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Mercury Baroque - Handel's Messiah. 7pm. The oratorio—one of the most famous pieces of classical music—is a retelling of the birth, death and resurrection of Christ. While most orchestras choose to perform just the highlights of the piece, this season Mercury will present the entire “1750 Covent Garden Version.”  Houston events at Wortham Center, 501 Texas. Call 713-533-0080 for more info.

A Very Merry Pops. Houston events at Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. Warm your heart with yuletide carols in the most feel good evening of your holidays. Join the Houston Symphony tradition for a celebration of the Season. Call 713-224-7575 for tickets. Event ID: 12/16

A Wonderful Life. Houston events at the Hobby Center. Call 713-558-TUTS for tickets. Event ID:12/23

A Tuna Christmas. At the Grand Opera House in Galveston, TX. Call 800-821-1894 for more info. Event ID: 12/16

Stages Theatre - Altar Boyz.  With a book by Kevin Del Aguila and songs by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, the off-Broadway hit chronicles a Christian boy band pursuing its big break while saving souls. First seen in 2004 at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, then produced in 2005 off-Broadway (and still running), the surprise hit serves up a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the modern merchandising of religion. Houston events at Stages Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway. Call 713-527-0123 for more info. Event ID:1/13/08

The Nutcracker- Presented by the Houston Ballet. Call 713-227-2787 for tickets.

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens.  Houston events at the Alley Theatre. Call 713-220-5700 for tickets. Event ID:12/29

Home for the Holidays. Over 150 shops decorated with thousands of twinkling lights welcome visitors to a season of unique Christmas gift shopping. Location: Old Town Spring, 403 Main Street, Spring, TX. Call 888-U-STOP-IN for more info. Event ID:12/24

Korean Art and Culture Initiative. The long-term agreement between the MFAH and the National Museum of Korea includes the loan of Korean National Treasures and serves as the foundation of the Korean Art and Culture Initiative, at the heart of which is the establishment of a larger, permanent MFAH gallery for Korean art of the highest aesthetic and cultural significance. Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 1001 Bissonnet. Call 713-639-7300 for more info. Event ID:12/15

Pompeo Batoni: Prince of Painters in Eighteenth Century Rome Exhibition. Houston events at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Sesame Street Presents: The Body. Get to know what’s under your skin at Sesame Street Presents: The Body, an amazing new educational exhibition featuring Elmo, Oscar, Grover and the rest of your Sesame Street friends! Run, jump and play your way through a new interactive exhibition all about the human body. This exhibit will cover everything from fingers and toes to your ishy-squishy insides. Houston events at Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. Call 713-521-1515 for more info.

Treasures from Shanghai: 5,000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture. Featuring 77 sets of objects from the Neolithic period (circa 3,000 B.C.) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.), this incredible collection includes rare examples of oracle bones that represent the first form of Chinese writing, bronze vessels, polychrome potteries, sculptures, porcelains, paintings, jade/bamboo carvings and lacquer works. Location: Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Event ID:1/6/2008.

Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia. Discover five million years of Ethipia's diverse history and culture. The exhibition will include the original fossilized remains of the 3.2 million-year-old hominid known as Lucy. With 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy remains the oldest and most complete adult human ancestor fully retrieved from African soil. Location: Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Event ID:4/20/08.