5 things to do this weekend, including Asian American Ballet Project's 'Reclamation' and Boston's annual 'Black Nativity' – WBUR

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December brings many early holiday celebrations, from lively concerts held at Cambridge’s Club Passim to Boston’s annual production of “Black Nativity” based on a work by Langston Hughes. There is also a makers market coming to Somerville this weekend, a screening from the Asian American Ballet Project and a play that conjures the memory of Beethoven. See all our event suggestions below.
Immerse yourself in “Reclamation,” a dance film created by the Asian American Ballet Project, premiering at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Free First Thursday. A meaningful dive into the themes of ancestry, heritage and history, “Reclamation” examines a 2024 ballet collaboration between artist Kathy Eow, musician Yoona Kim and choreographer Zoe Mueller. The work that they created for AADP’s concert “Intersections” blended together spoken word, dance and live music and told the story of a “transracial adoptee’s journey reclaiming her family legacy,” according to a press release. The film will be presented on a loop from 3-8 p.m., and there will be an artist talk at 6:15 p.m. with AADP Artistic Director Elizabeth Mochizuki (one of WBUR’s 2024 Makers) and Kathy Eow. Tickets online are currently sold out, but walk-ins are welcome while there is space.
Harvard Square’s Club Passim has organized two holiday concerts this week: Tony Trischka’s “Holiday Show: Of a Winter’s Night” and Sol y Canto’s “Bilingual Holiday Parranda!” Trischka is a banjo player who will perform Bluegrass and American music befitting this celebratory season on Thursday. Pan-Latin ensemble Sol y Canto brings a festive singalong party on Saturday, playing classic tunes from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Latin America. Led by singer/percussionist Rosi Amador and guitarist/singer/composer Brian Amador, the group promises to deliver an experience akin to when singers appear at your doorstep out of the blue. Tickets for non-members are $37 for Trischka’s show and $35 for Sol y Canto.
Arlekin Players’ Theatre, a company that performs works in Russian and English, presents a short engagement for a play by Valeriy Pecheykin, “Beethoven.” Directed by Yana Gladkikh, the show depicts memories and moments from the German composer’s life, revealing how music served as a powerful, redemptive response to his experience with deafness, poverty and loneliness. Performed in Russian, the production features Beethoven’s masterpieces, as well as original melodies composed and performed by Boston musician Sarah Infini Takagi. Tickets cost $59.
The National Center of Afro-American Artists will honor 55 years of its production  “Black Nativity” by Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes. The show, held in the Emerson Paramount Center, relates the narrative of Jesus’ birth from the perspective of Black Americans in the early 20th century. Led under the artistic direction of NCAAA founder Elma Lewis and with musical arrangements and adaptations by NCAAA founding music director John Andrew Ross, the performance promises rousing gospel harmonies, African drum rhythms and an inspirational message of hope. General admission tickets start at $55.
Shop for the perfect, unique holiday gift at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville’s Davis Square. Small Mart Holiday Market will host over 50 local small businesses and artists selling vintage goods, handmade treasures and one-of-a-kind creations with character. Vendors include Broken Cup Teahouse, Thrift Squad, Bee-Rex Crafts, Ampersand Glassworks and artist Allison Tanenhaus. This year, the market has expanded into the mezzanine of the Somerville Theatre. Entry is free, and passersby can drop in between 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Shira Laucharoen is a contributor to WBUR's arts and culture section.
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