It is hard to fathom why, exactly, “King of the Hill” has caught on. The style of this cartoon look at a suburban Texas family is too laconic, its charms too subtle, for popular appeal. And Mike Judge, of “Beavis and Butt-head” infamy, is behind it. But popular it is, as well as sharp-witted, and richly human, as evidenced by Sunday’s Christmas episode (7:30 p.m., WFLD-Ch. 32), which sees patriarch Hank Hill’s mom coming for a holiday visit, along with her Jewish boyfriend, voiced by Carl Reiner.
— Steve Johnson
JAZZ: THE MUSICAL PRIEST
It’s possible that most listeners who hear guitarist John Moulder perform don’t realize that he’s also a Roman Catholic priest. In a way, though, that interesting fact may be beside the point, for Moulder stands as one of the most accomplished and noteworthy jazz guitarists working in Chicago. Though his music covers a broad range of styles and aesthetic languages, the sheer intensity of his expression and the fluidity of his technique make him an unusually eloquent jazz improviser. He’ll perform Friday and Saturday at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway. 773-878-5552.
— Howard Reich.
ROCK: BRING THE NOISE
Tranquility Bass is the one-man studio brainchild of Mike Kandel, who combined real instruments with electronic textures on his debut album, “Let the Freak Flag Fly,” one of the year’s best releases. For his live shows, the Chicago native has recruited a rock ensemble to bring out the guitar-jam possibilities in his swirling, multi-part compositions. Though there were some rough spots in the group’s local debut a few months ago, Tranquility Bass returns Saturday to Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., as a more experienced road band. 773-489-3160.
— Greg Kot
THEATER: ARF! ARF!
Openings dwindle to a handful this close to the holidays, but at least there’s “Annie,” a musical with a holiday theme, coming back with Nell Carter again as Miss Hannigan. The production opens Tuesday at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., with Brittny Kissinger playing the title role. Martin Charnin directs this revival of the “Tomorrow” show. 312-902-1500.
— Sid Smith
CLASSICAL: A `MERRY’ HOLIDAY
Few Viennese operettas have held the boards with the enduring popularity of Franz Lehar’s “The Merry Widow.” The show that gave us the romantic hit tune “Vilia” will close Light Opera Works’ 1997 season with seven holiday performances beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. Roger L. Bingaman conducts, with staging by Russian director Kerill Strezhnev and designs by Sergey Alexsandrov. Heading the cast will be Debra Rentz in the title role of Hanna Glawari, Troy Clark as Count Danilo and Mark James Meier and Kathleen McCoy as the secondary pair of lovers. Adding Slavic spice to the Viennese dish will be members of the Russian folk dance and instrumental ensemble Zabava. 847-869-6300.
— John von Rhein
ART: JESUS ILLUSTRATED
You don’t have all the presents yet? Fear not. Jaroslav Pelikan’s “The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries” (Yale University Press) is an ideal Christmas gift – a new, enhanced edition of a 1985 text that examined the impact of Christ on various aspects of history. The added attraction is a group of more than 200 reproductions of religious art, indicating how each age interpreted Jesus in its own image. Always informative, the book has now become beautiful as well.
— Alan G. Artner
