What if -- just for laughs -- you took those familiar holiday tales involving Rudolph and Frosty, tossed in the miserable Grinch and borrowed some plot details from "It's a Wonderful Life"? That's kind of what a few holiday-weary writers did when they created "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)." Etico Productions, headed by local theater veteran John M. Manfredi, is staging a new production of the off-kilter satire tonight at the Palace, and show creators promise that it "leaves no dreidel unturned in search of holiday cheer."

7:30 tonight, the Palace of Auburn Hills, I-75 at exit 81. 248-377-0100. $15 and up.

Look out, choirboys and choirgirls! You're in big demand this weekend. School choirs from Grosse Pointe South and Andover in Bloomfield Hills will be joining the DSO for holiday shows Friday-Sunday (see details, Page 18), while choirs from Seaholm in Birmingham and Groves in Beverly Hills will be delivering seasonal favorites with the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony. The BBSO event, titled "Make a Joyful Noise," will also find the orchestra performing a program that includes Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on 'Greensleeves' " and Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys."

7 p.m. Sunday, Wylie E. Groves High School, 20500 W. Thirteen Mile, Beverly Hills. 248-352-2276. www.bbso.org. $25, $22 advance.

Karen Newman kicks off Red Wings games with her stirring renditions of the national anthem. On Wednesday, she'll kick off the home stretch leading up to the holidays with "Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue," a concert of original songs and seasonal favorites. The show takes its title from the song "Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue," which appeared on Newman's 2000 album "What Christmas Means to Me." Over the years, the tune has become a holiday staple on local radio and is featured annually in Detroit's Thanksgiving Day parade.

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward, Detroit. 313-983-6611. $23.50, $48.50.

Weekend revelers in need of a little spice to offset all the holiday sugar can head to Windsor to take in the Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Revue. Model-actress (and frequent Playboy magazine guest) Carmen Electra will headline an evening that promises to be both naughty and nice. Expect skimpy costumes, Vegas-style dance moves and Dolls hits like "Don't Cha," "Foxy Lady" and "When I Grow Up," though the Pussycat Dolls pop group itself isn't part of the performance.

9 p.m. Saturday, Caesars Windsor, 377 Riverside Drive, Windsor. 800-991-7777. www.caesarswindsor.com. $25 and up Canadian.

Now here's an event that can give you the kind of momentum you'll need to get through the days leading up to Christmas. The annual Xmas Roller Skating Bash @ Bonaventure puts the holiday on wheels at the popular skating center in Farmington Hills. The evening comes with a lengthy lineup of DJs (think Mike Scroggs, DJ Godfather and Maz, for starters), plus Tone on percussion and a video wall. There also will be a full bar to help make spirits bright.

9 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday, Bonaventure Family Skating Center, 24505 Halsted, Farmington Hills. 248-476-2200. Details, Page 20.