FYI

Houston ballet group to perform ‘The Nutcracker’

The Regional Arts Council of Tomball will present four performances of “The Nutcracker” ballet by the Houston Repertoire Ballet company at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, and 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Tomball High School auditorium.

Ticket prices are $15 for students and seniors and $18 for adults. The special education show at 1 p.m. Dec. 8 will be $10 per ticket and will feature only one act of the ballet followed by a discussion, youth program and autographs from the dancers.

“The Nutcracker,” composed by Tchaikovsky, is a famous fairy tale of toys coming to life.
A silent auction, concessions and a ballet boutique will be available in the lobby before and after each performance.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.hrbdance.org. Discounts of 10 percent are available for large groups.

The Houston Repertoire Ballet, under the direction of Victoria Vittum, is the premier pre-professional ballet company in Northwest Houston.

Tomball High School is at 30330 Quinn Road, Tomball.

For more information, call 281-940-4721, email Houston Repertoire Ballet at mail@hrbdance.org or visit www.tomballarts.com.

Annual holiday celebration to be held until Dec. 23

The 32nd annual Home for the Holidays celebration will be held every weekend from Saturday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Dec. 23, at Historic Old Town Spring.

The celebration will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, with a holiday tree-lighting ceremony at dusk  followed by a live performance by The Invincible Czars.

As the event continues, attendees can enjoy more live entertainment, strolling performers, festive exhibits, horse-drawn carriage rides and complimentary balloons and candy canes. Children can enjoy pony rides and interaction with exotic animals through the Hat Trick Exotic Petting Zoo. The Wells Fargo Stagecoach will be present to provide an authentic Old West experience.

The Be an Angel Train will be offering rides for $3 per person, with all proceeds going to benefit the Be an Angel Foundation. Other nonprofit organizations will also be present collecting donations, including Wreaths Across America and Marine Moms.

The Home for the Holidays Celebration is free and open to the public.

Historic Old Town Spring is at 403 Gentry St.

Runs raise funds for anti-malaria mosquito nets

The Kids Caring for Kenya Run 4 Their Lives 5K and 1 Mile runs held Thursday, Oct. 13, raised $3,500 for Kenya.

The run was organized by Kids Caring for Kenya, a ministry of Salem Lutheran Church and School.

The proceeds will go toward buying mosquito nets in Kenya, helping to prevent the contraction and spread of malaria.

“It costs $10 to provide a bed net and training to use it properly,” said Heidi Schatte, co-founder of Kids Caring for Kenya, in a press release. “This is a great cause for kids to become involved in, because they understand that $10 buys one net, which saves one life.”

For more information, visit www.kidscaringforkenya.net.

Texas Repertory Theatre to stage live radio play

The Texas Repertory Theatre Co. is preparing for a production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”

Reinterpreted by the cast of WBFR Playhouse of the Air!, five actors — Dave Maldonado, Alan Hall, Lauren Dolk, Lendsey Kersey and Texas Repertory artistic director Steven Fenley — will play all the roles and create more than 40 different voices and old-time live sound effects.

The performance will be broadcast on WBFR from Thursday, Nov. 29 to Sunday, Dec. 23.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at 281-583-7573 or visit www.texreptheatre.org.