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A List of Holiday Plays This 2012 Season
With the holidays near, here is a list of a few shows that may get you in the holiday spirit.
Check back soon as we continue to add more shows as the holidays get closer.
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| Most Popular Holiday Shows |
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| A Christmas Carol Nov 17 - Dec 29, 2012 |
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| Goodman Theatre |
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Charles Dickens' timeless tale of hope and redemption comes to life in an enchanting 35th anniversary production that promises more magic and merriment than ever before. Join us as we celebrate three and a half decades of the beloved holiday tradition, and experience the electrifying arrival of the ghosts, the jubilant musical numbers, the "Bah Humbugs" and Scrooge's joyful discovery of life and love.
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| Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Dec 5 - Dec 16, 2012 |
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| Cadillac Palace Theatre |
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The Chicago premiere of the critically acclaimed, Broadway record breaking production DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL features the hit songs "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas" (written by Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss) from the original animated series. Max the Dog narrates this classic holiday tale that will entertain the whole family as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small," decides to steal Christmas away from the Whos, an endlessly cheerful bunch bursting with holiday spirit. Don't miss How The Grinch Stole Christmas! in Chicago.
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| The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes Dec 14 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Akoo Theatre at Rosemont |
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This year, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular celebrates 85 magical years of the Rockettes, commemorating their past, present and future in this unprecedented milestone year. The Rockettes have remained a timeless tradition as American icons throughout their 85 year legacy. They continue to take the Christmas Spectacular to new heights, dazzling audiences with their performance style as it continues to be both deceivingly complex and entirely glamorous.
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| Other Holiday Shows |
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| The Annoyance Christmas Pageant Nov 30 - Dec 28, 2012 |
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| Annoyance Theatre |
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The Annoyance Christmas Pageant takes two well loved, holiday children specials and combines them into two acts. Charley Brown Christmas follows Charley Brown on his journey to find the true meaning of Christmas, while enduring the commercialization of the season, and insults from Lucy Van Pelt. In Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Sam the Snowman tells the tale of how young reindeer Rudolph runs away from home to be independent, with his new found friend Hermie. Together they meet Yukon Cornelius, a prospector searching for silver and gold, discover an island of misfit toys and learn that it's okay to be different from the pack. All while avoiding the Abominable Snow Monster of the North!
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| Bah Humbug! Nov 9 - Dec 22, 2012 |
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| Piccolo Theatre |
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Bah Humbug! is a retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol Panto-fashion, with with all the topsy-turvydom we've come to expect from Piccolo. Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old businessman who believes Christmas is all 'humbug' to cheat him out of his money. Can the ghost of his long deceased partner and three Christmas spirits teach him the error of his ways? With these Panto ghosts it's anybody's guess. Will anyone realize that Tiny Tim is not quite as endearing as we thought? Come and celebrate the holidays with Piccolo and a show that the kiddos don't have to sit through quietly!
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| Best Musical! - Holiday Edition! Nov 28 - Dec 19, 2012 |
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| Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 |
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BEST MUSICAL! - Holiday Edition! takes audiences to the "Bestie Awards" ceremony where the cast performs the "Best Song from a Musical" nominees from a grab bag of audience-suggested titles. The audience votes for their favorite song as performed in Act 1 and comes back after intermission for an entirely improvised musical comedy with lights, costumes and fully improvised music and choreography featuring the "Bestie" winning song. Each performance guarantees a completely different musical comedy with completely new songs every week.
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| Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performances A Christmas Carol. Again. Nov 29 - Dec 24, 2012 |
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| The Building Stage |
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In 1853, ten years after having dashed off his surprisingly successful holiday story, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens gave his first public reading of the work. The effort was so well received, as well as providing much needed cash, that he continued to perform these celebrated readings for the rest of his career.
The only problem is that Dickens, himself, has long grown tired of this annual reading. Reports of his death in 1870 were greatly exaggerated, and year after year he has sustained himself with these solo performances — albeit with dwindling enthusiasm as he has moved from the grand concert halls of London to finally, this year, The Building Stage in Chicago's industrial West Loop. Now, as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth, Dickens has finally reached the breaking point. He knows he must grant the holiday wishes of his audience but desperately hopes to entertain them with anything but another performance of A Christmas Carol.
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| The Chimes Dec 15 - Dec 31, 2012 |
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| Remy Bumppo Theatre at The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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Yes, Virginia, Dickens did write other Christmas stories besides that one-four others, the first of which was The Chimes. It's a New Year's tale that gave a goose to critics of A Christmas Carol, deemed too socially radical for its day, but still very fitting for our own times. Performed by Artistic Director Nick Sandys, this captivating Dickensian story of bleakness-turning-to-hopefulness includes the usual delightful gallery of grotesque characters and scathing social issues, leading to a rebirth worthy of, well, yes, Scrooge.
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| Christmas Bingo: It's a Ho-Ho-Holy Night Dec 17 - Dec 17, 2012 |
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| Metropolis Performing Arts Centre |
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From the hilarious minds that brought you Late Night Catechism and Put the Nuns in Charge comes this all new hilarious, holiday show. Brush up on your Christmas trivia because Sister isn't fooling around! You'll have a great time and won't be able to stop laughing, all while actually playing Bingo during the show.
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| A Christmas Carol Nov 23 - Dec 22, 2012 |
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| Drury Lane- Oakbrook |
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who receives a Christmas Eve visit from the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, warning him to mend his ways. During the night, three spirits appear before Scrooge showing him visions of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future to reveal the results of his selfish life. Scrooge promises to redeem himself and vows to honor the spirit of Christmas with all his heart, spreading good cheer, kindness and generosity to everyone he encounters.
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| A Christmas Carol Nov 23 - Dec 24, 2012 |
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| Metropolis Performing Arts Centre |
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It's the story of old, grumpy Mr. Scrooge and his employee Bob Cratchit, all told from the perspective of the Cratchit family. Scrooge has all the money he could hope for, but his stingy ways leave his loyal assistant struggling to support his family, especially his ill son Tiny Tim. Scrooge is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve who remind Scrooge what the Christmas season is all about - bringing everyone together for a Merry Christmas.
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| Christmas In Chicago Dec 13 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| The Fine Print Theatre Company at Chicago Dramatists |
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In The Fine Print's Christmas in Chicago, four ego-driven actors need to overcome their personal agendas, insecurities and jealousies so they can perform a musical year-in-review. Mixing behind the scenes "drama" and performances highlighting and skewering 2012's events, Christmas in Chicago is a satirical musical salute to the past year with plenty of back stage hijinks.
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| The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey Nov 21 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Provision Theater Company |
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After a critically acclaimed world-premiere production last season, this beautiful, moving Holiday treat is back by popular demand. When a broken-hearted boy named Thomas loses the treasured wooden nativity given to him by his now deceased father, his mother goes to the local woodcarver in hopes to obtain a replacement. Jonathan Toomey, known to the village as "Mr. Gloomy" takes the job - bit refuses to promise anything by Christmas. But when Thomas decides to watch the woodcarver work, the commission takes their relationship to unexpected places; even ad Christmas approaches, the real miracle is the transformation created in each of their lives.
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| The Christmas Schooner Nov 23 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Mercury Theater |
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The shipwreck of the Rouse Simmons, known as ‘The Christmas Tree Ship’, served as inspiration for THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER. Her captain and crew risked the notoriously violent winter lake to bring Christmas trees from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Chicago’s German immigrants. Each year, Captain Herman Schuenemann would sell trees right off of the ship at the Clark Street Docks, and was known to give free trees to the needy. On November 23rd 1912, the ship was swept up in a terrible storm. It was not until 59 years later that she was discovered, lying in 170 feet of water. Today the Rouse Simmons and her cargo of 5,500 well stacked trees remain preserved in the cold, fresh waters of Lake Michigan and her legend has grown to mythical proportions. The Blaine Nickelodeon - the silent film theater that now houses the Mercury - opened that very same year.
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| The ComedySportz Crew Meets The Snow Queen Nov 17 - Jan 19, 2013 |
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| Comedy Sportz |
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The ComedySportz crew gets in the Imagination Machine to visit the Snow Queen. They'll meet a goblin who shatters a mirror that makes you only see bad things, a Summer Sorceress, who keeps it summer around her at all times, a Helpful Reindeer and a very confused married couple of Crows.
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| The Cricket on the Hearth Dec 21 - Jan 6, 2013 |
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| City Lit Theater |
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Following A Christmas Carol, Dickens wrote four more "Christmas Books," with The Cricket On The Hearth being the third in the series of five. The book was a huge commercial success, quickly going through two editions, and outselling its two Christmas predecessors, Carol and Chimes.
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| The Dead Nov 8 - Dec 9, 2012 |
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| Court Theatre |
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Artistic Director Charles Newell and Music Director Doug Peck, whose professional collaborations include Porgy and Bess and Caroline, or Change, team up for a delightful reimagining of Court Theatre’s eccentric holiday classic, James Joyce’s The Dead. Filled with the warmth of a flickering hearth, the fervor of an Irish folk song, and the mystery of a snowy winter’s eve, this piece tells the tale of a group of family and friends as they gather to sing and dance in celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany in Dublin at the turn of the last century. Hauntingly beautiful and joyfully spirited, James Joyce’s The Dead offers a heartfelt accompaniment to the holiday season.
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| A Dirty '30s Christmas Dec 7 - Dec 29, 2012 |
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| Chemically Imbalanced Theater |
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1930's Kansas. A nearby prison break, and a surprise visitor, threaten Mary Beth's hopes to give her son Charlie a wonderful Christmas.
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| EL Stories: Holiday Train Nov 24 - Jan 5, 2013 |
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| Waltzing Mechanics at The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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Winter is just around the corner, so celebrate (and lament?) one of the city's most recognized institutions with an hour-long ride, featuring some of our favorite Yuletide public transit stories. Santa Claus is sure to make an appearance along with his helpful elves Pat Benatar, the Christmas Beaver, and Charlie Brown. Fill your ceramic boot with a steaming cup of mulled wine, and sit back for a sleigh full of spirited stories. Mistletoe is not provided, but an evening of fruitcake-free entertainment is.
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| The Family Fruitcake Dec 7 - Dec 16, 2012 |
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| Albright Theatre Company |
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Mom wants to have a normal dinner, "just this once". But with a teen-age daughter being very "teenage-y", a younger daughter prepared (literally) for combat, a newly-married-into-the family man getting lost in the backyard, and a great aunt whose wild stories get wilder by the minute, a "normal dinner" just isn't in the cards!
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| Foreverendia Nov 28 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| The Black Ship Co. at Athenaeum Theatre |
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When a blizzard buries the neighborhood under a 15-foot blanket of snow, three young adventurers climb out through their chimneys and use this tabula rasa as a canvas to imagine a new world: Foreverendia.
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| The Gifts of the Magi Nov 17 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 |
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Around and about, New York City, 1905. Newlyweds Jim and Della, foolish and wise at the same time, lovingly sacrifice their greatest possessions and find a holiday treasure. O. Henry’s immortal masterwork is joined by his tale of “Soapy Smith,” a cheerful bum who only wants to get arrested so he can spend Christmas in a warm jail cell. The music is gorgeous, the stories are human and charming, and the message for the season is one that you'll want to bring your whole family to enjoy again and again.
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| Great Russian Nutcracker Dec 2 - Dec 2, 2012 |
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| Moscow Ballet at Akoo Theatre at Rosemont |
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This most famous of holiday ballets has its roots in Russia, so it's only fitting that the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker is one of the most acclaimed versions ever to grace the stage. With its 200 gorgeous costumes, hand-painted backdrops, giant Christmas tree, falling snow and choreography by former Bolshoi soloist Stanislav Vlasov, this breathtakingly artistic version is now celebrating its 20th year on tour in the U.S. with 40 of the top Russian dancers. Audiences of all ages will enjoy the timeless story of young Masha (Clara), who receives the gift of a nutcracker one Christmas and dreams of a grand adventure with her Nutcracker Prince in the enchanted Land of Peace and Harmony, with dancers from all over the world.
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| Grown-Up Christmas List Dec 16 - Dec 16, 2012 |
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| Catalyst Cabaret at Stage 773 |
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Don't miss Catalyst Cabaret's closing show of the 2012 season! Our family-friendly holiday show brings together holiday songs from timeless classics to new works and everything in between. Come celebrate the season with Catalyst Cabaret!
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| Hannukatz The Musical Nov 30 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| National Pastime Theater |
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The New National Pastime Theater presents, back by popular demand, 2200 years in the making, here to fill the holiday vOY-OY-OYd!, the only rock ‘n’ roll Hannukah musical on earth, HANNUKATZ THE MUSICAL! Family-friendly and the perfect first-date ice-breaker! This is not your grandma’s Jewish Christmas – or anyone else’s for that matter. Inspired by Terry Abrahamson's best-selling, HANNUKATZ SAVES HANNUKAH, HANNUKATZ THE MUSICAL! is recommended for those who celebrate Hannukah and those who don't.
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| Happy Holly-daze - A Drinking Game Performance Dec 6 - Dec 29, 2012 |
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| Cornservatory |
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When you think of all the gifts you dreamed of and all the gifts you received over the years…do any of them meet your expectations? Of course not! Nothing ever does...except a holiday drinking show from Corn Productions! Yes, it's true, just like gaudy Target Christmas displays, Corn's popular Happy Holly-daze - A Drinking Game Performance is back again this year…now with more Egg Nog! Corn's crack writing team has been busy in the workshop crafting original comedy sketches that take our beloved holiday icons; Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, the Chanukah Bush, the Kwanza Ferret and serve them to you with a twist…of lime! Nothing will put the jingle in your bell quite like the sketch comedy of Corn Productions, where every sketch is a drinking game, and instead of Rudolph's shiny nose, a DRINK sign will light your way to consuming the BYOB of your choice. At the end of night we guarantee you will be drunk and happy rather than drunk and disappointed like you are after your family holiday gathering.
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| Hellcab Nov 9 - Feb 24, 2013 |
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| Profiles Theatre - The Main Stage |
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Hellcab portrays the story of a cab driver in for the longest night of his life as he transports a bizarre and mysterious array of customers through the gritty streets of Chicago. Playwright Will Kern draws from personal experience as a former cab driver to create this alternately frightening, hilarious and poignant journey. Throughout his long shift, the eclectic collection of passengers includes a trio of drug-addicts, a born-again couple, a smug lawyer, and a randy duo on their way to a motel. Set during a bitter cold Christmas Eve, Hellcab presents a rear-view image mirroring the passing parade of humanity.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| Holiday Double Feature: Santa's Dead! & Dirty Carol's Christmas Nov 15 - Dec 22, 2012 |
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| MidTangent Productions at Hydrate Nightclub |
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The company that brought you SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DRAG QUEENS, TWINKIE AND THE BEAST and ALEX IN WONDERLAND are premiering something new this holiday season! Giving homage to classic noir films and Christmas television specials, MidTangent Productions (MTP) presents a dazzling and daring musical double feature like no other. Written by MTP Artistic Director Tony Lewis and company members Aaron Michael Adamkiewicz and Karla Meyer, these shows continue MTP's dedication to bringing original works with a familiar twist to the Chicago GLBTQ community.
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| Holidays in the Heights Nov 23 - Jan 4, 2013 |
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| The Second City at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre |
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The Second City is back at Metropolis with everyone's favorite holiday comedy show. Join us for a night of laughs in this hilarious sketch comedy show, full of new skits and songs that will have you laughing long after the show has ended. No holiday traditions are safe - everything from gift giving, to traveling, to family gatherings are fair game with The Second City.
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| Humbug! Nov 30 - Dec 28, 2012 |
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| Proud Kate Theatre Project at Stage 773 |
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More than a twist on the classic tale, this retelling of the traditional favorite A Christmas Carol is a gender-bent modernization. Wall Street work-a-holic Eleanor Scrooge (Kristi Webb) tempers her yuletide surliness with a ruthless appetite for power. She's hunkered down in her office on a snowy Christmas Eve, determined to finish a corporate-takeover proposal until three unexpected "advisors" (Maurice Demas, Akilah Felyce, and John Zimmerman) provide her with a new appreciation for the "spirit" of season. A plucky, colorful ensemble (including Brooke Singer & Duncan McIntrye) helps her along on her holiday journey.
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| It's a Bieberful Life Nov 16 - Dec 28, 2012 |
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| Comedy Sportz |
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Justin is having a hard time of it -- what with declining sales and incessant scandals surfacing in the media. Just in time, he's visited by an angel with a distinct resemblance to Robert Pattinson. Every time you hear "Baby" an angel gets its wings.
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| It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Nov 23 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Oil Lamp Theater |
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Inspired by the classic American film, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a live studio audience. Five actors perform dozens of different characters in this briskly-paced radio play that brings Frank Capra's classic film to the stage. This show recreates the atmosphere of live drama on the radio in the 1940s, complete with creative sound effects. The story captures all the warmth and magic of the holiday season when an angel comes to the aid of a warm-hearted but frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like for his family, friends and community if he had never been born.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| It's a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph! Nov 23 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| American Blues Theater at Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph |
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The director and ensemble that have treated Chicago to Clarence, George and the characters of Bedford Falls for more than a decade; once again take the audience back to a 1940’s radio broadcast of Frank Capra’s holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life complete with Foley sound effects, an original score and a cast of seven.
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| It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play Nov 23 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| American Theatre Company |
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Bedford Falls. 1948. ATC transforms its intimate space into an actual 1940's radio studio to tell Capra's classic story of one man's affect on his community. Complete with audiograms and commercial breaks, audiences may be recorded live for broadcast on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio. Free milk and cookies are served after every performance.
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| It's A Wonderful Pro-Life Nov 13 - Dec 28, 2012 |
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| 4 Days Late Productions at Studio BE |
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It's A Wonderful Pro-Life explores much deeper themes connected to what the holidays are traditionally supposed to concern: the values of basic goodness and sacrifice, the gift of friendship, the pitfalls of greed and commercialism, the sense of community and belonging that helps us feel truly connected in a society.
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| It's a Wonderful Santa Land Miracle Nut-Cracking Christmas Story...Jews Welcome Nov 15 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Street Tempo Theatre at Stage 773 |
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Street Tempo Theatre packs the whole holiday season into one festivous, exciting, cheery and merry show. Audiences will be taken on a seasonal adventure with singing, dancing, stories, interactive games and non-holiday specific eggnog. Spend time with family and friends amidst a fun flurry of excitement that combines many of the world's most beloved holiday stories and traditions in one pretty package that won't hurt your pocketbook.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| It's Christmas, Goddamnit Dec 1 - Dec 29, 2012 |
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| Annoyance Theatre |
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This year's annual Christmas celebration at the James' home has a macabre twist. Along with the traditional passive-aggressive silences and sniping, Dad has surprising news: he's been dilly-dallying with the next door neighbor. Now, throw in the accidental murder of a loathed uncle -- with the neighborly sweetheart's "slow" son as the culprit -- and you have a Christmas Eve decorated with dysfunction, distrust, and disaster; but damn funny.
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| Joy to the World Nov 18 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Theo Ubique at No Exit Cafe |
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Celebrate the holiday season with a blend of favorites from a handful of favorite past performers and musicians.
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| A Klingon Christmas Carol Nov 30 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Commedia Beauregard at Raven Theatre |
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Scrooge has no honor, nor any courage. Can three ghosts help him to become the true warrior he ought to be in time to save Tiny Tim from a horrible fate? Performed in the Original Klingon with English Supertitles, and narrative analysis from The Vulcan Institute of Cultural Anthropology.
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| Madeline's Christmas Nov 30 - Dec 9, 2012 |
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| Theatre Of Western Springs |
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"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." So begins this delightful story of Madeline's Christmas! The day begins like any other day. Miss Clavel takes the twelve little girls on their morning walk. They go to the zoo and then back to school for their French history lesson. Suddenly disaster strikes when everyone gets the flu, and their Christmas holiday is in jeopardy. They need not worry. With Madeline's spunk, a little holiday magic and plenty of delightful music, this Christmas is sure to be the best one yet!
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| A Minions Carol Nov 29 - Dec 27, 2012 |
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| Comedy Sportz |
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Our regular kitchtastic improv battle on Thursdays at 10p gets a dose of Holiday spirit. When not torturing his captured comedians with evil improv games, Dr. Rubius Ne'er-Do-Well must face his Jacob Marley-esque ghostly ex-partner. Will Ne'er-Do-Well repent for his evildoings and embrace the true nature of Christmas? NO! (Well, probably not, but this campy late-night fun will have everyone laughing and reaching for their cups of holiday cheer!)
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| Mother Superiors Ho-Ho- Holy Night Nov 23 - Dec 27, 2012 |
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| Royal George Theatre |
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Did Baby Jesus get to ride in the sleigh? Was Santa with the Holy Family in the manger? Did the elves guide the Three Wise Men? Holy Holidays! See our favorite nun answer these questions and more in the Christmas comedy: Mother Superior's Ho-Ho-Holy Night.
Mother Superior wants to help the folks at St. Gabriel's come up with a new holiday pageant. But As always, Mother Superior's ruler is quick, her aim is spot-on, and she wants to create a new holiday pageant that will impress the Vatican and win an audience with the Pope!
Of course, being a nun, Mother Superior has lots of opinions about the holidays and Catholicism in general. An interactive experience, the audience not only gets to vote on which Christmas holidays to feature --- there are prizes for those who can answer Mother Superior's trivia questions.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical Nov 24 - Dec 21, 2012 |
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| Chicago Kids Company Theatre at St. Patrick Performing Arts Center- Stahl Family Theater |
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Chicago Kids Company Theatre for Children (CKC) presents Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical! CKC's Holiday Classic returns for the 14th year! Our biggest and most colorful show will put you in the Holiday Spirit in no time. Join the new Elf Class of 2012 as they try to find the missing "List" in time for Christmas. Will Mrs. Claus save the day?
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| Natural Gas Jug Band Christmas Dec 7 - Dec 15, 2012 |
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| The Gift Theatre |
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Chirstmas Comes but once a year. Fortunately, so does The Gift holiday sketch show, Natural Gas Jug Band Christmas. Come find out what's funny about the Holidays, with the greatest gift of all.
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| The Nutcracker Dec 7 - Dec 27, 2012 |
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| The Joffrey Ballet at Auditorium Theatre |
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Following a lively party on Christmas Eve, familiar characters Clara and the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer embark on a magical adventure, encountering a battle between toy soldiers and legions of mice (where Clara unexpectedly saves the day), before being whisked away with the Nutcracker Prince to an enchanted forest by the elegant Queen and King of Snow, then being delighted by an exotic array of dancing confections from the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. Joffrey Ballet Co-Founder Gerald Arpino also contributed to Robert Joffrey’s version, having choreographed the Land of the Snow scene, which closes Act I, and the Waltz of the Flowers in Act II.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| The Nutcracker Nov 9 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre |
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The House’s fantastical deconstruction of this time-honored holiday story centers on Clara’s journey to save her family from the Rat King before Christmas, with the help of a Nutcracker, a gift from her beloved Uncle Drosselmeyer. What unfolds is a heartwarming holiday story that weaves together riveting dialogue, astonishing puppetry, beautiful song and spellbinding spectacle to tell a darkly moving story of magic and mystery.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| O Come All Ye Faithful Dec 9 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Kitchen Sink Productions at Stage 773 |
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A new one-act play by Rand Ringgenberg, looks at a typical American family Christmas celebration; or maybe not so typical. The family comes together for the holiday to exchange a lot more than presents. A warm and touching play that will make you laugh and cry as the family struggles with different points of view on religion, homosexuality, divorce, marriage, oyster stew, and how to win at monopoly.
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| Our Perfect Holiday! Dec 6 - Jan 10, 2013 |
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| Strangeloop Theatre at Chemically Imbalanced Theater |
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Kirk and Mary are celebrating their final holiday season as a couple before the arrival of their blessed event and they find themselves trapped in Union Station on Christmas Eve. Can they weather the storm with the advent of intrusion from the station's quirky inhabitants and locate Kirk's visiting mother in time to attain maximum Christmas cheer? Yippie-ki-yay, Mister Falcon!!
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| Plaid Tidings Nov 15 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Theatre At The Center |
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Plaid Tidings, the holiday sequel to Chicago’s longest running musical Forever Plaid, entertains Theatre at the Center audiences November 15 through December 23. Summoned by the angelic Rosemary Clooney, Jinx, Frankie, Smudge and Sparky are sent back to Earth to stage a nostalgic holiday extravaganza. A show for the whole family, Plaid Tidings combines favorite tunes from the ‘50s and ‘60s with traditional holiday songs and carols, a hilarious tribute to The Ed Sullivan Christmas Spectaculars, and plenty of winning references to the era and its sounds – including some singing by Perry Como himsellf!
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| Rudolph the Red Hosed Reindeer Nov 29 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary's Attic |
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As always, Cerda will have fun new treats in his handbag for Rudolph fans, and this election year will undoubtedly provide enough topical fodder to keep Rudolph as hilarious, horrifyingly politically-incorrect and heartwarming as ever! It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice - you definitely want to catch the show that Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune) dubbed "an ideal holiday escape for anyone who detests the commercialism of traditional Christmas shows." And remember... "Being Normal Isn't Normal At All!"
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| Santa...Deux? Dec 8 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Li'l Buds Theatre Company at The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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Santa hires the highly ambitious New Elf who promises a faster, more efficient Christmas. When Santa and the North Polians can't seem to keep up with these new ideas, New Elf creates a clone of Santa to help out. But this corporate savvy 'Santa Deux' begins automating and downsizing the entire town and threatens the very essence of Christmas. Together everyone learns that, although technology can be helpful, certain things require a human touch. With themes of friendship, working together, tradition and a dash of politics, Santa...Deux? is a hilarious musical remedy for the holiday blues.
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| The Santaland Diaries Nov 23 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Theater Wit |
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Our holiday classic returns for it's eighth straight year, once again starring Mitchell Fain who plays to rave reviews and soldout houses every year. Don't miss this antidote to Christmas cheer. A celebration of the desperation of unemployment, the insanity of Christmas shopping and the ineffable "cheer" of the holiday spirit. David Sedaris' beloved account of his time in the trenches as an Elf at Macy's during the holiday season has been called the "24 funniest pages ever written in the English language."
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| Scenes with Santa Dec 2 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Chemically Imbalanced Theater |
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Chemically Imbalanced Comedy is excited to announce Meow Meow Scene's with Santa, featuring the CIC house team Meow Meow Ruff. Each week they will be joined by college improv ensembles to perform an interactive night of holiday-themed comedy, based on audience suggestions.
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| The Second City Dysfunctional Holiday Revue Dec 13 - Dec 23, 2012 |
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| Paramount Theatre |
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Downtown Aurora is getting ready to deck the halls with laughter with The Second City Dysfunctional Holiday Revue - a comedy act that delivers a healthy dose of seasonal satire with holiday film classics, family gatherings, improvised Christmas carols, even Joseph and Mary.
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| Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose Dec 14 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Raven Theatre |
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This delightful holiday mystery features Ian Novak and Josh Volkers in definitive performances as the famous detective and his ally Dr. Watson. The story concerns the disappearance of a gem called the Blue Carbuncle, which has been hidden inside a Christmas goose. Stolen from the Countess of Morcar, the jewel's trail leads Holmes and Watson all over wintry London and to a surprising conclusion. This holiday treat comes complete with live musical accompaniment, humorous commercials, and a closing sing-a-long.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| Sleeping Indoors Nov 9 - Nov 30, 2012 |
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| Gorilla Tango Theatre |
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When an over-nurturing wife, decides to invite a simple, pleasant homeless man to Christmas dinner, her husband, a disillusioned academic, and her zany sister have their perspectives on life turned upside-down when they discover his rare talent for writing. Personal values are put to the test in this heartwarming, thought-provoking, yet quirky drama.
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| Tidings of Tap! Dec 14 - Dec 16, 2012 |
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| Chicago Tap Theatre at UIC Theatre |
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Chicago Tap Theatre is proud to present Tidings of Tap!, a dance celebration of all things wintry, including pieces recognizing Christmas, Chanukah and the snowy season. Tidings of Tap! features seasonal standards and lesser-known songs as well as the spectacular dancing of Chicago Tap Theatre. This unique production is rapidly becoming a tradition for many Chicago families. And one new part of that tradition from last year is making a return: all live music!
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| A Very Luna Christmas Dec 3 - Jan 6, 2013 |
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| Luna Central |
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Teatro Luna creates a new Chicago Holiday Tradition with its Inaugural production of A Very Luna Christmas, a gut busting and honest portrayal of a Latina family desperately trying to survive the holidays. It's been a rough year for the Ochoa family, but nothing, not even her husband's recent death, will stop Oralia Ochoa from throwing her yearly Christmas party for the entire neighborhood. She gathers the Ochoa women to prepare her famous tamales, but things start going awry when one daughter shows up with her new girlfriend, another without her husband and a granddaughter who is on a conversational basis with GOD, Herself. Will Oralia be able to accept the changes her family is undergoing, or will she be left all alone in the kitchen? This is a definite must see holiday event for the whole familia!
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| We Three Lizas Nov 30 - Dec 22, 2012 |
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| About Face Theatre at Steppenwolf Theatre |
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We Three Lizas hijacks Christmas classics to create a dark, sexy holiday musical for a queer new world. In a quest for unrivaled glory, Conrad Ticklebottom and his anxious assistant Reggie conjure the Great Queen of Wishes to bestow upon him the trinity of power: youth, wealth and beauty. Instead, Liza Minnelli knocks at Conrad’s door bearing holiday gifts and all hell breaks lose.
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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| The Winter Wonderettes Nov 15 - Dec 30, 2012 |
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| Fox Valley Repertory |
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The Winter Wonderettes, which is a sequel to the popular The Marvelous Wonderettes, is set in 1968, where Wonderettes Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy have been asked to entertain at the Harper's Hardware holiday party. But when Santa mysteriously turns up missing on the night of the party, these singin' sweethearts must use their talent and creative ingenuity to bring the Merry back in Christmas. Festive tunes like "Santa Baby," "Jingle Bell Rock" and "It's a Marshmallow World" quickly warm the crowd, but when the chilling details explaining Santa's sudden disappearance are discovered, the pressure is on for the girls to keep the Christmas spirit alive. Includes other holiday favorites like "Sleigh Ride," "Winter Wonderland" and 20 other seasonal songs which are, of course, marvelous!
Click Here for Half-Price Tickets
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