Plan now for holiday entertainment around Sonoma County

Sometimes it's hard to concentrate in detail on the Christmas season before you even get Thanksgiving out of the way. But if you hope to attend any of the holiday season's popular annual shows and events, you'd be smart to make some plans right now.

Tickets for major perennial crowd-pleasers like 'The Nutcracker' and 'A Christmas Carol' are already on sale, both in San Francisco and closer to home, and you'd be wise to get tickets sooner rather than later.

Santa Rosa's Wells Fargo Center is knocking itself out this year with a whole stocking full of Christmas-themed concerts — nearly a dozen — during November and December. Advance reservations are recommended for those who want attend any of the center's shows, but the hottest ticket may prove to be country crossover star LeAnn Rimes, who is rolling her 'Today Is Christmas Tour' into town for her Wells Fargo Center performance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets run from $49 to $59, and they're available at 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.

You'll also want to plan ahead for these evergreen holiday favorites:

'The Nutcracker' — The annual San Francisco Ballet production of 'The Nutcracker,' a beloved Bay Area tradition since 1944, runs Dec. 16-31 at the city's War Memorial Opera House. Ticket prices range from $46 to $345. 415-865-2000, sfballet.org.

The Moscow Ballet brings its abridged version of the Tchaikovsky favorite, called 'The Great Russian Nutcracker,' back to the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, where it has become a regular annual attraction, for two performances, at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 19. The professional company of 40 dancers will perform with young local dancers cast in supporting roles. $34-$181. 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.

And, of course, you can expect a half dozen or more local ballet school productions of 'The Nutcracker.'

'A Christmas Carol' — The American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco stages its critically acclaimed adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic story, with Ebenezer Scrooge grappling with the spirits, Dec. 4-27. This one always sells out early. $45-$100. 415-749-2228, act-sf.org.

The 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square presents Charles Seibert of Healdsburg, who appeared on the CBS TV series 'Trapper John, M.D.' from 1976 to 1986, as Scrooge in its production of 'A Christmas Carol,' running Nov. 20-Dec. 20. $15-$37. 523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com.

'The Messiah' —The Redwood Empire Sing-Along Messiah, one of Northern California's iconic homegrown holiday events, returns Dec. 19 for its 35th year, with the audience joining the onstage chorus in song, conducted by longtime local favorite Dan Earl and accompanied by the Santa Rosa Chamber Orchestra. The program starts at 7 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre, 4400 Day School Place, Santa Rosa. $20. sing-along-messiah.org.

Handel's 'Messiah' will be performed Dec. 20 by four soloists joining the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas McGegan, and the Philharmonia Chorale, directed by Bruce Lamott. The concert begins at 3 p.m. in Weill Hall at the Green Music Center, Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. Tickets start at $55. gmc.sonoma.edu, 866-955-6040.

Local favorites

And here are a couple of favorites with a particularly local flavor:

The Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Holiday annual 'Open House' event invites the community to the downtown Santa Rosa house and grounds of world-famous 20th-century horticulturist Luther Burbank, now a museum and decked out in old-fashioned holiday decor. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5-6. Santa Rosa and Sonoma Avenues in downtown Santa Rosa. $2 for age 12 and older. 524-5445, lutherburbank.org.

In an offbeat event only to be found in the longtime hometown of the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip, Schulz Education Annex, next to Santa Rosa's Charles Schulz Museum, presents its popular Gingerbread Doghouse Workshops from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 12 and 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 13. Assemble and decorate a replica of Snoopy's doghouse out of gingerbread, and top it with a marshmallow figure of the great Beagle himself. $32. 579-4452, schulzmuseum.org.

Wait ... there's more

Before you start calling box offices, here's more on this holiday season's lineup at Wells Fargo Center.

Chip Davis, famed for Mannheim Steamroller's electronic musical versions of classical carols, kicks off the season for the Wells Fargo Center at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 ($45-$75), followed by a family stage show, Lightwire Theatre's 'A Very Electric Christmas' at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 ($5-$21.)

If you want the joyful season to jump and jive, there's Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Wild and Swingin' Holiday Party at 8 p.m. Dec. 3. ($35-$45.)

The Transcendence Theatre Company, which delights fans every summer with outdoor shows at Jack London Historic State Park in Glen Ellen, makes its Wells Fargo Center debut with the music and dance revue 'Joy to the World' at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4-5 and 2 p.m. Dec. 5. ($35-$129.)

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus presents 'Home for the Holidays' at 3 p.m. Dec. 6. ($19-$50.) Ballet Folklorico Sacramento Posada Navidena at 7 p.m. Dec. 11, followed by the Santa Rosa Symphony Pops Orchestra's 'A Very Merry Holiday Pops' at 3 p.m. Dec. 13 ($35-$80.) The Dave Koz 'Christmas Tour 2015' plays Wells Fargo Center at 8 p.m. Dec. 22 ($39-$169).

To wrap it all up, the Brian Setzer Orchestra returns for its 12th annual 'Christmas Rocks' tour at 8 p.m. Dec. 23 ($65-$85.)

For more information on any of the Wells Fargo Center shows, call 546-3600 or visit wellsfargocenterarts.org.

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @danarts.