It’s normal to leave a performance of “The Nutcracker” wanting to waltz to Tchaikovsky’s Grande Pas de Deux, but most renditions of this Christmas classic do not leave audiences hungry. Read more...

Operetta, the long-neglected cousin of opera and musical theater, is finally getting some much-deserved recognition thanks to operetta expert Dr. Michael D. Miller, a professor of advanced mathematics at UCLA Extension. Read more...

“Ocean’s Twelve” Directed by Steven Soderbergh Warner Bros. Life was already difficult for the motley crew of professional thieves, with a vengeance-obsessed casino owner demanding their money and perhaps their lives. Read more...

To musical theater producers at least, nothing screams holiday cheer like the French Revolution. That’s right, everyone’s favorite three-hour sung-through musical about poor people and empty Parisian cafes, “Les Misérables,” based on the Victor Hugo novel, opened last week in the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood for a month-long run through Jan. Read more...

Nas “Street’s Disciple” Sony Urban Music/Columbia The double LP has traditionally marked the winding down of a career for hip-hop artists. “Life After Death” and “All Eyez On Me” were respectively the last albums the Notorious B.I.G. Read more...

Ditch the stupid party hats. Forget those annoying noise-makers. And save the cheap champagne for another night. New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be all about sitting in front of television watching a three-hour-old tape delay of the ball dropping in Times Square. Read more...

Ranging from respectful choir performances to “The O.C. Chrismukkah Mix,” holiday music is often hit-and-miss. For the faithful, though, hearing genuinely religious music can be a profound experience. Read more...