By Carl Hoover

Tribune-Herald entertainment editor

Fall schedules begin in earnest after Labor Day, and though school and sports fill up most readers’ calendars between now and Christmas, there’s a sizable amount of entertainment coming Waco’s way as well.

How sizable? Try at least 35 plays, concerts by nationally known performers, dance performances, an arts festival, Central Texas’ largest fair and rodeo, family events and art exhibits, all happening between now and Christmas.

We’ve arranged the major events by month to help planning. And here are a few highlights:

For comedy fans: Stand-up comedian Carlos Mencia, who packed the Waco Hippodrome Theatre for two performances in 2006, returns on Sept. 21. Rob Becker’s battle-of-the-sexes show “Defending the Caveman” makes its Waco debut Oct. 17 and 18 at the Hippodrome. Unfortunately, “Greater Tuna” fans will have to wait until January for the postponed “Tuna Does Vegas!”

For jazz fans: Turtle Island String Quartet, the best-known string quartet with a jazz repertory, will perform John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” Sept. 23 at Baylor University, followed by the Kenny Barron Trio Oct. 24, also at Baylor.

For dance fans: The Hippodrome welcomes “Tapestry: The Souls of Our Feet,” a tap dance tribute, on Nov. 18. The St. Petersburg Classic Ballet Theater performs Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” with the Waco Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 7 at Waco Hall.

For vocal harmony fans: A busy, varied November, with the pop harmonies of ABBA sung by Waterloo with the Waco Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 6; the clear tones of the Vienna Boys Choir on Nov. 15; and the a cappella female quartet Anonymous 4 on Nov. 17 at Baylor. OK, add December, too, with the Dec. 22 “3 Redneck Tenors Holiday Spec-tac-yule-ar” at the Hippodrome.

For fans of the different, even offbeat: Local theater this fall features a lesser-known Stephen Schwartz musical, “Children of Eden,” at Waco Civic Theatre; the irreverent musical spoof “Urinetown” and Sarah Ruhl’s reworking of “Eurydice,” both at Baylor Theatre; a program of new plays, “New Voices, New Beats,” at McLennan Theatre; a national tour of the stage musical “Sweeney Todd” at the Hippodrome; and a screening of the mother of all midnight movies, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, also at the Hippodrome.

For fans of visual arts: There’s lots of local, regional and try-it-yourself art at this month’s Waco Cultural Arts Fest in Indian Spring Park. Art Center Waco showcases and sells original artwork created for its annual calendar at its Art Center Gala on Oct. 18.

choover@wacotrib.com

757-5749

Al Souza, Blair Meerfeld and John Tilton, Sept. 4-Oct. 11, Martin Museum of Art, Baylor University

“Children of Eden,” Sept. 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21, Waco Civic Theatre

Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Sept. 20-21, Indian Spring Park

Carlos Mencia, Sept. 21, Waco Hippodrome Theatre

Turtle Island String Quartet, Sept. 23, Baylor

Violinist Shannon Lee with the Waco Symphony, Sept. 25, Waco Hall

Western Round-up with Clay Walker and Dave Alexander, Sept. 27, Heart O’ Texas Coliseum

“Urinetown the Musical,” Oct. 1-5 and 8-12, Baylor Theatre

Tommy Emmanuel, Oct. 2, Bosque River Stage

Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo, Oct. 3-11, Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex

“Art, Science and the World Around Us,” Oct. 3-December, Art Center Waco

“New Voices, New Beats,” Oct. 3-4 and 10-11, McLennan Theatre

“The Pajama Game,” Oct. 13, Waco Hippodrome

“Seussical the Musical,” Oct. 14-15, Waco Hippodrome

“Defending the Caveman,” Oct. 17-18, Waco Hippodrome

Art Center Gala, Oct. 18, Art Center Waco

Kenny Barron Trio, Oct. 24, Baylor

“Dial M for Murder,” Oct. 24-26, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, Waco Civic Theatre

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oct. 30, Waco Hippodrome

“Sweeney Todd,” Nov. 3, Waco Hippodrome

“ABBA: The Hits,” Waco Symphony Orchestra pops concert, Nov. 6, Waco Hall

“Eurydice,” Nov. 11-16, Baylor Theatre

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Favorite Stories,” Nov. 13-14, Waco Hippodrome

Vienna Boys Choir, Nov. 15, Jones Hall, Baylor

Anonymous 4, Nov. 17, Baylor

“Tapestry: The Souls of Our Feet,” Nov. 18, Waco Hippodrome

“Romeo & Juliet,” Nov. 20-22, McLennan Theatre

“Oliver!,” Nov. 24, Waco Hippodrome

“Cyrano de Bergerac,” Dec. 2-7, Baylor Theatre

“A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 5-7 and 12-14, Waco Civic Theatre

Cool Yule, Dec. 6, Art Center Waco

“The Nutcracker” with St. Petersburg Classic Ballet Theater, Waco Symphony, Dec. 7, Waco Hall

“Holiday Pops!: Country Christmas with Carolyn Cutbirth,” Waco Symphony, Dec. 12, Waco Hall

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Dec. 17, Waco Hippodrome

“3 Redneck Tenors Holiday Spec-tac-yule-ar,” Dec. 22, Waco Hippodrome