Holiday theater can silly, sweet, stupid funny, and it can be great art. From classic classics, new classics, and reinvented classics to irreverent wonders, here are seasonal offerings worth unwrapping.
“We at the company don’t think of (‘The Nutcracker’) as entertainment, we think of it as a serious piece of art,” Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen told the Herald earlier this season. “I choreographed it to be incredibly difficult for the dancers for a couple of reasons. I know I have a tired company on December 31st, but I also know I have a better company.” So, sure, nostalgia and the Christmas connection fuel a love for the piece, but remember it’s a grand piece of art, complex and compelling. Bostonballet.org
Misfits as heroes! Come see the songs, message, and characters you love — Hermey the dentist elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius, and, of course, the most famous reindeer of all them all — live and in person! (You can close your eyes and picture the claymation.) bochcenter.org
BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon whip up whip-smart laughs, seasonal spectacles and sugary songs. What does that mean? Basically “RuPaul’s Drag Race” with more tinsel and mistletoe. bochcenter.org
Have you been naughty or nice? Nice? Oh, you better stay home for this one. This bawdy, burlesque, and satirical adaptation follows the adventures of a suburban dude through a weirdo wonderland. Theslutcracker.com
Langston Hughes’ poetry joins with dancers, singers, and musicians to explore the Gospel of St. Luke. From gospel music to African drums, the performers bring this tradition to life once more. Emersontheatres.org
The man, the myth, the legend, David Coffee returns for his 29th holiday season as Ebenezer Scrooge. The story you know, done with more cheer, magic and redemption than you’ll likely ever see in a New England retelling of the Charles Dickens’ classic. Nsmt.org
The 53rd Midwinter Revels carries the audience to a medieval Feast of Fools. During this holiday celebration up is down, calm is chaos, and, as always, song, dance, and merrymaking rule the day. revels.org
Boston dance legend Anthony Williams’ twist on Tchaikovsky has become as essential as the Boston Ballet’s traditional take. In this version, we get a little ballet and a lot of other stuff: hip hop, flamenco, swing dance, tap, and more set to Duke Ellington’s riff of the Russian composer. Bochcenter.org
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t think it’s Christmas until Hans Gruber falls off of Nakatomi Plaza, well, grab a Twinkie, take off your shoes, and enjoy this unauthorized parody of “Die Hard.” A one-man retelling of this Christmas movie (oh, yeah, we went there) written by London poetry slam champion Richard Marsh and starring Darrel Bailey, this show will have you yelling “Yippee Ki-Yay, Mr. Falcon!” huntingtontheatre.org