Take away Handel's Messiah, and The Nutcracker is the most performed holiday classic of the season; the area already has seen two renditions of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. But the stakes will be raised Saturday with two performances of the Moscow Ballet's GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER, at the Orpheum Theatre (127 University Place). A company hailed by The New York Times for its "vibrant classical style," the Moscow Ballet -- currently on a 70-city tour -- is now under the direction of artistic director and choreographer Anatoly Emelianov. Familiar for his role as the Prince in previous Moscow Ballet performances of The Nutcracker, Emelianov has earned a reputation for a progressive, non-traditional style since his debut as a choreographer in 2001. Emelianov's take on The Nutcracker foretells the inventive twists the company employs in enacting the tale. "The fact that The Nutcracker has limits is interesting in itself," he says. "I am trying to do something within the existing limits that does more than entertain people." An obvious difference in the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker is the setting of the Land of Peace and Harmony. This location is used to highlight the theme of peace, along with the addition of a new character: an ethereal dove that appears in heroine Clara's dream. On a colorful stage with drops created with a collage technique, the performance also features towering puppets more than 12 feet tall. The puppets' three-dimensional addition is felt most in a scene unique to the Great Russian Nutcracker: a visit to Drosselmeier's workshop as he creates magical Christmas gifts. Showtimes are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the Great Russian Nutcracker range from $25 to $45 and are available through the Orpheum box office at 524-3285 or Ticketmaster (522-5555). For more info on the show or the Moscow Ballet, visit www.nutcracker.com. -- Frank Etheridge

Christmas in the Channel 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 Irish Channel Action Foundation, 1813 Magazine St., 525-1940 In an event created to serve as a gift to the community, the Irish Channel Action Foundation embodies the season's spirit of hope by holding this free concert and event at its location. Two years ago, the foundation's office, like several blocks of Magazine Street, were destroyed by fire. On Tuesday night, the group prepares to reopen after months of reconstruction and celebrates what is planned as the first year of an annual event with "Christmas in the Channel." Billed as "an angel-like Christmas choir in American sign language," the concert will feature the Canal Boulevard Baptist Deaf Church Choir and Lloyd Cambre's jazz group, JELLO. Also making a heart-warming appearance will be adoptable pets from the Southern Animal Foundation. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also allow visitors to learn more about the mission and services the Irish Channel Action Foundation serves. -- Etheridge

Albert DuQuesnay: New Orleans and the North Shore Through December John Stinson Fine Arts, 900 S. Peters St., 566-1944 Ah, the Northshore. Today, it is increasingly suburban, but in 1885 it was mostly wilderness surrounding some small, rural towns far from the teeming enclave of Creoles, Americans and recent European arrivals that was New Orleans. How times have changed. But Albert DuQuesnay, a founder of the New Orleans Camera Club, left as his legacy his own meticulously composed photographs of 1885 New Orleans and the Northshore, from its farms, villages and cotton fields to our streetcars, yacht club and even Orleans Parish Prison inmates. Although time was not kind to his negatives, thanks to the latest photo technology we can see what he saw, in beautifully rendered in sepia-toned silver prints, the newly pristine legacy of one man's clearly perceptive vision of the uniquely fascinating world around him. -- D. Eric Bookhardt

The Shops at Canal Place 20th Anniversary Celebration 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17 The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St., 522-9200 A gleaming mecca of upscale shopping, The Shops at Canal Place exudes the polish and style that once defined Canal Street commerce in its golden years. This Wednesday, merchants and management are throwing themselves a birthday party fitting for 20 successful years. To mark the event, the parking garage will offer holiday festivities, free parking in the site's parking garage, fashion shows, birthday cake and shopping specials. Complimentary "CP-tinis" will be served on the second level from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The cake-cutting ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m., with informal fashion shows staged throughout the afternoon and evening. Shoppers can earn gift certificates based on spending: $500 spent merits a $50 gift certificate, $750 nets $75, and spend $1,000 and get $100. -- Etheridge

Pernice Brothers, with Blake Hazard 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17 The Parish at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE The Pernice Brothers show what's Yours, Mine & Ours Wednesday at The Parish at House of Blues. Photo by Hannah Thompson et pop-rock melodies that it's easy to miss the bittersweet undertones of Joe Pernice's lyrics. Yours, Mine & Ours, released this past spring, represents a rather upbeat departure from the band, yet you can still hear Pernice channeling his inner Morrissey on "Water Ban": "There's a mark on me, of love songs burning up in effigy, of roads diverging in a lovely dream that only two can tear/ It's hard to understand the cruel, cruel summer of a water ban, a dead grass cradle and a water can to hold our prayers for rain." That's not by coincidence, either: Pernice's (literary) contribution to Continuum Pub Group's paperback "The Thirty-Three and a Third Series" is called The Smiths' Meat Is Murder. Speaking of the Big Eighties, Pernice can hearken the furious acoustic guitar strumming of the Cure's "In Between Days"-era hooks on "Sometimes I Remember," so it's good to know his references all check out. This is some of the best pop rock you'll hear this side of John Wesley Harding. Blake Hazard opens. Tickets to this 18-plus show $8. -- David Lee SIimmons

Better Than Ezra 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 19-20 House of Blues, 229 Decatur St., 529-BLUE House of Blues, 229 Decatur St., 529-BLUE It's always a treat when a nationally established band comes home, and it's even better when it's a two-night stand. A Better Than Ezra show in New Orleans has become a special brand of local entertainment event, much like shows by natives Dr. John, Galactic and Harry Connick Jr. We haven't heard much new from BTE since 2001's Closer, which found the band disenfranchised from Elektra and happily perched on indie label Beyond Music. Surprisingly, the music became more poppy after the move, especially on the Sugar Ray-like single "Extra Ordinary," with its half-rapped vocals and bouncy acoustic guitar riffs. Now a long way from the grungy sounds of Deluxe, their breakthrough debut, Better Than Ezra still makes for a fun show spent singing along to Kevin Griffin's serious-yet-sweet voice, not to mention those irresistible hooks. This tour should tide fans over until the band releases a live DVD this spring. Owen Beverly opens Friday, Kill Hannah opens Saturday. Tickets $25. -- Cristina Diettinger

Pfister Sisters CD-release party 9 p.m. 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 Snug Harbor, 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 The Pfister Sisters celebrate the release of their new CD on Friday at Snug Harbor. Coming up on their 25th anniversary, the Pfister Sisters are still in their prime. Based on the legendary early New Orleans jazz vocal group the Boswell Sisters, the Pfister Sisters, comprised of Holley Bendtsen, Yvette Voelker Cuccia and Debbie Davis (who replaced original member Suzy Malone in 1999), celebrate the oft-forgotten art of jazz vocal harmony. With near-impeccable intonation, excellent dynamic sensibility, and piano accompaniment by Amasa Miller, the trio makes tackling this very difficult music look fun and effortless. On their latest CD, Change in the Weather, the Sisters recreate classics from American popular music giants such as Cole Porter and Duke Ellington, and other tunes from the same swinging period. A Latin-tinged original about the local way of life, "L'aissez Faire," features percussion by local Cuban rhythm guru Hector Gallardo. For this CD-release party, the Sisters are joined by a big band of local jazz luminaries. Tickets $18. -- Diettinger

Big Sam's Funky Nation/All That 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec 19 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St. 524-4747 When asked about this inspired pairing of local funk bands, the shy, retiring Davis Rogan said, "Man, I've been meaning to see this band for the longest time, and now we're doing a show together! Eh, voila!" Big Sam's is chock full of horns blowing that brass blast culled from several members' time spent in the Dirty Dozen. All That has been perfecting that brass hop sousaphunk style for several years now, and when they hit the stage you never know what crazy antics will bounce off. Some say that the walls of the Mermaid are padded for just such occasions. Rumor has it that not-so-secret weapon Kirk Joseph -- the Jimi Hendrix of the sousaphone -- will be on hand and in your face. This is a great combination of old-new school funk and new-new school brass, whatever that means. Big Sam's opens. $10 general admission, $8 with student ID. -- David Kunian

Hasil Adkins 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 Lounge Lizards, 200 Decatur St., 598-1500 Hasil Adkins is a legend in the world of underground music. An inductee of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, he has that same cachet that Wesley Willis or Daniel Johnston have of being totally wild and in their own world. He has been putting out records such as "She Said" (covered by the Cramps), "Out to Hunch" and "Chicken Walk" since the late 1950s. Adkins will be visiting New Orleans, coming from his three-room house under a hill in West Virginia. He is a one-man band playing guitar and singing while sitting behind a drum kit that he plays with his feet. The music is rockabilly and raw with moaning soulful vocals. As an added bonus, there will be dancing by the Go-Go Chicken Girls. Tickets $10. -- Kunian

Angels' Place Christmas Concert 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 Boomtown Casino, Boomers, 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, 366-7711 For a decade, Angels' Place has provided comfort to terminally ill children and their families. This Sunday, Boomtown Casino is hosting a benefit for the organization complete with live music from some of the most popular cover bands in town, along with several others. The list is long: Rockin' Dopsie Jr. will join the Topcats, the Molly Ringwalds, Bag of Donuts, the Boogie Men, Chee Weez, the Bucktown All-Stars and many others -- some 20 in all. A compilation CD, Holiday Angels Working Undercover -- Volume 2, featuring all of the participating bands, will be available for purchase. $5 donation. -- Simmons

Plum 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22 Shiloh, 4529 Tchoupitoulas St., 895-1456 Plum is a good name for this band, reflecting the juicy musical offerings that a listener can take a bite out of. Plum picks up where such bands as Sapp and Live Animals left off, with musicians such as drummer Kevin O'Day, keyboardist Tom Worrell, pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley, saxophonist Eric Traub, percussionist Andy Ambrose and bassist Dave Anderson improvising in the pocket with a locked-in intensity. This band is really growing, and after participating in the renaissance of a bar made famous by the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians (back in the day, Big Chief Jolly used to lead the Wild Tchoupitoulas out of this bar into the chaos of Mardi Gras day), these guys should have the vibe right. No cover. -- Kunian