The week after Christmas is one of those times that's either extra joyous or extra depressing, depending on your perspective. But what continues to be great is the quality of entertainment the area continues to bring our way, holiday time or not.

Below are your best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, December 27

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Blue Man Group
The Blue Man Group is one of the most memorable shows out there, and it remains entrancing even though you rarely get a peek at the performers hiding behind that blue makeup. They bring their unique blend of theater, music and paint to the Winspear Opera House, with seven remaining shows through Sunday.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Christmas Day may have been Tuesday, but Christmas season is still in full effect. The Meyerson Symphony Center hosts a rare concert without the Dallas Symphony Orchestra when Mannheim Steamroller hits the stage. The group plays two shows, on Thursday and Friday.

Friday, December 28

Lone Star Circus presents Cirque Banquiste
Dallas Children's Theater is usually known for its kid-friendly, in-house theater productions, but they take a short break from that to bring in the Lone Star Circus and its Cirque Banquiste show. Much like Cirque Dreams Holidaze, it features a variety of acrobats, jugglers, aerialists and other entertainers showcasing mind-boggling skills. It runs through January 1.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Forbidden Broadway
For theater lovers, it's one thing to know that Broadway continues to put out great productions year after year, but if you can't afford to see them in New York, you're likely out of luck — at least until the national tours. But Forbidden Broadway helps bridge that gap by parodying some of the big recent shows, like The Book of Mormon, Spiderman and Once. It plays at Wyly Theatre through Sunday.

Robert Earl Keen in concert
Robert Earl Keen is a member of Texas country music royalty, staying true to his home state for past 20-plus years. He celebrates the holidays at House of Blues Dallas with a couple of other names familiar to locals, Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, a.k.a. father of the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines.

Saturday, December 29

Lights All Night
Waiting until New Year's Eve to celebrate the impending arrival of 2013 is for suckers. Those who really know how to party will be at Lights All Night, a three-day electronic music festival starting Saturday at Fair Park. Purveyors of EDM like Ghostland Observatory, Tiesto and Bassnectar keep Dallas hopping until the dawn of 2013.

Robert Earl Keen's Merry Christmas with Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines
No, this isn't a typo. Because they're equal-opportunity entertainers, Keen, Hendrix and Maines head west to Fort Worth to put on their holiday show at Bass Performance Hall. And if there's any place that knows what good country music sounds like, it's Fort Worth.

Sunday, December 30

Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival
It'll be a veritable explosion of Disney at Allen Event Center on Sunday, as Mickey, Minnie and characters from several recent Disney hit films take the stage to sing songs from a variety of genres. Never heard Mickey rap? You get to do just that, plus much more, at this musical extravaganza.

Seryn in concert with David Ramirez and Jacob Metcalf
How local group Seryn hasn't hit it big nationally is a mystery. They've been just as impressive, if not more so, than most of the other bands in the Dallas-Fort Worth area the last few years. They play at the Kessler Theater, so you should enjoy an intimate show like this while you still can.