A Winter Cornucopia

NEW YORK — A month’s worth of noteworthy cultural events for your consideration.

‘Anthracite Fields’ at Carnegie Hall. Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, multimedia cantata weaves interviews, speeches and other relics of coal miners’ experiences into an orchestral work about industrial America. One performance only, at Zankel Hall; carnegiehall.org.

‘Lazarus’ at Alvin Ailey. Choreographer RennieHarris presents a new work inspired by the life of Alvin Ailey as part of the company’s 60th anniversary season. His two-act dance will be repeated several times during the company’s winter season. Through Dec. 30 at New York City Center; alvinailey.org.

‘Network’ on Broadway. Bryan Cranston stars in this adaptation of the 1976 film about a news anchor whose onscreen meltdown fuels his rise to stardom. The show, directed by Ivo van Hove, sold out its run at the National Theater in London. In previews; opens Dec. 6, with a limited run ending March 17; networkbroadway.com.

‘The Head and the Load’ at the Park Avenue Armory. South African artist William Kentridge presents a performance and installation (music, dance and projections) inspired by a Ghanaian proverb, “The head and the load are troubles of the neck.” The work explores how European countries used African supply carriers during World War I to bear the brunt of causalities in Africa. Dec. 4 to 15; armoryonpark.org.

‘The Jungle’ at St. Ann’s Warehouse. The play was written by two men who visited the Calais migrant camp in France and features a cast that includes several former residents. The immersive piece is an “intense evocation of the last days of the migrant encampment,” Ben Brantley wrote in The Times. Dec. 4 to Jan. 27; stannswarehouse.org.

Dorrance Dance at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Tap dancer Michelle Dorrance and sound designer Nicholas Van Young debut their new site-specific work, “Elemental.” Dec. 5 to 8; bam.org.

Z100’s Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden. Every year, radio giant iHeartRadio puts some of the biggest names in pop on a holiday tour. This year, Cardi B, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello will perform. One night only. msg.com.

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker at Kings Theater. Opulent sets, intricate costumes and life-size nesting dolls define this “The Nutcracker,” set to Tchaikovsky’s score. Recommended for ages 5 and older. One day only, at 2 and 7 p.m.; moscowballet.com.

Judson Dance Live at the Museum of Modern Art. Steve Paxton has danced for Merce Cunningham, collaborated with Robert Rauschenberg, and was a founding member of Judson Dance Theater. As part of MoMA’s retrospective of Judson Dance, daily performances of Paxton’s choreography are being held in the atrium, free with museum admission. Dec. 9 to 15; moma.org.

‘The Velvet Underground Experience’ at 718 Broadway. This two-story, 12,000-square-foot exhibition tracks the rise of one of the most influential bands in New York history. It combines projections, photographs, memorabilia and more in an attempt to recapture the magic of the moment that brought the band to life. Through Dec. 30; velvetunderground-experience.com.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo at the Joyce. These men bring serious skill to silly parody of ballet classics, including “Swan Lake” and Marius Petipa’s “The Little Humpbacked Horse” in one program, and Robert LaFosse’s Balanchine-tinged “Stars and Stripes Forever” in another (beginning Dec. 13). Dec. 11 to 30; joyce.org.

Martin Frost at Alice Tully Hall. This clarinetist brings youthful energy and marvelous skill to whatever piece he touches. In this appearance, with pianist Henrik Mawe, Frost will dive into the works of Brahms, but not before tastes of Vivaldi and Bartok. One performance only; lincolncenter.org.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ on Broadway. Jeff Daniels stars in Aaron Sorkin’s highly anticipated Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Celia Keenan-Bolger, LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Gbenga Akinnagbe also star; Bartlett Sher directs. Opens Dec. 13; tokillamockingbirdbroadway.com.

‘Roma’ on Netflix. This story of a live-in housekeeper and the family she cares for in 1970s Mexico is director Alfonso Cuarón’s most personal film yet. Though it is available on Netflix, Times critic Manohla Dargis urges viewers to see this gorgeously shot feature in theaters, if you can. netflix.com.

‘The Hard Nut’ at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Barbies and GI Joes come to life in Mark Morris’ pop “Nutcracker,” set in the groovy ‘70s, with a Waltz of the Snowflakes that would make Busby Berkeley proud (or jealous). Dec. 14 to 23; bam.org.

‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ in theaters. Director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) interprets James Baldwin’s classic about a Harlem woman seeking justice for her wrongly imprisoned husband. Opens nationwide Dec. 14.

‘Springsteen on Broadway’ on Netflix. The film version of Bruce Springsteen’s hit Broadway show will be released on the streaming service, after his final performance Dec. 15. In his review, Jesse Green described it as “a major statement about a life’s work, but also a major revision of it.” Released Dec. 16; netflix.com.

Cat Power at Brooklyn Steel. Singer and songwriter Chan Marshall considered retiring from music when she became pregnant in 2014. Instead, she returned this year with a new album. She will perform a mix of old favorites and new songs with a standout band on her “Wanderer” tour. One night only; catpowermusic.com.

‘Mary Poppins’ opens. The children from “Mary Poppins” need revisiting from their old nanny, who has magically transformed into Emily Blunt. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a lamplighter, and Dick Van Dyke appears as well. Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) directed.

‘Aquaman’ opens. Warner Bros. brings the trident-wielding ruler of Atlantis to the big screen with splashy special effects. Jason Momoa is in the title role, with a starry supporting cast that includes Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson and voice work by Julie Andrews.

Make Music New York across New York City. If immersive performance is your thing, then this annual “explosion of mostly participatory, mostly al fresco musical ‘parades'” in celebration of the Winter Solstice is just the thing for you. makemusicny.org.

Julia Bullock at the Cloisters. This radiant young soprano will perform John Adams’ oratorio “El Niño” in the medieval atmosphere of the Cloisters. It’s not your grandma’s Christmas carols. Free with museum admission. Dec. 21 and 22; metmuseum.org.

‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’ at the New-York Historical Society. So you think you know all about Harry Potter’s origin story. Think again! This exhibition reveals all by exploring J.K. Rowling’s folkloric, cultural and scientific influences for her magical series. Through Jan. 27; nyhistory.org.

‘The Magic Flute’ at the Metropolitan Opera. This abridged English translation of Mozart’s classic, with costumes and puppets by Julie Taymor, has become a holiday tradition. With a running time of about 100 minutes and no intermission, it is designed for families. Through Jan. 5; metopera.org.

Christmas Day movie openings. These films will be bringing you politics, justice and crime. Adam McKay helms “Vice,” the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic biopic about Dick Cheney. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life gets the big-screen treatment in “On the Basis of Sex,” starring Felicity Jones. And Nicole Kidman gives a transformative performance as an alcoholic Los Angeles detective on the hunt for criminals in “Destroyer.”

Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s/54 Below. One of the biggest names in cabaret celebrates the holidays with a new show, “Swingin’ With the Season.” And since Feinstein is a leading interpreter of the American Songbook, expect to hear some nonholiday gems from Porter and Gershwin as well. Dec. 23 to 30; 54below.com.

‘True West’ on Broadway. Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano star in this revival of Sam Shepard’s explosive classic about sibling rivalry. Previews begin Dec. 17; opens Jan. 24, ends March 17; roundabouttheatre.org.

‘Down These Mean Streets: Community and Place in Urban Photography’ at El Museo del Barrio. These photographs of New York and Los Angeles, including John M. Valadez’s “Couple Balam” (1978), “are a blend of documentary and portraiture,” Times critic Holland Cotter wrote. And though they record poverty, the works also show the “creativity encouraged by having to make do.” Through Jan. 6; elmuseobarrio.org.

‘Kwanzaa Celebration: Regeneration Night’ at the Apollo Theater. Abdel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theater leads this annual celebration, which takes place midway through the seven-day festival of African and African-American culture and history. Two performances, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; apollotheater.org.

‘Bodys Isek Kingelez: City Dreams’ at MoMA. This Congolese polymath used cardboard, glue and sheets of tinted plastic to build whimsical dream cities. His colorful models have delighted the young and old for months now. It’s a show that shouldn’t be missed. Hurry! It closes Jan. 1; moma.org.