The Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment

Multiple stagings of are taking place in Albuquerque this month, but Festival Ballet Albuquerque takes a unique approach to the holiday classic. Its production is set in 19th-century Northern New Mexico, complete with Southwestern snake-handlers, jackalope, sheep and shepherdesses, a snow-covered piñón forest, and western, Victorian-era costumes. The ballet company partners with the National Hispanic Cultural Center to present its annual Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment, performed with a live orchestra under the baton of maestro Guillermo Figueroa. Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s Albuquerque Journal Theatre, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque. Tickets are $14 to $49; 505-296-9465, nhccnm.org. — L.L.

Hard-hitting, controversial topics that engage the community — from end-of-life options to a housing development that could threaten Santa Fe’s historical integrity — are the focus each Sunday when Journey Santa Fe hosts talks at Collected Works Bookstore (202 Galisteo St.). Next up, at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas and Emily Kaltenbach, executive director of New Mexico Drug Policy Alliance, talks about the opioid crisis in New Mexico and provides updates on the lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. Events are free; journeysantafe.com. Can’t make the live event? Talks are available to stream online at journeysantafe.libsyn.com/podcast. — L.L.