By Fiona Good-Sirota By Fiona Good-Sirota | November 25, 2024 | Lifestyle, Feature, Features, Featured, Guides,
Joffrey Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker at the Lyric Opera House
As the weather gets colder and the twinkling lights come up, Chicago is welcoming a star-studded lineup of holiday spectaculars, from dazzling performances of holiday classics to comedy-fueled parodies. We’ve rounded up the best festive shows coming to Chicago this season.
Dates: Through Dec. 30
170 N. Dearborn St. / Website
The beloved annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is returning to the Tony Award-winning Goodman Theater for its 47th year, bringing iconic characters, dazzling sets and an all-star cast to theater-loving Chicagoans. Theater artist, director and educator Jessica Thebus has returned for her fifth season, directing a celebrated 34-member, Chicago-based cast starring Christopher Donahue as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kate Fry as the narrator, Anthony Irons as Bob Cratchit, Bri Sudia as the Ghost of Christmas Present and more.
Dates: Dec. 6-28
Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive / Website
As winter approaches, so does the return of a beloved holiday classic, Joffrey Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Tony Award-winning Christopher Wheeldon’s choreography is set to the Lyric Opera Orchestra’s delivery of Tchaikovsky’s classic score under the direction of Scott Speck, Joffrey’s music director. The two-act ballet also features the work of Tony Award-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author Brian Selznick, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist, Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy.
Dates: Jack Frost Roasting on an Open Fire Nov. 29-Dec. 31; Rudolph Runs Wild! Nov. 30-Dec. 28
230 W. North Ave. / Website
The Windy City’s iconic comedy mecca, The Second City, is ringing in the season—and its 65th year—with a lineup of holiday-themed comedy performances, including the interactive Jack Frost Roasting on an Open Fire show, featuring seasonal songs, sketches and the company’s internationally renowned improv. Fans can also join for Rudolph Runs Wild!, a festive spectacle for guests of all ages with new material written for young audiences, songs, improv, sketches from Second City’s archive and the chance to join performers on stage.
See also: 27 Fun Things To Do Indoors On A Cold Or Rainy Day In Chicago
Dates: Nov. 29-Dec. 22
5627 N. Lincoln Ave. / Website
This winter, American Blues Theater is presenting the 23rd annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, a theatrical adaptation of Frank Capra’s legendary Christmas classic directed by executive artistic director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by ensemble member Michael Mahler. For nearly 25 years, the venue has hosted a live retelling of the tale, welcoming original ballads, beloved carols and a talented cast onstage.
Dates: Dec. 10-15
CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. / Website
A fresh rendition of Tchalikovsky’s 130-year-old ballet is arriving in Chicago, with the debut of Broadway in Chicago’s The Hip Hop Nutcracker. This family-friendly performance merges the classic fable fans know and love with contemporary, hip-hop-inspired dance moves and New York City-inspired environs. Watch as Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince embark on a grand adventure, journeying through mice battles, a land of sweets and more, elevated with digital graffiti, an on-stage DJ, an electric violinist and an all-star cast, including host and MC Kurtis Blow.
1650 N. Halsted St. / Website
Dates: Dec. 12-15
Five-time Emmy winner Jane Lynch is joining Kate Flannery, Tim Davis and the Tony Guerrero Quintet on the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre stage for a Christmas show spectacular. Comedy and music collide as they perform satire-infused renditions of holiday classics from the trio’s Billboard chart-topping album A Swingin’ Little Christmas.
Dates: Dec. 13-29
Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Fine Arts Building / Website
Chicago’s Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater have continued their partnership with Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio and production company Manual Cinema to present a unique rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story. With storyboards and puppet design by Drew Dir, an original score and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter and lighting design by Trey Brazeal, Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol takes audience members on a cinematic journey featuring immersive sound design, captivating live music and hundreds of handmade puppets.
Dates: Dec. 17 & 18
Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St. / Website
Broadway in Chicago’s Water Tower Playhouse is welcoming the Windy City debut of Fairytale of New York, an Irish-inspired Christmas extravaganza brought to the U.S. in partnership with Tourism Ireland under the exclusive representation of 33 & West Talent Agency. Celebrate Celtic heritage and kick off the holiday season with Irish jigs, dances and sing-along ballads performed by an experienced cast of touring musicians.
See also: The Best Holiday Events In Chicago
Photography by: PHOTO BY CHERYL MANN, courtesy of the Joffrey Ballet