From plays to dance productions to concerts, there are many ways the arts can make the holidays brighter.
• Southern Winds Theatre and Seminole Community College will present a one-man version of "A Christmas Carol," beginning Thursday.
David A. McElroy, who stars in the play, adapted it for the stage from the classic story by Charles Dickens. He plays 37 characters, including Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the ghosts.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the SCC Fine Arts Theatre on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus, at 100 Weldon Blvd.
Marylin McGinnis is directing the production. This is the 11th season that McElroy has presented his adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" and the second season he has performed it at SCC.
Tickets are $12 for general admission; $10 for seniors age 60 and older, students of other schools, and SCC faculty and staff; and $5 for currently enrolled SCC students.
For reservations, call 407-708-2040.
• Gallery on First, a gallery and working space for professional and emerging artists, will have a holiday open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Artwork by the studio artists will be on display, including watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings and pottery. Ornaments and art will be available for purchase, and light refreshments will be served.
The gallery is located at 211 E. First St. in Sanford. For details, call 407-323-2774 or go to www.galleryonfirst.com.
• Also presenting "A Christmas Carol" are the Seminole High School Drama Department's acting III and IV students.
The performance will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the school's Karen W. Coleman Performing Arts Center, at 2701 Ridgewood Ave. in Sanford.
Adapted by Doug Goheen from the Charles Dickens' tale, the play is being directed by Buddy Garrison. American Sign Language students will interpret the show for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Admission is $5 at the door. For details, call 407-320-5050.
• Seminole Community College will present a gospel concert and a holiday pops concert this month.
The SCC Gospel Choir, conducted by Maurice Terrell, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus Fine Arts Concert Hall, at 100 Weldon Blvd.
The program will include spirituals, anthems and traditional and contemporary gospel music.
The holiday pops concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Fine Arts Concert Hall.
The SCC Concert Chorale, Community Chorus and SeminoleSound, conducted by Dianna Campbell, will perform. Also performing will be the Gospel Choir, Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Terrell.
Admission to both concerts is free, and a reception will follow the holiday concert.
For details about SCC's Encore! Concert Series, call 407-708-2040.
• A group of Oviedo area potters will present a holiday sale and studio tour this weekend.
The fifth annual Oviedo Potters event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The tour is self-guided, and admission is free. Holiday treats will be served.
Participating potters are Barbara Bailey, Mary Loving and Ann Robinson, who have studios near historic downtown Oviedo.
Bailey is a professional potter and instructor at Crealde School of Art in Winter Park. Loving, a studio artist, became a full-time potter after retiring from nursing. Robinson is a former ceramics teacher for the city of Orlando, Crealde and Maitland Art Center.
In cooperation with the Oviedo Potters, the Artistic Hand in Oviedo will display work by artists and pottery students from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For tour maps and other details, call 407-365-7404 or go to www.oviedopotters.org.
• Two dance productions will be showcased this weekend at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in Sanford.
The Center for Contemporary Dance will present its annual holiday show, "Makulu," at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 4 p.m. Sunday. The show, an African tale about family, love and miracles, blends cultural music and contemporary African dance.
Also, Nao Dance will present "Alice Takes Wonderland" at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Nao is a resident dance company at the Center for Contemporary Dance in Winter Park.
The show is a contemporary twist on Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The show features improvisational choreography, original scores and live accompaniment.
Tickets for each production are $22 for general admission and $17 for college students with ID and seniors age 55 and older.
Up to four free tickets for children age 17 and younger are available with each paid adult. Free tickets for children, provided by Dance for Change, are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center is at Magnolia Avenue and Second Street. For tickets to "Makulu" and "Alice Takes Wonderland," call 407-695-8366 or go to www.thecenterfordance.org.
• The St. Luke's Concert Series will present three performances of its popular holiday concert this weekend.
The concerts feature the Brass Band of Central Florida, conducted by Michael J. Garasi. The band will be joined by a mass choir for a program of Christmas and holiday favorites.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, at 2021 W. State Road 426. Admission to all performances is free.
The church's concert series is in its 15th season. Free admission is made possible by individual donors and grant support.
For details, call 407-365-3408 or go to www.stlukes-oviedo.org.
• Roy McLendon of Vero Beach, a Florida Highwaymen artist, won best of show at the Longwood Arts and Crafts Festival.
The 32nd annual event, presented by the Central Florida Society for Historical Preservation, was held Nov. 22 and 23 in Longwood's historic district.
For details, call 407-331-7354 or go to www.cfshp.org.
• A group of senior artists who meet regularly at the Casselberry Art House are having an art sale on Saturday.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Art House, at 127 Quail Pond Circle, behind Casselberry City Hall.
The group meets on Friday afternoons to paint and socialize. For details, call 407-262-7720, Ext. 1303.
Items for Arts Alive can be sent to Jill Duff-Hoppes at magicjd@aol.com.