Can't Miss It: Monday

The Emissary from the North Pole: If ever there was an opportune time to take your kids to go see the jolly big man from up North, it would be the beginning of December -- avoid the overwhelming crowds of the dreaded Black Weekend, and it's not so close to Christmas that the place would be filled with panicky parents. There are numerous emissaries to be found throughout the region, although St. Nick could be found in a couple of places in the downtown corridor: Macy's Santaland is the traditional hotspot, but the man could also be found at the Pacific Center's Santa Wonderland. Here's hoping your kid doesn't get scared of the man in red.

Today at 10:00a.m. (Pacific Place) and 11:00a.m. (Macy's) // See their respective websites of location information // Prices Vary

A Place in Fremont: Lots of virtual and literal ink has been spilled about Kevin Joyce's A Pale and Lovely Place running at Fremont's West of Lenin, and all of it is well deserved. The show returns after an absence of 12 years and may represent the last chance to go see the piece for another decade or so. Is it dark? Sure, but it's a comfortable and inexplicably entertaining darkness; the sort of thing that inspires gales of laughter immediately after gasps of shocked recognition.

Tonight at 8:00p.m. // West of Lenin, 203 North 36th Street // $19 - $21

A Rooster Named Foghorn, A Puka Named Harvey: Of course, those of us without children could just tend to the one found within each and every one of us (typically, underneath all of the booze-repressed memories) and indulge in the disarming and gently twisted double feature at the Grand Illusion. First on the bill is a collection of Warner Brothers cartoons directed by the legendary Chuck Jones and the unsung Robert McKimson; McKimson was just as adept at humorous chaos as his better known brethren, but skewed more toward Tex Avery than Jones. Next is the Jimmy Stewart charmer Harvey, in which Stewart befriends an imaginary rabbit-like creature with an odd first name...Or is it imaginary? The people around him are convinced Stewart is crazy, but go to comically insane lengths to prove it. Fun fun night.

Tonight at 7:00p.m. (Looney Tunes) and 9:00p.m. (Harvey) // Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 NE 50th Street // $8