Charles Dickens' enchanting tale of redemption and hope comes to life in Arlington Heights' favorite holiday tradition. On a snowy Christmas Eve brimming with memorable characters, ghostly apparitions and splendid holiday music, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge visits the past, present and future to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's updated, record-breaking production returns with enough magic, joy and Christmas spirit to delight audiences of all ages.

A MAGICAL CIRQUE CHRISTMAS , the ultimate holiday variety show will mesmerize, twist, flip, and jingle all the way to Chicago this holiday season. Showcasing the world's top cirque talent, the cast of world-class acrobats, contortionists, and aerialists will push the boundaries of imagination where gravity is defied and human potential knows no limits-taking audiences on a dazzling, winter wonderland journey where the performers are supported by a captivating musical score that will tug at your heartstrings, elevate your spirit and have you tapping your foot and singing along to hit Christmas songs in the ultimate variety extravaganza. This festive show entertains audiences of all ages making it a perfect date night, fun family adventure, or group outing.

Are you tired of the same-old holiday reruns? Then skip them and dash to The Second City to see our holiday hit Holidazed and Amused! What better way to send off 2025 than to roast it like chestnuts on an open fire? Festive family gatherings, office parties, classic holiday movies... nothing is off limits! The Second City proudly continues its 65 year tradition of delivering innovative, fast-paced satirical comedy with this fresh take on festive fun. Stuffed with seasonal songs, sketches, and of course, a generous helping of our world-famous improv comedy, it's a holiday show you can actually look forward to!

Set in Victorian-era London, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol tells the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts that visit him one fateful Christmas Eve hoping to change his miserly ways. Continue your tradition or start a new one by gathering the whole family for the 30th anniversary of Drury Lane Theatre's heartwarming production. Complete with falling snow and magical illusions, the play is a visually-stunning experience and, at one hour long, perfect for children of all ages.

Who's Holiday! is a wildly funny and heartfelt adults-only comedy that tells the story of Cindy Lou Who as she recalls that Christmas Eve she first met the Grinch and the twisted turn of events her life has now taken.

1 actor. 19 characters. 90 minutes of rousing good cheer! In Dickens' Christmas Carol, Scrooge gets a chance to amend his ways, but what happened to his partner Jacob Marley? Find out in Lifeline Theatre's production of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, a one-man show written by Goodman Theatre's own Scrooge, Tom Mula, featuring a Jeff-nominated performance by longtime Chicago actor and Lifeline ensemble member, Phil Timberlake.

In this turn-of-the-century Victorian mystery, strange things start to happen as the seemingly perfect marriage of Jack and Bella devolves into something sinister. Why is the attic door locked? Whose footsteps wander the halls at night? And is that light really flickering... or not? Bella's reality is twisted into an indistinguishable tangle of truth, manipulation, and her husband's intentions, where certainty is uncertain for characters and audience alike.

In a world obsessed with beauty and power, what happens when someone is given the chance to remain perfect-forever? This modern interpretation dives headfirst into vanity, desire, and the danger of refusing to age, illuminating the darkest corners of our obsession with self-image and fame. DORIAN fuses gothic horror, biting satire, and cabaret flair into an unforgettable night of theater.

Share silliness this holiday season with Rudolph Runs Wild... a jolly extravaganza for kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and reindeer of all ages! Featuring a fun and festive blend of family-friendly songs and sketches from The Second City's rich comedy archives, fresh new material written specifically for young audiences, and - of course - the ridiculous improv hijinks The Second City is world famous for. Brighten your winter with this one-of-a-kind interactive theatrical experience offering audience members, young and old, the chance to enjoy the comedy fun both from their seats and by joining The Second City performers onstage! Make hilarious holiday memories with The Second City's Rudolph Runs Wild...

Come dashing through the snow to the best elfing holiday experience this side of the North Pole! Explore a winter wonderland with eight immersive installations in search of Santa's vintage speakeasy (shh, don't tell Mrs Claus). Along the way, you'll find everything from naughty gingerbread girls and rugged lumberjacks to living snow globes. Then, once you stumble into Santa's speakeasy, enjoy Christmas cocktails, delicious food and a live band. The night concludes with an eye-popping variety show with a mix of ballet, burlesque and unique, jaw-dropping acts in which all of Santa's wildest secrets are revealed! You'll be laughing, singing along, and getting your buzz on.

Frog and Toad share seasons of adventures in a jazzy, upbeat, Tony-nominated musical. Get ready for some hopping good holiday fun when Arnold Lobel's beloved amphibians jump from page to stage in a family holiday show the NY Times called "bright, bouncy and altogether lovable!" Whether baking cookies, planting a garden, flying kites or celebrating the holidays in style, Frog and Toad discover that life is more fun when it's shared with a friend!

TRUNK by Riley Samuel Merritt is an interactive one-man show that narrates the trials of a young artist navigating his imminent demise. Presenting poetry, music, and years of cumulative writing, Merritt grapples with the nebulous nature of ambition, love, and identity through the eyes of a flawed everyman.

THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER - nine decades long in just one 75-minute act - showcases the lives of several generations of the Bayard family. Wilder breaks the boundaries of time as we measure it, and invites us to partake in "one long, happy Christmas dinner" - past, present and future. As generations appear, have children, wither, and depart, only the audience sees what changes and what remains the same. Join TUTA for this lively and musical holiday production, and reflect on life, death, and the family traditions we celebrate and endure with TUTA's ensemble.

ELF THE MUSICAL, inspired by the hit film, is the hilarious and heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa's sack of toys one Christmas Eve. When he discovers he is human, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and, in turn, helps the Big Apple rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. This all-new tour, based on the acclaimed 2024 Broadway production, was hailed by The New York Times, which said, "The show has CRACKED THE CODE OF ALL-AGES COMEDY, the kind that will leave children and grown-ups equally helpless with laughter," and celebrated in The New Yorker, "It's enough to MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS." This modern-day holiday classic, says The Daily Beast, "is a gift for kids and adults, and a very 'sparklejollytwinklejingley' night out!"

In SIX, the queens of Henry VIII take the mic to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse-remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of twenty-first-century girl power. The all-woman cast, backed by an all-woman band known as the "Ladies in Waiting," traverses the spectrum of modern-day pop with a soundtrack that has stormed up the UK charts.

It's almost Christmas, and Santa's list is missing! Join Mrs. Claus and the Elf Class of 2025 as they try to find it in time to save Christmas. Who stole the list? How will they get it back? Will Mrs. Claus save the day? Chicago Kids Company's biggest and most colorful show will put you in the Holiday Spirit in no time!

Though best known today for his supposed rivalry with Mozart, Antonio Salieri was a prolific and successful composer in his own right. COT honors the 200th Anniversary of Salieri's death in 1825 with the Chicago premiere of his sparkling comedy, Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle (Falstaff, or The Three Tricks). Librettist Carlo Prospero Defranceschi based his work on the charming anti-hero, Sir John Falstaff, from multiple Shakespeare plays. Premiered in 1799 and inspired by the plot of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff follows the misadventures of the arrogant and bumbling knight as he schemes to seduce two married women - only to be hilariously outwitted by their clever tricks. This comedic tale of human folly, deception, and the triumph of wit over arrogance remains as fresh and funny as ever.