Performing Arts Center Packed for December
The Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026. Just prior to that, December looks to be packed with great performances from a wide range of artistic talent. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.
An Intimate Evening with David Foster & Katharine McPhee
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Old Town Holiday Series
Sixteen-time Grammy-winning musician, songwriter and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television and Broadway star Katharine McPhee are taking their show on the road. This intimate performance by the powerhouse duo will be packed with Foster’s hits by artists such as Chicago, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé, as well as McPhee’s biggest songs from American Idol, Smash and Waitress. Don’t miss this special holiday concert, also featuring some of the artists’ favorite seasonal songs. This performance is sponsored by Nick and Joni Hrisomalos.
Songbook Foundation Holiday Film Screening
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4
Payne & Mencias Palladium
The Great American Songbook Foundation will celebrate Rosemary Clooney’s enduring impact on popular culture with a festive screening of a classic 1950s Christmas musical, followed by a live talkback and Q&A with Clooney’s daughter Maria Ferrer Murdock. The event also will include a display of related historical items drawn from the collections of the Songbook Library & Archives and the Rosemary Clooney House in Augusta, Kentucky.
Jon McLaughlin & Friends: Home for the Holidays
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Old Town Holiday Series
Returning for the third-straight season, Hoosier-born singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin will perform original Christmas tunes as well as holiday classics alongside some of his talented friends. The Anderson native has been attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery since his 2007 debut album, Indiana. He has released several full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. Joining him again will be American Idol winner Kris Allen and pop/soul singer-songwriter David Davis, as well as singer and Broadway actress Morgan James.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Creole Christmas
7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Old Town Holiday Series
Celebrate the season as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band takes the stage with Creole Christmas, a performance featuring New Orleans classics as well as beloved holiday selections with a twist. Founded in 1963, the band takes its name from Preservation Hall, the humble but historic French Quarter music venue dedicated to keeping the past and future of jazz alive. Its recent releases redefine modern New Orleans music by tapping into sonic elements that stretch back to the city’s Afro-Cuban roots and reach forward to contemporary artists like Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and Arcade Fire.
Samantha Fish, Cedric Burnside and Jon Spencer: Shake ‘Em On Down Tour
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Printing Partners Encore Series
Expect an unforgettable night featuring three artists who define the present and future of blues-rock. Grammy nominee Samantha Fish has earned critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase with her guitar skills and captivating vocals. Grammy-winner Cedric Burnside carries the Mississippi blues legacy of his grandfather, the legendary R.L. Burnside. Jon Spencer is best known for blending blues, punk and garage rock with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2025
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Old Town Holiday Series
In the 28th anniversary edition of the world’s longest-running jazz-based Christmas tour, saxophonist Dave Koz and his musical friends will perform fresh renditions of timeless Christmas classics – as well as a Chanukah medley – along with hits from their respective catalogs. Across three decades, Koz has racked up honors and achievements including nine Grammy nominations, 11 No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, and a 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Joining him this year are frequent collaborator Jonathan Butler; singer-songwriter Haley Reinhart, a veteran of American Idol and Postmodern Jukebox; musician Casey Abrams, also an American Idol alumnus; and jazz pianist Kayla Waters
8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13
Payne & Mencias Palladium
Old Town Holiday Series
Over the course of his three-decade plus career, Platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated singer and actor Chris Isaak has performed to sold-out crowds across the globe with his longtime band, Silvertone. His music and film credits include 13 critically acclaimed studio albums, 12 chart-topping singles (including “Wicked Game”) and several motion pictures, such as The Silence of the Lambs and That Thing You Do! Behind the scenes, he has created music for film soundtracks including Eyes Wide Shut, True Romance, Wild at Heart and Blue Velvet. Isaak also starred in the critically acclaimed television series The Chris Isaak Show on Showtime.
OTHER DECEMBER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Songbook Academy Sings the Songs of the Season
4 & 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22
Payne & Mencias Palladium
The Great American Songbook Foundation presents a cabaret-style holiday concert featuring talented young singers from across the country who have participated in the Songbook Academy® summer intensive. Many are now performing professionally or studying in prestigious college arts programs. This year, the tradition moves to the Payne & Mencias Palladium, with two showtimes and an intimate onstage seating configuration.
Peanut Butter & Jam: Melchior Marionettes’ Holiday Cabaret on Strings
10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13
The Studio Theater
Tickets: $10 per child, includes two free adult admissions
Skilled puppeteers deliver a fast-paced, entertaining cabaret performance with handcrafted marionettes. Children of all ages can dance and sing along with holiday classics and other favorites. PB&J sessions are designed to engage children ages 1-7 in the performing arts.
Civic Theatre
Dec. 5-27 – The Tarkington
Indiana Wind Symphony
4 p.m. Sunday, Dec 7 – Payne & Mencias Palladium
Carmel Symphony Orchestra
Holiday Pops with the CSO: Spirit of the Season
2 & 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 – Payne & Mencias Palladium