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NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Friday Forget what the TV commercials tell you, the holidays don't really begin until Dec. 3, when the president flicks the switch that lights up the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse. If you love the pageantry of the event, we have some good news: The...

Listen to former secretary of state Madeleine Albright discuss her collection of ornamental pins and brooches -- and how she used them to signal her moods and diplomatic views -- Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the 22nd Annual Washington Craft Show. Albright will autograph copies of her new book, "Read My...

There's barely a chill in the air, but it's never too early to start thinking about holiday concerts and light displays. To have your event listed in Weekend's annual guide to holiday activities, send the information now.

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If you think all bird-watchers do is sit stock still for hours waiting to catch a glimpse of a handful of geese, starlings and finches, then you need to take a walk with the Prince George's Audubon Society.

The stereotype of rock musicians paints them as flaky, unrealistic and even irresponsible. But Sam Simkoff, 25, frontman for indie-rock band Le Loup, comes across as remarkably (and a little disappointingly) not stereotypical.

Amy Millan "Masters of the Burial" Kindred spirits: Jenny Lewis, She and Him Show: Sunday at DC9. Doors open at 8 p.m. 202-483-5000. http://www.dcnine.com. By her own admission, labeling Amy Millan's new album as a solo record is a bit of a misnomer. Laden with guest stars and peppered with cove...

Prices listed where available. SONGSPIEL through Nov. 14. Friday and Saturday at 8, Sunday at 5. Presented by American Opera Theater. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., Baltimore. 800-838-3006 or http://www.americanoperatheater.org . $30-$60.

SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES "The Stars Are Out" Kindred spirits: Lucinda Williams, Anne McCue, Kathleen Edwards Show: Thursday with Eilen Jewell at Jammin' Java. Show starts at 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. http://www.jamminjava.com. It's a tough task to make a lovelorn song by the Magnetic Fields...

PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT "The Thao & Justin Power Sessions" THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN "Know Better Learn Faster" Kindred spirits: John Cale, Decemberists, Bettie Serveert, Kronos Quartet Show: Friday at the Black Cat. Show starts at 9 p.m. 202-667-4490. http://www.blackcatdc.com. Classic...

WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION "WPA" Kindred spirits: Tom Petty, Jackson Browne Show: Wednesday at the Barns at Wolf Trap. Show starts at 8 p.m. 877-965-3872. http://www.wolftrap.org. It would be wrong to call the Works Progress Administration a collaborative, but the lineup does bring the word to...

The buzz: Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar wants to fly as low under the radar as possible. There's no sign outside the nondescript H Street building -- just a couple of purple lights that color the facade after dark. There's no phone at the bar. The Web site lists only the address and hours (5...

SHARON THOMAS Friday at noon. Old Post Office Pavilion, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-289-4224 or http://www.oldpostofficedc.com . Free.

Prices listed where available. BLACK CAT Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, the Portland Cello Project, Friday, $15; Sorted with DJ Stereo Faith, Friday, $7; Le Loup and Pree, Saturday, $12; Mae, Jenny Owen Youngs and Hotspur, Sunday, $13 in advance, $15 at the door; Bryan Scary & the Shredding...

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster for Jeff Dunham Jan. 21 at Verizon Center ($46.50). . . . Tickets go on sale Friday at noon through Ticketmaster for these shows at the Birchmere: Burlesque-A-Pades! starring the World Famous Pontani Sisters Feb. 14 ($29.50); Gaelic Storm...

At a glance: Peek through the windows of the Black Bear Bistro in historic Warrenton, and chances are, it'll look familiar. Most pubs in our region share an affinity for lodge-like green walls, homey wood finishing, beers on tap and burgers on the menu.

FotoWeek DC is back. From Saturday through Nov. 14, the second annual celebration of all things photographic will provide a mountain of offerings designed to appeal to the region's shutterbugs, photo collectors, art students, dealers, camera gearheads and gawkers.

"AND THOSE WHO WERE DANCING WERE THOUGHT TO BE INSANE BY THOSE WHO COULD NOT HEAR THE MUSIC" A solo exhibition by Cole Sternberg that uses layered text, spray paint, watercolors and oil, Saturday through Dec. 20 at the American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Open...

Mark your calendar for the invasion of the nation's capital by 15 of China's terra-cotta warriors, and catch a glimpse of how the Japanese fix broken plates before the exhibit at the Freer closes.

A new wave of Chinese music is pushing aside the saccharine pop the country has been known for. Photographer Matthew Niederhauser documents the burgeoning Beijing music scene in a new book of photographs, selections from which are on view through Nov. 28 in "Sound Kapital: Beijing's Music...

What do you want for Christmas? Movie-wise, it's gotten to the point where a good story and maybe a star or two would do. With Hollywood feeling the financial pinch along with the rest of the country, the studios are more inclined than ever to go for the sure thing. In audience terms, that means...

Never mind its wonky name: Every fall, the European Union Film Showcase lures thousands of movie buffs angling for a peek at next year's edgiest foreign films -- the ones that will probably be Oscar contenders and the ones that have won over those notoriously uncivil Cannes crowds.

You'd have to be out of your mind to object to watching George Clooney -- in full Clark Gable mode, no less -- for an hour and a half. But he's part of the problem with " The Men Who Stare at Goats ," a wartime satire that glides along with an easy, slightly gonzo grin on its face but never quite...

I cannot tell a lie: I almost didn't hang in with "A Woman in Berlin" through its first hour, when an unnamed German woman (Nina Hoss) living in a demolished Berlin in 1945 is repeatedly raped and brutalized by the Russian soldiers who invaded and occupied the city in the waning days of World War...

"Disney's A Christmas Carol" is a tall glass of Dickens with a "Beetlejuice" chaser.

If you didn't know that it was based on a true story, " Skin " would be a little hard to believe.

The first big laugh in "(Untitled)," a smart and funny satire of the contemporary New York art scene, comes, unsurprisingly, via a sight gag. Looking out from a concert poster, the face of avant-garde sound artist Adrian Jacobs (Adam Goldberg) stares down the viewer, his expression a frozen mask of...

Someone -- or something -- has been terrorizing the people of Nome, Alaska.

Julius Shulman, the irrepressible and engaging subject of the documentary "Visual Acoustics," was no ordinary architectural photographer, and his long and productive career makes for a fascinating primer in modern architecture, Los Angeles history and the meaning of a well-lived life.

"You cannot forget a Sherman brothers song for the rest of your life," says Pixar mastermind John Lasseter in an interview at the beginning of "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story," a new documentary about the Oscar-winning songwriting duo. That might be praise, or, given that they were responsible...

The Box A box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that pushing the button inside will give them a million dollars and automatically kill a stranger in "The Box." Cameron Diaz stars. PG-13. Area theaters. This movie did not screen in time for review. Contains thematic elements,...

Capsule reviews of recent releases playing in area theaters. Movies that opened Oct. 23 or later include the Post critic's star rating. Movies not reviewed by The Post will be marked "NR" for not rated. For older movies, see the Movie Directory.

Anyone who has been sucked into the intrigue and lickety-split pacing of a top-notch contemporary thriller should thank Alfred Hitchcock. More specifically, they may want to thank Hitchcock for "North by Northwest."

The basics: This documentary from Robert Kenner lifts the curtain on the workings of the modern food system, highlighting how our food supply is controlled by a handful of corporations.

AFI EUROPEAN UNION FILM SHOWCASE "Eamon," Friday at 5, Saturday at 1:45 and Wednesday at 7:05. "Rembrandt's J'accuse," Friday at 5, Saturday at noon and Monday at 9. "Made in Hungaria," Friday at 7 and Saturday at 2:45. "The Happiest Girl in the World," Friday at 7:15 and Sunday at 12:45. "To Die...

Disney's A Christmas Carol (PG, 96 minutes). It's hard to know what age group this dour, ultra-spooky animated adaptation of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" will appeal to. A showcase for actor Jim Carrey and advances in a particular type of computer animation, it seems too frightening and ...

A star (*) denotes a show recommended by our critics.

Next summer, the Capital Fringe Festival reaches a landmark anniversary: five years . That's a minor miracle for a theater festival that seemingly came out of nowhere in 2006, with no major theater companies taking part and no big-name shows.

On sale now: Shakespeare Theatre Company stages "As You Like It" with a musical twist Nov. 17 through Dec. 20. 202-547-1122. $20-$82. http://www.shakespearetheatre.org . . . . Olney Theatre Center presents "Camelot," the classic Lerner and Loewe musical about King Arthur, Nov. 18 through Jan. 3....

DRACULA, A FAMILY MUSICAL A performance based on the novel by Bram Stoker, featuring seven original songs, by the Georgetown Theatre Company, through Sunday. Saturday at 1:30 and Sunday at 1:30. The Shops at Georgetown Park, 3222 M St. NW. 703-271-7770 or http://www.georgetowntheatre.org .

The festival, featuring free performances, film screenings and events by artists from across Europe, runs through Monday. For more information, call 202-944-6558 or visit http://www.kidseurofestival.org .

Prices listed where available. "TOYLAND" Friday and Thursday at 10 and 11:30, Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 and 1, through Nov. 20. In this puppet show, Mother Goose, Little Bo Peep and Tom the Piper's son must find the Toymaker, stop the bad guy and sing their way to a happy ending. Glen Echo Park,...

Calling all young artists to Weekend's Holiday Wrapping Paper Contest! We want Washington area kids to design their own holiday gift wrap and send it to us.

WIZARDS Sunday against the Phoenix Suns at 1. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-397-7328 or http://www.nba.com/wizards . $10-$2,250.

Prices listed where available. WASHINGTON CRAFT SHOW Friday 10 to 8, Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday 11 to 5. Leading craft artists from 34 states and the District have been selected for the massive juried show. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl. NW. 202-249-3400 or...