San Diego arts roundup: Our picks for nontraditional New Year’s Eve entertainment

Even without the “Christmas 24/7” Hallmark Channel, there is no shortage of holiday-themed movies on TV and available for streaming during the yuletide. But for those who plan to cozy up at home on New Year’s Eve next Tuesday, the movie-watching pickings are slim indeed.

With the possible exception of the obscure 1983 musical-comedy “Get Crazy,” which revolves around a New Year’s Eve concert and starred Malcolm (“A Clockwork Orange”) McDowell, the traditional last night of the year is usually a peripheral subplot on the screen. Like the New Year’s Eve party on shipboard that’s going on when a rogue wave turns the SS Poseidon upside down.

So if we’re resorting to movies where New Year’s Eve only makes cameos, your best bet is the classic rom-com “When Harry Met Sally.” In the 1989 film directed by Rob Reiner, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) realize they’re into each other at a New Year’s Eve party, and another New Year’s Eve many years later is the backdrop for the couple’s happy ending.

I long ago decided that neither overpaying for a New Year’s Eve “event” nor watching one of those miserable countdown shows on television was worth my time on the last night of the year. Revisiting Harry and Sally’s love story, including its famous scene inside Katz’s Delicatessen (“I’ll have what she’s having”), is good enough for me.

“When Harry Met Sally” is streamable on, among others, Prime Video, Apple TV and Pluto TV.

Happy New Year!

Rock music

Don’t expect punked-up renditions of “Frosty the Snowman” or “Winter Wonderland” when the seminal L.A. band X brings its show “Putting the X back in Xmas” to the Observatory in North Park on Monday night.

This gig is part of a December West Coast tour that began in Salem, Ore. It’s actually part of the band’s “End is Near” tour in support of X’s album “Smoke & Fiction.”

Fans will delight in the fact that the tour features X’s original members: Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake. All but DJ Bonebrake were part of X when the band played its very first gig back in 1977 at the Golden West Ballroom in Norwalk. Shortly afterward, that building was converted into a church. Make of that what you want.

Pop music

What’s the opposite of X? How about the Rat Pack — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., the musical 60 percent of a legendary partying gang that also included comedian Joey Bishop and actor Peter Lawford?

On Saturday at both 2 and 7:30 p.m., CCAE Theatricals presents the aptly titled “Cocktail Hour: The Songs of the Rat Pack” at the The Grand-Ritz Theater in Escondido.

This is a musical celebration featuring five vocalists and a big band orchestra covering tunes associated with the Rat Pack, like Sinatra’s “All Of Me” and Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.”

Footnote: If you’re still listening to holiday music, ask Alexa to play “Christmas with the Rat Pack,” a compilation of seasonal favorites recorded by Frank, Dino and Sammy.

Comedy

If you think 2024’s been nothing to laugh about, it’s not too late to crack a smile. San Diego’s National Comedy Theatre is again hosting its “New Year’s Eve Spectacular Event.” It happens Tuesday beginning at 9 p.m. at NCT’s India Street venue.

The evening of comedy includes goodies from Extraordinary Desserts before the show starts at 9:30 p.m., a countdown to the new year and a party with cast members afterward. As New Year’s Eve live entertainment goes, the $59 ticket price is downright reasonable.

Last chance

Teatro Pastorela’s holiday radio theater show “La Pastorela de Coraje” will be broadcast on KNSJ 89.1 through Wednesday. The show was written by Southwestern College professor Max Branscomb and singer-songwriter Ella Aldridge, a student at the San Diego School of the Creative and Performing Arts.

Tuesday brings to a close this year’s iteration of “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” at the Old Globe in Balboa Park. If there’s such a thing as a never-fail holiday tradition, this is it. Union-Tribune theater critic Pam Kragen wrote that she never gets tired of seeing this show and I have to agree.

The year in review in San Diego arts and dining

These seven stories by the U-T’s arts critics take a look back at the 2024 San Diego year in dining, music, theater, classical music, dance and books. In next week’s newsletter, we’ll share picks for our 2025 best bets.

UCTV

University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:

“Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science and the Emerging Keys to Healthy Aging and Longevity”

How can diet and lifestyle choices improve health and promote longevity? In this program, Gordon Saxe, M.D., Ph.D., and Anthony Lim, M.D., J.D., share insights from their research and clinical experience on how optimal nourishment, purposeful reflection, healthy movement, and generosity of spirit can enhance immunity and combat age-related diseases. They offer evidence-based recommendations and a practical framework for making sustainable changes that support healthy aging. Learn how simple, mindful choices can lead to greater wellness and resilience over time.

“’The Voices of Babyn Yar’ featuring Poet Marianna Kiyanovska”

In late September 1941, tens of thousands of people were massacred in Babyn Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Kyiv. Most of the victims were Jews, along with Roma, Crimean Tatars and others targeted by the Nazis. In her 2017 book of poems, “The Voices of Babyn Yar,” award-winning Ukrainian poet Marianna Kiyanovska gives voice to this tragedy. Her deeply moving collection reflects on the massacre through powerful, haunting verses. In this bilingual reading, Kiyanovska presents her work in Ukrainian, while UC San Diego Professor of Literature Amelia Glaser reads the English translations. With a body of work translated into 18 languages, Kiyanovska is one of Ukraine’s most celebrated contemporary poets.

“Unlocking the Secrets of Aging and Longevity with Stem Cells”

Curious about the secret to staying young? Rob Signer delves into the science of aging, focusing on the vital role of stem cells and a key protein called HSF1 that helps them handle stress. Signer explains how maintaining healthy stem cells is crucial for aging well, while also exploring the challenges of avoiding an increased cancer risk. He highlights exciting progress in improving how these cells manage waste, offering hope for healthier aging. Discover the latest insights into how our bodies age and the innovative research that could help unlock the key to longevity.

And finally, top weekend events

The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: Dec. 27-29

Originally Published: December 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM PST