IT’S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS-ISH HOLIDAY MIRaCLE

Marcus Youssef has been a busy playwright this year. Not only did he pen another East Van Panto (Pinocchio), but he’s also behind this festive concoction. In what the Arts Club describes as “It’s a Wonderful Life meets Modern Family,” Esther (Nicola Lipman) is a recently departed spirit who is sent back to Earth to deal with her unfinished business. This involves her estranged daughter Miriam (Jennifer Lines), Miriam’s ex-husband Steven (Jovanni Sy), and their two children: rebellious teen Chloe (Matreya Scarrwener) and her precocious little brother Simon (Glen Gordon). Director Chelsea Haberlin says that the play “doesn’t put a shiny veneer on the holiday season, though our set itself is very shiny.”

When: until Dec. 22

Where: BMO Theatre Centre Tickets and info: $29 at artsclub.com and 604-687-1644