The Best Things To Do In LA And SoCal This Week: Dec. 13 - 16

Laugh the winter blues away at comedy shows. Catch a Christmas a cappella concert. View a boat parade. Hear Norman Lear talk about All in the Family. Watch the documentary, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Race in America. Taste modern Middle Eastern dishes at a one-night pop-up.

With COVID-19 variants out there, it's best to check ahead of time to make sure of event updates and vaccine/testing requirements.

Monday, Dec. 13; 8 p.m.

Barely Making It LA 
Bar Lubitsch 
7702 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood 
With this never-ending pandemic, everyone’s barely making it. But six comics return to the stage to entertain in person. Hosted by Madison Davis, the night features Rob Stern, Erick Hellwig, Scout Durwood, Melanie Maras, Zack Bornstein and Zainab Johnson.
COST: $10; MORE INFO 

Tuesday, Dec. 14; 8 p.m.

DāM-FunK
The Roxy
9009 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
The musician, vocalist and producer brings the beats and funk to the venerated Sunset Strip club for an all-ages show.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Dec. 14 - Sunday, Dec. 19

Both: A Hard Day’s Silent Night
Outdoor Stage
The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave., East Hollywood
Open Fist Theatre Company presents its annual Christmas nativity concert. The musicians and choir spread peace and joy with gospel arrangements of classic rock songs. Proceeds benefit Heart of Los Angeles, a nonprofit that works with underserved kids.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Dec. 14; 7 p.m.

75th Anniversary Screening of It’s A Wonderful Life
TCL Chinese 6 Theatre
6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 
The holiday classic stars James Stewart as a man who sees what the world would have been like had he never been born. Attendees are invited to be a part of the theater’s toy drive. Email info@chinesetheatres.com to attend the screening.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Dec. 14; 7:30 p.m.

The Tender Bar + Q&A with Tye Sheridan
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica 
Directed by George Clooney, the feature is based on J.R. Moehringer’s coming-of-age memoir, which follows J.R. (Tye Sheridan and Daniel Ranieri) who receives tutelage from his bartender uncle (Ben Affleck) and the bar’s colorful regulars. Sheridan participates in a post-screening Q&A. First-come, first-seated with RSVP. The RSVP does not guarantee a seat.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO 

Wednesday, Dec. 15 - Sunday, Dec. 19

The Newport Beach Boat Parade
Various locations around Newport Harbor
Watch yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes parade around the harbor, decorated to the theme, Jingle on the Waves. The parade begins and ends at the tip of Lido Isle, starting approximately at 6:30 each night.
COST: FREE viewing from most locations; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Dec. 15; 8 p.m.

Take 6
Smothers Theater at Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 
The Grammy Award-winning a cappella group performs a Christmas concert featuring their pristine harmonies mingled with elements of gospel, jazz, R&B and pop.
COST: $25 adults, $10 Pepperdine students; MORE INFO

Producer Norman Lear arrives for the 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel on January 19, 2019.

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LISA O'CONNOR

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AFP via Getty Images

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Wednesday, Dec. 15; 6 p.m. PT

An Evening with Norman Lear 
Virtual 
Live Talks Los Angeles premieres a taped, in-studio talk with the legend about his new book, All in the Family: The Show That Changed Television. As told to co-author Jim Colucci, the book celebrates the 50th anniversary of the debut of Lear’s groundbreaking series. They discuss some of the 50 episodes chosen for the book that exemplify the show's humor and relevance. The event also features many clips from the scenes discussed.
COST: $15 - $75; MORE INFO 

Wednesday, Dec. 15; 5 p.m. PT

Who We Are: A Chronicle of Race in America
Virtual
LACMA continues its Black Joy and Resilience film series with a documentary in which criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America. The film includes personal anecdotes, interviews and revelations. The post-screening conversation includes Robinson and directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Dec. 15; 12 p.m.

Animation Space: Multinationalism and the Soviet Animation Industry
Virtual
The Wende Museum’s 53rd Cold War Spaces lunchtime talk features an animation discussion between Maya Balakirsky Katz, associate professor of Jewish Art at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel; and Joes Segal, the Wende's chief curator and director of programming.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Thursday, Dec. 16; 8 p.m.

Popular Kids Club
Permanent Records
1906 Cypress Ave., Cypress Park
It’s the last show of the year for the popular kids. Hosted by Luke Wienecke, the outdoor comedy show features Dana Gould, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Nick Thune, Joe Mande and at least two big-name surprise guests. There’s also free pizza from Slasher Pizza, candy and prizes. Santa also makes an appearance at the end of the night. 21+.
COST: FREE / $5 suggested donation; MORE INFO

Thursday, Dec. 16; 5 p.m.

Piñata Making Party
Craft Contemporary Courtyard
5814 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
It’s Maker Night at the museum, and the Piñata Design Studio guides attendees through an easy piñata-making workshop. Learn about the history of the piñata in Mexican and indigenous celebrations, including the holiday ritual known as Las Posadas. Advanced registration required. Free for museum members. The night includes materials, drinks and snacks.
COST: $12; MORE INFO

Comedy at the Manor is a new weekly comedy show taking place in Highland Park.

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Courtesy of Comedy at the Manor

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Thursday, Dec. 16; 9 p.m.

Comedy at the Manor 
York Manor 
4908 York Blvd., Highland Park
The new weekly standup show takes place in the speakeasy below the iconic York Manor. Liza Treyger (King of Staten Island) hosts the night, which features the comedy of Rob Haze, Jared Logan, Laura Peek and Michael Joyce. The show is 18+.
COST: $10 - $15; MORE INFO

TV/Streaming Pick

MacGruber
The Saturday Night Live sketch “MacGruber” featured Will Forte in a parody of the MacGuyver TV series that ran from 1985-92. Forte and SNL co-star Kristen Wiig starred in a big screen version in 2010, and now MacGruber returns to the small screen in a new Peacock series. Forte and Wiig reprise their roles, joined by Ryan Phillippe, Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Zane, Joseph Lee Anderson and Timothy V. Murphy. The show streams on Dec. 16 on Peacock.

Order a gingerbread house kit from Huckleberry in Santa Monica.

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Elise Freimuth

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Dine and Drink Deals

Check out the 411 on restaurant, bar and food happenings in SoCal this weekend:

• Huckleberry pastry chef Laurel Almerinda bakes up eggnog bread pudding, strawberry cranberry trifle and Christmas cookies for the holiday season. Plus, the Santa Monica cafe has Holiday Cookie Decorating and Gingerbread House Kits, available Dec. 1-24 via Tock.
• Through Tuesday, Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts are holding a Toys for Tacos event. Drop off new, unwrapped toys in exchange for a free taco or donut at all Trejo’s locations. 
• Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak in Glendale celebrates the 12 days of whisky, featuring three, 1 oz. pours from a selected distiller. This week’s lineup includes Michter’s Distillery Bourbon, $39 (Monday); Rabbit Hole Distillery, $30 (Tuesday); Woodford Reserve, $24 (Wednesday); and Michter’s Distillery Rye, $54 (Thursday).
• Piccalilli, an Asian-fusion restaurant in Culver City, brings back its Night in Tel Aviv event on Wednesday, 5 - 10 p.m. Enjoy a menu of modern Middle Eastern dishes prepared by sous chef Liyam Ezer. They include yellowtail carpaccio ($19), a seafood kabab ($22), slow roast lamb wrapped in cabbage ($29) and spicy tahini ($14). Reservations are recommended.
• The craft cocktail destination The Green Room (hidden inside Burbank's Castaway restaurant) holds a Winter Wonderland pop-up through Jan. 2. The Green Room features seasonal holiday sweets, including the Dr. Seuss-inspired Whoville Holiday Cream Puffs with roasted apple, caramel and spiced cream. There's also the Drink up Grinches craft cocktail, showcasing bourbon, amaretto, Frangelico and Bailey’s. Winter Wonderland. The Green Room is open Thursdays - Sundays, 6 - 11 p.m.
• On Monday, 10 top female bartenders from L.A., Orange County and San Diego compete at the new Sueños in Laguna Beach. Using the sustainable artisanal tequila, Mijenta, they'll go through four rounds until the judges crown the winner.
• Melanie Wine Bar (8310 W. 3rd St.), opened for lunch last week with a menu of charred Spanish octopus, salt spring mussels, Dungeness crab squid ink fusilli, and a hanger steak with fries. Lunch happens Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.  
• Wild California Dungeness Crab season has arrived at Water Grill in Santa Monica and downtown L.A., and at King’s Fish House in Long Beach and Calabasas. The flavorful crab is caught in the waters off Morro Bay and San Francisco. The restaurants’ popular spiny lobster is still in season and available for a limited time.
• Chef Akira Back’s ABSteak, located on the ground level of the Beverly Center, reopened for dining on Dec. 3 after a long pandemic-induced shutdown. The revamped menu focuses on high-end Korean barbecue. (h/t Eater LA)
• Billy’s at the Beach offers great views and a special menu for the Newport Beach Boat Parade, Dec. 15 - 19. Nosh on pupus, tiki cocktails and entrees such as coconut macadamia halibut, Hawaiian roasted duck and a tomahawk ribeye while watching illuminated vessels float by.