One of the things Chicago definitely does right is theatre, and during the holiday season you’re sure to find a tremendous number of Christmas shows. There are classics like the Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, and edgier shows like Pine – which takes place outdoors in a Christmas tree lot – and improv show Bowl Full of Jelly. There are shows for teens and adults, as well as shows designed for toddlers and school-age children. Ballet, tap, music, comedy, drama, improv… they’re all available!
I’ve included links to Goldstar, a website which offers discounted tickets for many shows. These are affiliate links meaning that if you purchase tickets through these links you are helping to support Toddling Around Chicagoland at no additional cost to you. Have I missed a great show? Let me know!
The Nutcracker
The House Theatre of Chicago’s original, ballet-free version of The Nutcracker returns to Chicago’s Chopin Theatre Mainstage with its fantastical deconstruction of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s time-honored holiday story. With lots of humor and heart, this fresh theatrical interpretation centers on young Clara’s journey to save Christmas following her brother’s death. With the help of a magical nutcracker given to her by her beloved Uncle Drosselmeyer, she bravely fights the Rat King to save her family. This modern holiday production weaves together riveting dialogue, astonishing puppetry, original songs and spellbinding imagery to tell a heartwarming holiday story of love, loss and hope.
- November 3-December 30
- The House Theatre of Chicago production at the Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division Ave, Chicago
- Tickets $15-$50
- Recommended for ages 5 and older
- Purchase tickets at a discounted price at Goldstar
Holiday Inn
Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn tells the story of Jim, who leaves the bright lights of show business behind to settle down on his farmhouse in Connecticut… but life just isn’t the same without a bit of song and dance. Jim’s luck takes a spectacular turn when he meets Linda, a spirited schoolteacher with talent to spare. Together they turn the farmhouse into a fabulous inn with dazzling performances to celebrate each holiday, from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July. Based on the classic film, this joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy and a parade of hit Irving Berlin songs, including “Blue Skies,” “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Heat Wave,” “White Christmas,” “Shaking the Blues Away” and many more. This year-round romance is sure to delight audiences!
- November 7-January 6
- The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
- Tickets $55-$60
The Annoyance Christmas Pageant
The Annoyance Theatre presents its annual Christmas Pageant, featuring a retelling of two classic holiday stories: A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The all-new cast gives these classic holiday television specials a hilarious spin, all the while keeping them appropriate for little ones’ eyes and ears. In the first redux, poor Charlie Brown searches for the true meaning of Christmas while enduring the commercialization of the season and insults from the acid tongue of Lucy van Pelt. Then, it’s on to the adventures of Rudolph the freakishly red-nosed reindeer, who runs away from home with his friend Hermie. The pair discover the island of misfit toys and the terrible Abominable Snowman and ultimately learn that it’s okay to be different.
- November 11-December 23
- The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets $20 for adults, $12 for children under 12.
- Babes in arms not admitted.
- Purchase tickets for $10 at Goldstar
Ken Ludwig’s Twas the Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Playhouse, families were celebrating … including a mouse! Kick off your yuletide celebration with the Chicago premiere of Ken Ludwig’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. This heartwarming comedic spin on the classic holiday poem shakes things up with a pair of dancing mice, a spunky girl and an Elf-B-I agent — who’re trying to track down Santa’s missing Naughty or Nice List before his sleigh takes off. Join the festive fun at the Broadway Playhouse.
- November 12-December 31
- Emerald City Theatre at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut Street, Chicago
- Tickets start at $17.50
- Purchase discounted tickets at Goldstar
A Christmas Carol
Join everybody’s favorite holiday humbug, Ebenezer Scrooge, on his fantastical journey of redemption when Drury Lane Theatre brings Charles Dickens’ beloved story A Christmas Carol to Oakbrook Terrace. Surly miser Scrooge, whose cold heart has isolated him from his community and the spirit of Christmas, is visited by Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Slowly, Scrooge discovers what it means to be fully human and begins to find the joy in rejoining the world. Treat the whole family to Drury Lane’s annual tradition.
- November 15-December 23
- Drury Lane Theatre – Theatre for Young Audiences, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
- Tickets $13
- Purchase tickets for $10 at Goldstar
It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago
For 16 years, the American Blues Ensemble has treated Chicago audiences to a live 1940s radio broadcast of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago. The incredible cast recreates the entire town of Bedford Falls with Foley sound effects, an original score and holiday carols. Critics call this “perfect Christmas theater” and “first-class holiday fare.” After each performance, milk and cookies are served by the cast. Take part in this joyous Yuletide tradition at Stage 773.
- November 16-January 6
- American Blues Theater production at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, Chicago
- Tickets $19-$49
- Recommended for ages 6 and older
- Purchase tickets for $14.50-$36.50 on Goldstar
Scrooge and the Ghostly Spirits
This world-premiere holiday musical is based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The family favorite brings all your most cherished characters and themes to life through an original score and the magic of song and dance. Bring the family to Citadel Theatre in Chicago’s Lake Forest neighborhood for a show that’ll warm your heart and put you in a holiday frame of mind.
- November 17-December 23
- Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest
- Tickets $37.50-$40
- Purchase tickets for $10-$20 on Goldstar
A Christmas Carol
Now a beloved Chicago tradition celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Goodman Theatre ushers in the holiday season with its adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story A Christmas Carol. Audiences look forward to the “bah humbugs,” the electrifying arrival of the ghosts, the jubilant musical numbers and dancing, and Scrooge’s joyful rediscovery of life, love and the Christmas spirit. Goodman’s Carol continues to lift heats and spirits after four decades more than a million visitors, and the timeless holiday tale promises to be merrier and more magical than ever. The Daily Herald says the play is “the crown jewel of the holiday season” — find out for yourself or relive the magic again.
- November 18-December 31
- Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago
- Tickets start at $40
- Recommended for ages 6 and up.
- Purchase tickets for $32-$71 at Goldstar
Q Brothers Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ holiday classic gets a clever hip-hop remix in Q Brothers Christmas Carol. Created by the Q Brothers and Chicago Shakespeare Theater creative producer Rick Boynton, the team behind the international hit Shakespearean “ad-rap-tation” Othello: The Remix, this irreverent update tweaks Dickens’ beloved characters and sets Scrooge’s time-traveling journey through the hip-hop decades to a live score by DJ Super Nova. You’ll meet an Ebenezer Scrooge with an erotic passion for cash, a Jamaican Jacob Marley and Lil’ Tim, the tiniest Cratchit with a slew of maladies, all singing to mashups of everything from reggae and dancehall music to dubstep and epic rock ballads. Sure to become a holiday favorite, Q Brothers Christmas Carol is as cheeky, intelligent and street smart as audiences have come to expect from the Q Brothers. See it at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.
- November 21-December 31
- Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Navy Pier, 800 East Grand Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets start at $12
- Recommended for children 12 and older
- Purchase discounted tickets at Goldstar
Elf the Musical
Take a hilarious hit movie, add in some seriously impressive song-and-dance numbers, and tie a big Broadway bow around it, and you’ve got the sweet family treat known as Elf the Musical.
The festive fun starts as soon as you enter the lobby of Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, where you’ll be greeted by a two-story Christmas tree and thousands of sparkling lights. Then fasten your sleigh belts for a fun ride that follows the story of Buddy, a little boy who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. He grows up unaware that he’s an actual human, but his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities eventually force him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy then takes off on a journey to New York to find his birth father, discover his true identity and help the city remember the true meaning of Christmas — and this sparkling holiday show will no doubt do the same for you and yours.
- November 22-January 7
- The Paramount Theatre, 23 East Galena Boulevard, Aurora
- Tickets $38-$74
- Children 2 and younger are not permitted.
- Purchase discounted tickets at Goldstar: Click me
The Christmas Schooner
The Christmas Schooner sails again at the Mercury! The whole family will enjoy this heart-warming story of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit. The production features a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites.
- November 24-December 31
- Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave, Chicago
- Tickets $30-$69
It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Show
A holiday staple for families across the country, It’s a Wonderful Life kicks off the season with an old favorite in a whole new way, live on stage. This show-within-a-show takes place on December 24, 1946 at WBFR Radio, where six actors have gathered to present It’s a Wonderful Life live to the listening audience. With the help of a pianist and a sound-effects artist, the ensemble re-enacts the beloved story of George Bailey, a downtrodden young man who’s given up on his dreams and stands on a bridge, ready to end it all. Just then, an angel arrives to show Bailey how the lives of those he loves would be affected if he were not around. Catch the inspiring and relevant holiday story at Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles.
- November 24-December 30
- Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main Street, 2nd floor, St. Charles
- Tickets $22-$28
- Purchase tickets for $14 on Goldstar
A Dickens Carol
Before Scrooge, author Charles Dickens had his own ghosts to contend with. A Dickens Carol uses real events to reimagine the story of Scrooge from Dickens’ point of view. With his marriage and finances in trouble in 1840s London, Dickens has become bitter toward life itself, a bit like the curmudgeonly character he has yet to create. But on a cold Christmas eve, a horrible train crash plunges him into the icy Kent river. Stuck in a carriage slowly sinking into the water, three spirits lead Dickens on a journey through his past, present and future. The journey transforms his life and inspires him to write his most celebrated work ever. The carol behind the carol, this all-new twist on a family ghost story at Oak Park’s Madison Street Theatre promises to melt the heart of the scroogiest Scrooge out there.
- November 25-December 24
- Madison Street Theatre, 1010 Madison Street, Oak Park
- Tickets $15-$30
- Purchase tickets from Goldstar at a discount; tickets available for $15 or less. Some complimentary tickets are available.
A Dickens Carol
Before Scrooge, author Charles Dickens had his own ghosts to contend with. A Dickens Carol uses real events to reimagine the story of Scrooge from Dickens’ point of view. With his marriage and finances in trouble in 1840s London, Dickens has become bitter toward life itself, a bit like the curmudgeonly character he has yet to create. But on a cold Christmas eve, a horrible train crash plunges him into the icy Kent river. Stuck in a carriage slowly sinking into the water, three spirits lead Dickens on a journey through his past, present and future. The journey transforms his life and inspires him to write his most celebrated work ever. The carol behind the carol, this all-new twist on a family ghost story at Oak Park’s Madison Street Theatre promises to melt the heart of the scroogiest Scrooge out there.
- November 27-December 24
- Madison Street Theatre, 1010 Madison Street, Oak Park
- Tickets $15-$30
- Purchase tickets from Goldstar at a discount; tickets available for $15 or less. Some complimentary tickets are available.
A Christmas Carol
A timeless holiday favorite, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol returns in the Metropolis’ annual production, which has been delighting audiences since 2001. Join Scrooge, Marley, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and a variety of colorful characters as they help misguided miser Ebenezer Scrooge discover love, joy and the true meaning of Christmas. Three spirits usher Scrooge through the lessons of his past, present and possible future in this charming and heartfelt adaptation of Dickens’ classic by resident playwright Scott Woldman.
- November 29-December 27
- The Metropolis Performing Arts Center, 11 W. Campbell Street, Arlington Heights
- Tickets $30 for adults, $15 for students
- Children under the age of 2 may sit on a parent’s lap and do not require a ticket.
- Purchase tickets for $15 from Goldstar
The Holiday Radio Show
Three Cat Productions is celebrating the holidays with The Holiday Radio Show, which takes you back to Christmas 1942. Featuring The Gift of the Magiby O. Henry, The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson, A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, and The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this show is packed with drama, wacky humor and some truly transcendent four-part harmonies that will chase away your “I Can’t Believe It’s the Holidays Again” blues. Catch The Holiday Radio Show at the Berger Park Coach House Theater in Chicago.
- November 30-December 30
- Chicago Park District’s Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago
- Tickets $25 for adults, $15 for students
- Purchase tickets for $12.50 from Goldstar
It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
It’s a Wonderful Life has become a holiday staple for many families. So what better way to kick off the season than to see this classic fave in a whole new way — live on stage! This show-within-a-show takes place on December 24, 1946 in Studio A at WBFR Radio, where a cast of six actors is preparing to present It’s a Wonderful Life live to the listening audience. With the help of a sound-effects artist, the ensemble reenacts the beloved story of George Bailey, a young man who’s given up on his dreams and stands on a bridge, ready to end it all. Just then, an angel arrives to show Bailey how the lives of those he loves would be affected if he were not around.
The story’s message is profound and remains relevant for today’s audiences. See it at Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview, and stay for cookies and hot chocolate after each show!
- November 30-December 30
- Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview
- Tickets $35 for adults, $20 for students
- Purchase tickets for $17.50 from Goldstar
Pine: A Holiday Comedy
Cozy up with a blanket, a hot drink, and the staff of the Festive Pines tree lot. Join Gabby, Sami, Taj, Betty, and Joe: 5 people from very different backgrounds thrown together by a seasonal job selling Christmas trees. As the weeks count down to Christmas they must lean on each other to figure how to keep moving forward when life doesn’t turn out the way they planned. A delightfully unfestive comedy about pursuing your dreams, managing your expectations, and working retail.
- December 1-10
- Festive Pines, 1401 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets: $10 suggested donation or free with the purchase of a tree
- Recommended for ages 13 and older
- Performances take place outdoors
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
Jacob Marley was dead, sure, but what happened after that? Find out in this spirited holiday take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, in which Marley gets one more chance to make the journey back to earth to free himself from all those chains and redeem the old skinflint, Scrooge — while maybe even finding his own heart in the process. This one-man show stars Steel Beam Theatre’s own Pat Able. Enjoy Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at St. Charles’ Steel Beam Theatre.
- December 1-17
- Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main Street, St. Charles
- Tickets $22-$28
- Purchase tickets for $14 from Goldstar
Those Silly Reindeer!
It’s almost Christmas Eve at the North Pole — and something is wrong! Holli, the Snow Princess, has gone on vacation and since she left, temperatures have been rising. All the snow’s melted and those silly reindeer can’t take off and fly because the grass tickles their hooves. Santa must send Jack the Bird and LeeLee the Christmas Tree off on an adventure to find Holli and bring her back before Christmas Eve. Will they reach Holli in time? And will Christmas be saved? You and the whole fam will have to head on over to Chicago’s The Edge Theater to find out.
- December 1-17
- The Lil’ Buds Theatre Company production at The Edge Theatre, 5451 North Broadway, Chicago
- Tickets $15
- Designed for audiences 2 and over.
- Purchase tickets for $5-$7.50 from Goldstar
A Christmas Carol: An Evening of Dickensian Delights
Travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas as Fury Theater Company returns with its special immersive production of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol, as well as a special pre-show celebration. As soon as you enter the theater, Dickens’ world begins to come to life, enveloping you with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a Victorian Christmas. Sip hot spiced cider and enjoy homemade cookies — all included with your ticket — while listening to Christmas carols and admiring the festive decorations. Then settle in for Scrooge’s timeless Christmas journey, as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future teach him the true meaning of the season at Chicago’s Indian Boundary Park Cultural Center.
- December 1-22
- Fury Theatre at Indian Boundary Park, 2500 W. Lunt Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets $20 for adults, $15 for students, and $10 for children under 10 years old
- Purchase tickets for $10 on Goldstar
The Joffrey Ballet: The Nutcracker
See Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s production of The Nutcracker in this breath-taking performance by the Joffrey Ballet. This fresh adaptation of the timeless Christmas ballet is set during the historic 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and centers on Marie — a young, impoverished girl from the South Side whose parents work at the fair. On the night before Christmas, a magical nutcracker guides Marie through a beautiful dreamland based on the World’s Fair and the many exotic people, animals and places represented there. With Tchaikovsky’s eternal music played by the Chicago Philharmonic, this electrifying work from one of the world’s foremost choreographers leaps into Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.
- December 1-30
- Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago
- Tickets $35-$165
- Recommended for ages 4 and older
- Purchase discounted tickets on Goldstar
Miracle on 34th Street: A Radio Play
Miracle on 34th Street: A Radio Play is perfect for families looking for a fun outing that captures the spirit of the season. Full of laughs, holiday magic and music, Miracle on 34th Street: A Radio Play tells how the department store Santa who comes in to Macy’s as an emergency substitute challenges the mother and daughter’s refusal to believe when he claims to be the one and only Kris Kringle. Can he prove to them and the world that Santa is real while making one little girl’s dreams come true?
- December 2-16
- The Artistic Home, 1376 W. Grand Ave, Chicago
- Tickets $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 12 and younger
The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party
The perfect way to kick off your family’s holiday festivities! Children of all ages are cordially invited to dress up and enjoy a spot of hot cocoa with CCT’s friends from the English Lake District at the The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party. Spend the day with Peter Rabbit, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Simpkin the cat as they delight audiences in this interactive trunk and puppet show. Children and parents are invited to the stage following the performance to pull levers and turn cranks, revealing images that surprise and delight.
- December 2-17
- Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets $47
- Recommended for ages 2-6
Steampunk Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens meets Jules Verne (the Father of Science Fiction) in EDGE Theater and Steampunk Chicago’s inventive reimagining of the classic holiday tale A Christmas Carol. Set in fanciful Victorian England, mechanized ghosts tell of the fate of a world without Christmas. In this land of industry, populated with strange machines powered by gas, gears and electricity, Scrooge comes to realize that the best investment man can make is in mankind. Witness the revolution of a soul when Jared McDaris’ Steampunk Christmas Carol swings into Chicago’s Raven Theatre.
- December 6-16
- E.D.G.E. Theatre production at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark Street, Chicago
- Tickets $18
- Purchase tickets for $9 on Goldstar
A Christmas Carol
A tradition with the Organic Theater Company, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol now plays for the 10th year running at the Meiley-Swallow Hall. We all know the story of A Christmas Carol from Scrooge’s end, but what would it look like from the eyes of the ghostly former business partner Jacob Marley? A spin on the holiday classic, follow Marley’s own journey through struggle and redemption.
- December 7-10
- Meiley-Swallow Theatre, 31 S. Ellsworth Street, Naperville
- Tickets $20-$30
- Purchase tickets for $15 on Goldstar
The Nutcracker
Our production takes place at the Lund Auditorium of Dominican University in beautiful River Forest, Illinois. We offer weekday performances so that school-aged children have the opportunity to see our production at a greatly reduced cost. Our weekend performances feature guest artists that have hailed from ABT, New York City Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, and The Kirov Ballet, among others.
- December 7-11
- Lund Auditorium, 7900 W. Division Street, River Forest
- Tickets $22-$32
- Purchase tickets for $11-$13.50 on Goldstar
Charlie Brown Christmas
This live on stage adaptation of the classic animated television special brings all your favorite characters to life. So, join the Peanuts gang in their journey to uncover the true meaning of Christmas.
- December 8 at 7:30 pm.
- Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet
- Tickets $29-$49
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
- December 8-17
- Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th Street, Chicago
- Tickets $20-$22
Ballet Chicago presents The Nutcracker
Ballet Chicago’s Nutcracker extravaganza comes to glorious life on the sparkling stage at the Athenaeum Theatre this holiday season. Complete with beautiful fairies, handsome princes, dancing snowflakes and a lovely young girl making her way to the Kingdom of Snow and the Land of the Sweets, this gorgeous ballet is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Set to Tchaikovsky’s delightful score, The Nutcracker is sure to create cherished memories for your whole family.
- December 8-17
- Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago
- Tickets $17-$47
- Purchase tickets for $10-$17 on Goldstar
Salt Creek Ballet: The Nutcracker
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Salt Creek Ballet company marches onto the stage with an all-new production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite, featuring new sets, costumes, a 42-piece ensemble and internationally recognized guest dancers. Audiences of all ages will enjoy the magical story of young Clara, who dreams that her new toy nutcracker soldier has come to life. Together, they experience a fantastical adventure filled with waltzing flowers, giant mice and sugar plum fairies. Watch in wonder a cast of 100 dancers, including local children and young adults from the school of the Salt Creek Ballet, plus guest artists Ilya Kozadayev — a former soloist with Houston Ballet — and Yumelia Garcia, who just this year retired as a leading artist from Joffrey Ballet. Between the performances, you’re invited to a Sugar Plum Party, where you can take pictures with Santa, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies and enter to win prizes.
- December 9
- North Shore Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park
- Tickets: $28-$43
- Purchase tickets for $18-$21.50 on Goldstar
It’s A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Broadcast
Be taken back in time as AlphaMedia presents a live radio broadcast and theatre performance of It’s a Wonderful Life. Take the kids and grandkids to this multigenerational nostalgic performance. Experience first-hand how live radio broadcasts used to be made, while watching one or your favorite Christmas classics come to life on stage. The performance will be broadcast live on 1340 WJOL.
- December 9 at 7:00 pm.
- Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet
- Tickets $10
Bowl Full of Jolly
Learn what Santa does in the off season, or see scenes spin like a dreidel. You provide the inspiration, the actors provide the laughs to get you through the end of the year with your family…or at least the end of the night. The early show is family-friendly while the later show is anything goes!
- December 9-30
- Laugh Out Loud Chicago, 3851 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago
- Tickets $20 for adults, $12 for children
- 7:30 pm shows are family-friendly; 9:30 pm are anything goes
- Purchase tickets for $5-$10 on Goldstar
Tiding of Tap!
Quickly becoming one of Chicago’s favorite family traditions, Tidings of Tap!hot steps its way into the holiday with a fun and sophisticated dance show celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and the winter season, all set to live music. Along with exciting new pieces from the Chicago Tap Theatre, you’ll also see the return of favorites like the battle between Frosty and Rudolf in “Bohemian Tapsody,” the men of CTT kicking up their heels with “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,” and more tap-happy twists on classic Yuletide tunes. Tiny dancers will even have a chance to get in on the act, as kids in the audience are invited on stage to join in the show’s finale at Skokie’s North Shore Center.
- December 10 at 3:00 pm
- North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie
- Tickets $24-$40
- Purchase discounted tickets on Goldstar
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
Cirque Dreams Holidaze lights up the 2017 season with its 10th Anniversary National Tour. This critically-acclaimed holiday stage extravaganza is a cirque spectacle …Broadway musical…and family show all in one!
- December 13 at 7:30 pm.
- Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet
- Tickets $33.50-$78.50
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
For more than 30 years, Mannheim Steamroller’s modern contemporary interpretations of classic Christmas music have thrilled audiences around the world and sold more than 28 million albums in the U.S. alone. In this show at Chicagoland’s Rosemont Theatre, Grammy Award winner Chip Davis directs the group as they play some of the Christmas standards that made Mannheim Steamroller a holiday mainstay, accompanied by dazzling multimedia effects in an intimate concert setting. There’s no better way to bring the spirit of the holiday season to life.
- December 15
- Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont
- Tickets $39-$95
- Purchase tickets for $27.50-$66 on Goldstar
Salt Creek Ballet: The Nutcracker
The Salt Creek Ballet’s rendition of The Nutcracker has a ton of new and exciting twists to it this year. The production is still a holiday classic, the tale of young Clara and her adventures with the sugar plum fairies. It’s also performed in the grand Russian style with, as always, Tchaikovsky’s enchanting musical score. This time around, however, there’s incredible new sets, sparkling guest dancers and a cast of 100 people! Fun fact: Some of these members include students from 25 cities throughout Illinois. With loads of traditional comforts and holiday surprises, this production at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago is bound to be a treat for the whole family.
- December 16-17
- North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie
- Tickets $20-$42
- Purchase discounted tickets on Goldstar
Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet: The Nutcracker
With eye-popping costumes, stirring choreography and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score played by the New Philharmonic Orchestra, Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker returns to enchant the entire family. This annual holiday ballet tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll one Christmas Eve and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. McAninch Arts Center is the perfect place to experience this much-beloved ballet that always dazzles with its battling mice, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy.
- December 16-17
- McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn
- Tickets $44 for adults, $34 for children
- Purchase tickets for $22 on Goldstar
Michael Whalen Presents The Secret of Christmas
Singer Michael Whelan weaves inspirational stories that warm the heart with classic holiday songs, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “O Holy Night” in The Secret of Christmas, a musical reflection of the moments that make the holidays special. Backed by a multimedia presentation, Whelan’s new show at the John & Nancy Hughes Theater in Lake Forest unveils lessons that bring home the true meaning of the season. Whelan, a Libertyville native, has been a featured vocalist for the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra and appeared as an opening act for the legendary Aaron Neville.
- December 17-23
- John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest
- Tickets $15-$25
- Purchase tickets for $7.50 on Goldstar
Do you visit the theater for a Christmas show? Which shows have you seen or do you plan to see?