure: The Cure Tribute pays homage at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.

• The adventurous Terry Farmer Band sets up shop at 8 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• Over the Rhine brings its Acoustic Christmas show to The Ark at 8 p.m. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Virtual: Umphrey’s McGee members Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger stream their 22nd Annual Holiday Show at 9 p.m. from Chicago, for subscribers to nugs.net.

• Virtual: Fresh off his halftime performance at the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game, Shaboozey is the musical guest on this week’s episode of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” at 11:30 p.m., hosted by “Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal. (WDIV, Channel 4 in Detroit.)

SUNDAY, DEC. 8

• Singer and actor Rahsaan Patterson takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• Toronto’s Lemon Bucket Orkestra brings its blend of Eastern European styles to Cliff Bell’s for shows at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Local country favorite Alan Turner crafts a Christmas Show edition of his Kenny Rogers tribute at 7 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• The Steve Wood Quintet plays a matinee at 3 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Industrial rockers Uniform, Pharmakon and True Body crank up the volume at Small’s, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-873-1117 or smallsbardetroit.com.

• Chicago quartet the Empty Pockets brings its MistleTunes holiday concert our way for a 7:30 p.m. show at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Virtual: The Sadler Wells dance company will stream “Message in a Bottle,” a new production set to music by Sting, at 4 p.m. Tickets via sadlerwells.com.

• Virtual: Norah Jones hosts a Veeps Watch Party at 8 p.m. Tickets via veeps.com.

The holiday party has really started around the metro area. From theaters to clubs to your screens, there’s a veritable Yule tidal wave of opportunities to get in the spirit …

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra offers two versions of “The Nutcracker Suite” — Tchaikovsky’s Ballet and the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn rendition — at 10:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6; 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Saturday’s show will stream free via the “Live From Orchestra Hall” series. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• The Macomb Ballet Company is also on “The Nutcracker” case at 7 p.m. Friday. Dec. 6, with four additional performances through Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Macomb Center, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township. A special Nutcracker Tea also takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. 586-286-2222 or macombcenter.com.

• Pianist Cyrus Chestnut and Friends perform Vince Guaraldi’s score from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• The Farmington Players’ “Humbug” puts a new twist on “A Christmas Carol,” starting at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 and running through Dec. 21 at The Barn Theatre, 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills. 248-553-2955 or farmingtonplayers.org.

• The Detroit Public Theatre’s 2nd Annual Holiday Cabaret has shows through Dec. 22 at 3960 Third St., Detroit. 313-974-7918 or detroitpublictheatre.org.

• Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis join forces, with some guests, for a special Christmas show at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• Indoors and on screen, pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter streams “A Nonsense Christmas” starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 on Netflix. Guests include Chappell Roan, Tyla, Cara Delevingue, Kyle Mooney and more.

• The DSO offers a family-friendly “Let It Snow!” program at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Noel Night, Detroit’s annual holiday extravaganza, turns 50 with activities around the city’s Midtown and Cultural Center from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Live music and other performances, family activities, shopping, eating and Santa Claus visits are all part of the festivities. noelnight.org for all the details.

• “The Jingle Jam” presented by endprejudice features music and poetry by the Drew Keys Band, Myla Hope, Sofia Goetz, La Shaun Phoenix More, Jazmine Jamai and more at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• The Dearborn Symphony Orchestra performs its version of “The Nutcracker” at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. 313-943-2354 or dearborntheater.com.

• Over the Rhine presents its Acoustic Christmas show at The Ark at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

• Not tired of it yet? “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” dances into the Fox Theatre at noon, 4 and 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

• “Who Brought the Humbug?” is a family-friendly variety show with music, dancing and more at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Music Hall Center, 250 Madison Ave., Detroit. 313-887-8500 or musichall.org.

• Local country favorite Alan Turner crafts a Christmas Show edition of his Kenny Rogers tribute at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Chicago blues-rock quartet the Empty Pockets brings its MistleTunes holiday concert our way for a 7:30 p.m. show Sunday, Dec. 8 at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.

As it did just three and half months ago at the Pine Knob Music Theatre, Creed brought the fire to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night, Nov. 20.

And it had some brimstone to go with it this time.

The Grammy Award-winning hard rock group has been on the road much of this year, breaking a 12-year hiatus with a sea cruise, an amphitheater tour during the summer and now an arena run to close the year. It’s been wildly successful, reminding fans both new and old of just how major a player Creed was during the late 90s and early 2000s thanks to chart-topping hits such as “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “My Sacrifice” — all of which weigh in as relevant today as when they were released.

So the group, including Detroit-born guitarist Mark Tremonti, sounded not surprisingly confident before about 13,000 at Little Caesars, accenting its 100-minute, 16-song set with abundant effects — primarily fire, and a pyrotechnic shower during “What’s This Life For?” — and a combination of prepared and live video on a five-panel screen behind the stage.

For frontman Scott Stapp, meanwhile, it was also an opportunity to reclaim a kind of rock ‘n’ roll pulpit during much of the show, and in a more explicit manner than he did during Creed’s July 31 stop at Pine Knob.

The spiritual grounding of Stapp’s lyrics have never been a secret, and his outspoken fervor was partly responsible for Creed’s initial breakup back in 2004. On Wednesday, Stapp — whose black tank top revealed a torso that’s spent many an hour in the weight room — was clearly comfortable stepping back into that role, promising “a journey in music through the human condition” and invoking praise and other religious affirmations during lengthy introductions to songs such as “Say I,” “Unforgiven” and “Don’t Stop Dancing.” Recalling that the former was inspired by the concept of Original Sin, Stapp explained that “you have to know the absence of God to know the presence of God.”

He offered a call for unity before Creed played “One” from its 1997 debut album “My Own Prison,” but in response to crowd chants of “USA!” afterwards Stapp stepped into post-election political terrain by declaring, “We’ve got to rediscover what that means, because we’ve lost our way…And we’re going to.”

That ministry, undeniably sincere but unquestionably didactic, went over well with the crowd, and if Stapp’s bandmates were bothered by them it was not noticeable. The frontman and Tremonti were particularly warm with each other throughout the concert, introducing each other and embracing on a couple of occasions. And Tremonti was a proud homeboy, noting that he was “born 30 minutes from here” and adding that, “if you come from Detroit, you’re proud of Detroit, and I love this city.”

And when it was playing, Creed gave its Little Caesars audience — a cross-generational gathering from old school fans to their younger siblings and children — every reason to love the band again.

Following solid opening sets from Mammoth WVH and 3 Doors Down — whose frontman Brad Arnold offered his own religious commentary and prayer at one point — Creed came out literally smoking with “Bullets,” bolstering its subsequent parade of brawny, arena-sized anthems bolstered by second guitarist Eric Friedman from Tremonti’s solo band. The set list came from the first three of Creed’s four studio albums (nothing from 2009’s “Full Circle”), swapping in three different songs from the Pine Knob show and happily digging into deeper selections such as “Freedom Fighter,” “What If” and “Never Die.” “Don’t Stop Dancing” was added to the set just this week for the first time since 2002, while “Unforgiven,” also from the “My Own Prison” album, made its tour debut on Wednesday night.

The group also brought a young fan named Noah on stage to receive one of Tremonti’s signature guitars as a reward for being the “hardest rocking” member of the crowd.

Whether, and how, Creed continues with its current reunion is up in the air, though Tremonti has said the band plans to play shows during 2025. And after drawing 28.000 to its pair of fairly close-together metro area shows, it’s clear Creed will always find a welcome and receptive crowd in its guitarist’s home town.

To say Maya Petropoulos likes the “Mean Girls” musical, and especially the meanest girl character of Regina George, is an understatement.

“I’ve loved that show for years,” she says. “I’ve been obsessed with it since I was a teenager. I always wanted to play that role — and people always laughed at me when I said that.”

No one’s laughing now.

Petropoulos, 23 — who grew up in Grosse Pointe Park and graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School — is playing George, the meanest of the Plastics, in the current touring cast of “Mean Girls,” which brings her home to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre this week. Coming just 18 months after her graduation from Montclair State University, Petropoulos is expecting “a crazy seven days. I’ll want to sleep after.”

“I can’t even describe it,” she says. “I grew up going to that theater and being so enthralled to just be in the building.’Could I ever take a bow on that stage?’ was such a crazy thought. I couldn’t even let myself think about it. It seemed so far away.

“And when I got the schedule and I saw it would be coming, it just sucked the air of me. I’m really gonna take a bow on that stage — the stage I have been seeing shows on my whole life. That’s probably the most nervous I’m ever going to be for a show. I don’t think that’s going to set in until it happens.”

Petropoulos’ immersion in theater started early, albeit by accident. “My parents were big on, ‘You need to have something to do!,’ so I tried a lot of things and couldn’t find my niche,” she recalls. “They forced me to do a musical when I was in first grade — and I was really not happy about that.”

By middle school, however, she had friends doing theater, and after appearing in a production of “Annie” she had “a good time” and started doing annual shows in school and joined a show choir, which “sucked me in immediately and became my entire world.”

Traveling to audition for college programs allowed Petropoulos to see “Mean Girls” — a Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the 2004 film written by Tina Fey, who also handled the book for the musical — on Broadway during her senior year of high school, and Montclair was her first choice. While there, she also landed a role in the comedy “Betty,” which ran for two seasons on HBO, and in the Go-Go’s jukebox musical “Head Over Heels,” playing Philoclea. The “Mean Girls” opportunity, meanwhile, was perfectly timed to her graduation.

“During my senior year, news dropped that they’re doing another tour and I just knew that I would blow everyone out of the way to get the chance to do it,” Petropoulos says. “I remember sending in a self-taped (audition) and thinking, ‘Whatever happens I’m gonna try like hell to get this job!’ I ended up getting it a month after graduating and they scooped me up and put me on my way, and this has pretty much been my entire college life.”

The learning curve has been steep, however.

“I knew it would be hard. It’s harder than I thought it would be,” she acknowledges. “Eight shows a week is no joke. It’s not for the weak. ‘How do I keep my voice healthy through all this?’ “How do I come up the other side and still be healthy?’ ‘How do I work through it and still be able to kind of live a life?’

“It’s just a job at the end of the day, but it’s a big job and there’s a lot of pressure and you have to give your best. It’s what I wanted, so no complaints.”

Petropoulos said she hopes there’s more of it to come, too. She’s contracted with “Mean Girls” through May 2025 but is already considering what’s next,. “Wicked” (“the first film I ever saw and first cast recording I listened to”) and “Hadestown” are top of her list. “If I did ‘Wicked,’ my parents would be, ‘OK, you can do anything else now,'” she says, with a laugh. But Petropoulos has her sights set beyond the stage, too.

“I really would love to make my TV/film transition, but I love to sing, so musical theater is always gonna be part of my life and … my home,” she says. “Honestly, I just want to be an artist for as long as I can. This (‘Mean Girls’) opportunity came at a point where I wasn’t sure where things were going. It just happened and I’m grateful I can have it at this point in my life.

“I’m looking forward to following that, really — not having my sights on anything concrete, but being open to what the universe has in store for me.”

“Mean Girls” runs Tuesday, Nov. 19 through Nov. 24 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-872-100 or broadwayindetroit.com.

Jelly Roll is certainly no stranger to the metro area.

His concert Wednesday night, Nov. 6, at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena was his seventh appearance in these parts in a little over two years. That run includes a pre-NFL Draft show at the Fillmore Detroit in April, as well singing Bob Seger and singing with Eminem during June’s Michigan Central opening concert.

Not surprisingly the country/rap/rock crossover star was full of Motor City love during his hour and 40 minutes on stage in front of more than 15,500 — the largest crowd so far, he said, on his Beautifully Broken Tour supporting his chart-topping new album of the same name. Following opening sets by Allie Coleen, Shaboozey (who shouted out the Detroit Lions and spoke about visiting Ford Field earlier in the day) and Ernest (who sported an Eminem T-shirt), Jelly Roll spoke about his long history of playing in the area, from the Shelter and Saint Andrew’s Hall to “the old historic Harpo’s a thousand times.” Of Little Caesar’s he marveled over “how many times I’ve come here and drove by this arena and never thought I would be big enough to (play) here. It’s a dream come true on so many levels.” The next target, he said, was to play Ford Field.

He also shouted out the Livonia rap/rock duo Twiztid — which made a special one-song appearance on a B-stage at the back of the arena floor between Ernest and Jelly Roll’s set — for being “the first band that ever took me on a nationwide tour.” And he gushed that “the biggest phone call I ever got was when Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem) called me and asked me if I’d be on his new album,” on the track “Somebody Save Me,” which samples Jelly Roll’s hit “Save Me.”

“Now,” he added, “I just need someone here to finalize the dream I have and help me to meet Bob Seger,” who Jelly Roll said was a favorite of his father’s — along with Motown music.

And if that verbiage wasn’t enough, he hammered home his devotion by performing truncated versions of three Seger hits, “Old Time Rock and Roll,” “Turn the Page” and “Against the Wind,” the latter as a duet with Ernest — who this time sported a vintage Detroit Pistons Bad Boys T-shirt. “Somebody tell Bob Seger how much I love him,” Jelly Roll said after the latter.

His affection for the city was certainly reciprocated by the crowd, and the Tennessee native (real name Jason DeFord) gave his Detroit fans plenty to love in turn. He’s definitely on a, well, roll with “Beautifully Broken’s” success and “I Am Not Okay” lodged as his fifth consecutive No. 1 single on the country charts. He opened with that song, in fact, walking through the crowd — accompanied by his wife, podcast star Bunny XO — to the B stage, where he sang under a burning, cabin-shaped structure and promised “a night of healing…a night of therapy…a night of love.” “But most important Detroit,” he added, “I hope it’s the best show you’ve ever seen in your…life.”

Jelly Roll and his 11-member band — including Detroit-born keyboardist Snow Boots, sporting a Red Wings Jersey — did their best to make that the case on Wednesday; it was, surely, more than okay, hampered only by a muddy sound mix. He certainly upped the production value, with a pair of long side ramps, plenty of fire, extensive video production, a large set of rosary beads that hung above the stage during “Need a Favor” (which included a church-style a capella closing with his three backing vocalists) and a giant, lighted skull from the cover of “Beautifully Broken” that was part of a couple of numbers. He pulled out six songs from the new album and threw plenty of past triumphs into the set — including a medley of “Creature,” “Same A**hole” and “Fall in the Fall” and the hip-hop banger “Smoking Section.”

Seger wasn’t the only artist Jelly Roll covered, either, as he rolled through Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” and Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” which led into John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” His “real music for real people who have gone through real s***” focused on those who have been through recovery, celebrating fans who waved signs declaring their own sobriety. And he shouted out Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson, shaking his hand and praising initiatives that include a recording studio in the county jail.

Jelly Roll finished the night where he started, back on the B stage, singing “Save Me” amidst a shower of faux rain that left him sopping wet but beaming as he waved his soaked baseball cap at the crowd. It was another special show for him in the metro area, and given how things have been going we’ll likely see him back here — maybe even at Ford Field — before too long.

Detroit’s Huntington Place will be, as the Vapors sang, turning Japanese this weekend as the 19th annual Youmacon settles in for a four-day run through Sunday, Nov. 3.

The gathering celebrates Japanese pop culture, including anime, gaming, art and music. The festivities include video and tabletop game competitions, panel discussions, art and memorabilia exhibits, a full marketplace, dance parties and an elaborate costume contest that’s an annual highlight — all for an expected crowd of up to 26,000.

Celebrity guests include Jason Douglas, a voice actor in popular games such as Dragon Ball Super and Borderlands 2 and 3. He’ll be joined by notables such as Suzie Young, John Bentley, Britt Baron, Kirk Thornton, Briana White and others. Voice actor Keith Silverstein will present “The Art of Being Evil” on Sunday, Nov. 3, along with a Behind the Mic: Women in Video Games panel.

A concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, will feature SSJ Live, mic jack, Hiro x Noveliss, Crim and DJ Mark Cooper.

Daily admissions and weekend passes are available between $30-$80. More information is available via youmacon.com.