LET IT SNOW: The Gifts of the Magi is receiving a pair of North Texas stagings this holiday season, one at African-American Repertory Theater in DeSoto and one at PFamily Arts in Plano. In the musical, turn-of-the-last-century New Yorkers wish for snow. And so it’s interesting to read in Mark Lowry’s theaterjones.com review how one theater goes literal and one goes imaginary in handling the wish fulfillment. On a side note, Lawson Taitte points out a special connection between PFamily and Magi composer Randy Courts.

TEXAS TUNES: Crazy Heart doesn’t hit theaters for another couple of weeks, but the film is already generating Oscar buzz on multiple fronts. The story follows a country singer (Jeff Bridges) whose career is on the downward slope. And when Hollywood wants an authentic country sound, there’s only one place it turns these days: T. Bone Burnett. The Fort Worth-raised producer wrote the music for the film with Stephen Bruton, the Fort Worth guitarist who died of cancer this spring. Burnett spoke with The New York Times about the creative process and what it means to him that his collaboration with his longtime friend will soon be seen by the masses. “I have to say I’ve yet to get over it,” Mr. Burnett said of losing his friend. “But I’m deeply gratified that Stephen’s last act is going to see the light of day.”

ETC.: If you missed The MAC’s Blue Yule fundraiser on Saturday, nbcdfw.com has a nice slide show from the event. … DC9 at Night kicks off its countdown of the 25 Best Songs in Dallas Music, 2009 with Red Monroe‘s “Pat Mayse Lake.” … And Unfair Park is tracking down rumors that the on again, off again, on again, off again big-screen adaptation of Dallas may, in fact, be on again.