Theater
'A Civil War Christmas'
Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman and John Wilkes Booth will share a stage next month when TheatreWorks presents a musical set on Christmas Eve in 1864.

"A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration" was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel and premiered in 2008 at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. The story blends history with fiction and drama with holiday spirit, weaving traditional Christmas carols such as "Silent Night" and "O Christmas Tree" with 19th-century folk songs.

TheatreWorks founding artistic director Robert Kelley directs the production, with the cast including stage veterans C. Kelley Wright (who played the title role in TheatreWorks' "Caroline, or Change") as Elizabeth Keckley), Robert Parsons as Mr. Lincoln and Diana Torres Koss as Mrs. Lincoln.

The show previews Dec. 2-4 and then runs from Dec. 5 through Dec. 27 at the Lucie Stern Theatre at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are $24-$62. For more information, call 650-463-1960 or go to theatreworks.org.

Music
'From the Top'
"From the Top" is a weekly radio show hosted by pianist Christopher O'Riley that travels the country showcasing musical youth. On Dec. 5 at 8 p.m., the show will be recorded at Stanford University's Dinkelspiel Auditorium and will feature young Bay Area classical musicians

Performers will include the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra playing Corelli's "Christmas Concerto," and 13-year-old violinist Stephen Waarts of Los Altos playing Franz Waxman's "Carmen Fantasie" with O'Riley on piano.

"From the Top" celebrates its tenth anniversary year this season. Besides its national tour, the organization does school and community outreach and grants scholarships. The program airs on KDFC 102.1 FM every Sunday at 7 p.m.; the Stanford episode is scheduled to be heard the week of March 1.

Tickets to the Dec. 5 event are $40-$46 for adults, $20-$23 for youth under 18, and $10 for Stanford students. Go to livelyarts.stanford.edu or call 650-725-ARTS.

Bay Choral Guild
Like many an arts group in this tough economy, the Bay Choral Guild has scaled back, holding fewer concerts with orchestra.

However, the Palo Alto group's upcoming performances are bright spots, artistic director Sanford Dole says. Two gifts came in (a donation from the parents of a guild singer, and a grant from Arts Council Silicon Valley), and this weekend the choral guild will sing with the Jubilate Orchestra, an ensemble of period instruments.

The chorus first sang Handel's "Dixit Dominus" 30 years ago in its first season, and the time has come again. In his program notes, Dole praises the work for its "intoxicating" long melismatic riffs and "exquisite melodies."

The program also features Scarlatti's "Messa di Santa Cecilia" and Monteverdi's "Beatus vir."

The guild performs in Palo Alto at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, in St. Mark's Episcopal Church at 600 Colorado Ave. Other concerts are planned in Campbell and San Francisco. Tickets are $25 general, $20 for seniors and $6 for students. A preview lecture is scheduled 30 minutes before each concert. Go to www.baychoralguild.org.

Art
'Light in Motion'

Adele Seltzer's "Light in Motion" exhibition at the Bryant Street Gallery in Palo Alto is an exploration of abstract curves and colors. Some paintings glow with an intense orange-maroon warmth while others are balanced by a chilly light blue. The spiral motif also appears in the artist's work.

Over the past 30 years, Seltzer -- a painter, printmaker and metal sculptor -- has been featured in solo exhibitions around the Bay Area and in Washington, D.C. Her work has also been on display in Germany and New York.  She recently published a book with selections of her artwork, which can be ordered through www.adeleseltzer.com.

The gallery runs through Nov. 30 at 532 Bryant St. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Thursdays until 7 p.m. Go to www.bryantstreet.com or call 650-321-8155.