This Week in A+E: Dec. 16 to Dec. 22

Thursday

Janet Williams aka The Tennessee Tramp

7 p.m. at McCurdy's Comedy, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$25

Visit McCurdysComedy.com

Here comes the funny. Janet Williams has been touring for two decades, and her late-in-life turn as a standup comedian came after a divorce left her with lots of things to say. Williams, previously a professor before becoming a comic, has played to national audiences as part of BET's Comic View, and she's a veteran of several USO tours to entertain the troops abroad. Runs through Saturday.

Friday

Bradenton Riverwalk Seafood and Music Festival

4-10 p.m. at Riverwalk Pavilion, 452 Third Ave.W., Bradenton

Free

Visit ParagonArtEvents.com.

There will be food, drinks and live music aplenty at the Bradenton Riverwalk Seafood and Music Festival, which begins Friday night and will continue at 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The festival will also feature shopping for arts, crafts and fine products.

'Giselle'

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

From $30

Visit SarasotaBallet.org.

Celebrate two anniversaries with the Sarasota Ballet. The Sarasota Ballet will be performing "Giselle," which was first produced 180 years ago, and celebrating the 95th birthday of Sir Peter Wright, who produced this version of the show. 

"Giselle" is rooted in two classic tomes — Victor Hugo’s Fantômes and Heinrich Heine’s De l’Allemagne — and was adapted by Sir Peter Wright in 1965. Margaret Barbieri, assistant director of the Sarasota Ballet, performed in "Giselle" at the Royal Opera House in London, and now she's helping keep the opera alive by coach dancers of a new generation.

The performances will be accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra, which will be led by guest conductor Jared Oaks, music director of Ballet West. Continues 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Winter Showcase

7 p.m. at SCD Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts

$20 in person, $10 virtually

Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org

The Sarasota Contemporary Dance ensemble will present a number of works choreographed by associate directors Xiao-Xuan Dancigers and Melissa Rummel, and you can watch the dancers live in person or from the comfort of your couch. There will also be two showings of the Winter Showcase at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday.

A Mingus Holiday with the Michael Ross 5

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$18 for members, $20 for non-members

Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville/

Bebop into the holiday season with bassist Michael Ross and Charles Mingus. Ross, a longtime member of Tampa Bay jazz stalwarts Liquid Bebop, will play some Mingus favorites, some signature tunes of his own and some holiday classics. Ross will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalists Daniel Jordan and David Pate, pianist Anthony Aldissi and drummer John Jenkins.

The Edge of Music with Luke Stewart

5:30 p.m. at Booker High School, 3201 N. Orange Ave.

$5 for registration

Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org

Jazz bassist and Hermitage Fellow Luke Stewart will share some of his work as well as play a jam session with local artists at Booker High School, and he'll also chat with the audience about his roots and his path to success in the music industry.

Sunday

Chamber Soirée

4 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$38-$48

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org

The Sarasota String Quartet, consisting of violinists Daniel Jordan and Christopher Takeda, viola player Rachel Halvorson and cellist Natalie Helm, will take on a selection of works by Mozart, Schubert and Caroline Shaw. The 95-minute show includes a 15-minute intermission.

'What Sweeter Music'

5 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave.

$35

Visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org

Join featured artists mezzo-soprano Amy Jo Connours and organists Sam Nelson and Ann Stephenson-Moe for an evening of holiday classics with Choral Artists of Sarasota. Many of the tunes were arranged by venerable Canadian Brass quintet, and lead trumpet will be played by founding member Ronald Romm. The title of the show comes from the song "What Sweeter Music" by John Rutter.

Monday

Robert Phillips

7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2256 Bahia Vista St.

Free

Visit GuitarSarasota.org

Classical guitarist Robert Phillips plays Sarasota as part of Guitar Sarasota's Emerging Artists series, which brings local and regional musicians to play and participate in a question-and-answer session. Phillips, a resident of central Florida, made his recital debut at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1987, and he's been recording and performing steadily for decades.

Ringling by the Bay

5:30 p.m. at Bolgier Campiello, 5401 Bayshore Road

$20

Visit Ringling.org

Seven-piece tropical dance band Big Night Out headlines the latest edition of the Ringling by the Bay festival, which brings food and drink and dancing to the bayfront 11 times November through May. 

John McEuen

7 p.m. at McCurdy's Comedy, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$37

Visit McCurdysComedy.com

Don't let the circle be broken. John McEuen, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, will play as part of McGurdy's Music Monday series and will share his memories of the landmark Will The Circle Be Unbroken platinum album. McEuen, a recent inductee to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame, will be supported by guitarists John Cable and Bart Hanchey.

'Love and Bossa Nova'

7:30 p.m. at FST's John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.

$38; members $35

Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Daniela Soledade, a native of Rio de Janeiro, will headline the Monday Night Jazz Cabaret with Florida-based guitarist Nate Najar. Soledade released her debut album, "A Moment of You," in 2019, and she is the granddaughter of early Bossa Nova composer Paulo Soledade. Najar, who hails from nearby St. Petersburg, is influenced by the styling of jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd.

Tuesday

Johnny Wild & The Delights

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre's Jervey Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice

$28

Visit VeniceTheatre.org

Johnny Wild & The Delights, a retro band specializing in the sockhop hits of the '50s and '60s, will bring its Christmas Spectacular show to the Jervey Theatre for an evening of classic Christmas tunes and revelry. Runs through Wednesday.

Wednesday

'A Christmas Carol' 

7:30 p.m. at Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail

$36.50

Visit ThePlayers.org

Sit tight as Jim Floyd brings Ebenezer Scrooge — and several other characters — from Charles Dickens' legendary "A Christmas Carol" to life. Floyd starts in the one-man show, which is an adaptation of the Dickens classic by Greg Bodine. Runs through Thursday.

Winter Dreams: Discover Mozart

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$27-$65

Visit SarasotaOpera.org

Conductor Sameer Patel leads a program that begins with Debussy's "Petite Suite" and concludes with Mozart's Symphony No. 31. Violinist Geneva Lewis will be featured on pieces by Massenet and Vivaldi.