HOLIDAY ! SHOWS COMING TO TOWN
From ‘Nutcracker’ to ‘Grinch,’ there’s so much great theater this season
It’s time for the Official Boston Herald Holiday Theater Preview! Subtitle: There is actually more to see than “The Nutcracker.” We know that’s hard to believe — there are five “Nutcracker”-related shows this season. But from Tchaikovsky to Dr. Seuss to the Kalevala (you know, the Finnish epic poem), there are loads of holiday productions.
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Wednesday-Dec. 9, Wang Theatre — Who’s the guy whose heart’s an empty hole, whose brain is full of spiders, who’s got garlic in his soul? Wait, don’t answer that. Let’s just say one of the meanest cats around, Mr. Grinch, is ready to ruin Christmas with comedy, charm and delightful songs. bochcenter.org
• “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Nov. 29-Dec. 2, Shubert Theatre — Even blockheads deserve a little Christmas love. Follow the adventures of Charlie Brown and his search for the spirit of the season in this live production of a classic. bochcenter.org
• “The Nutcracker,” Nov. 29– Dec. 30, Boston Opera House — This is a masterpiece. That can be hard to remember because Tchaikovsky’s classic has been overexposed thanks to the melody of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” sneaking into hundreds of movies, TV shows and commercials. Nonetheless, it remains a masterpiece of music, movement and theatrical spectacle. boston operahouse.com
• “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Nov. 29-Dec. 23, Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham — Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful void, doesn’t he? Help Clarence get his wings and wish a merry Christmas to the wonderful old Building and Loan in this theatrical interpretation of Frank Capra’s film. greater bostonstage.org
• “Naughty List: The Musical,” Nov. 29–Dec. 8, Catalyst Comedy’s Joy Street Theater, Somerville — Elves gone bad! Santa hits the bottle! A goat masquerading as a reindeer! This new comedy musical wonders if this Christmas will be the last.
naughtylistthemusical.com
• “The Nutcracker,” Nov. 30Dec. 9, Cutler Majestic Theatre — Not to be confused with the Boston Ballet’s production at the Opera House, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” has been playing annually at the Cutler for three decades. All the heart and style, half the price. cutlermajestic.org
• “The Slutcracker,” Nov. 30Dec. 31, Somerville Theatre — Not for traditionalists, but a tradition nonetheless. For more than a decade, this randy, candy-cane burlesque has made the holiday a little brighter, and a lot dirtier. somervilletheatre.com
• “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” Dec. 4-9, Shubert Theatre — Created by Cirque Dreams founder and Broadway vet Neil Goldberg, the “Holidaze” pulls together 300 costumes, 20 acts, and singers, dancers, acrobats, tumblers, and tricksters to celebrate everything from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. bochcenter.org
• Old School Game Show’s “Holiday Special,” Dec. 7, Oberon, Cambridge — OSGS is a interactive trivia experience spiked with live music, guest stars, dancers and sketch comedy. But it’s so much more. To get the aesthetic, think about a triple feature of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” and a six-hour binge of Richard Dawson’s “Family Feud.” americanrepertory theater.org
• “Black Nativity,” Dec. 7-23, Paramount Theatre — The Gospel of St. Luke provides the inspiration. Langston Hughes provides the poetry. A troupe of local singers, dancers, and musicians bring the two together. emersonparamount.org
• “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn,” Dec. 12-23, various locations — WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan brings his December mashup of Celtic, Christian and pagan song and dance to five cities this year. Check wgbh.org/music/celtic for location details.
• The Christmas Revels’ “A Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice,” Dec. 14-29, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge — This year’s Revels transports you to the Nordic nations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Using the narrative of the Kalevala as a starting point, the Revels travels the north with huge choral harmonies, ancient melodies and a deep reverence for global Christmas traditions. box office.harvard.edu
• “Club Drosselmeyer 1941,” Dec. 16-21, Oberon, Cambridge — A mechanical super-soldier, a classy Cambridge nightclub with big-band Tchaikovsky, dancers, tumblers, magic, fairies and a rat king all come together in a strange, wonderful and interactive retelling of “The Nutcracker.” americanrepertory theater.org
• “The Urban Nutcracker,” Dec. 20-30, Shubert Theatre — Crack open a new tradition (see what I did there?) and add this to your December calendar. Think of it as a remix of the original with swing, tap, step, jazz and hip-hop-infused dance. bochcenter.org