Theater openings in December
December 1st, 7:30 pm, PrideArts’ holiday Panto extravaganza, Jack Off The Beanstalk, Pride Arts, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. $25. FYI www.pridearts.org
December 1st, 8:00 pm, The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque©, Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, Chicago. FYI (773) 404-7336 or www.greenhousetheater.org/
December 2nd, 7:30 pm, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Midsommer Flight, Show House Room of the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 North Stockton Drive, Chicago. Pay-what-you-can. Suggested donation $30.00. FYI www.midsommerflight.com
December 2nd, 7:30 pm, The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, The Obligatory Holiday Special, Hell in a Handbag Productions, The Hoover Leppen Theater at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $29 in advance, $34 at the door, $48 VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. FYI handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/775153.
December 2nd, 7:30 pm, The Christmas Schooner, The Drama Group, 330 202nd Street, Chicago Heights. Tickets $23, $21 Seniors. https://dg.booktix.com/ FYI (708) 755-3444 or www.dramagroup.org
December 2nd, 8:00 pm, Rolling World Premiere, Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. FYI (847) 673-6300 www.northlight.org/subscribe.
December 2nd, 8:00 pm The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon, Footlight Players, 1705 Franklin Street, Michigan City. Adults $10, Children under 12 $10. FYI (219) 874-4035 or www.footlightplayers.org
December 2nd, 8:00 pm, A Fabulous 50's Christmas, Towle Theater, 5205n Hohman Avenue, Hammond. $21. FYI (219) 937-8780 or www.towletheater.org
December 3rd, 2:00 pm. The Nutcracker, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Joffrey Ballet, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. FYI (312) 386-8905 or www.joffrey.org.
December 3rd, 7:30 pm, Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. FYI (847) 242-6000 or www.writerstheatre.org.
**** December 5th, 6:30 & 8:30 pm, PlayMakers Laboratory celebrates its 25th anniversary with 25 Years of Students’ Stories, Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. $25. FYI playmakerslab.org.
December 6th, 7:30 pm, A Magical Cirque Christmas, MagicSpace Entertainment, Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, Chicago. FYI www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.MagicalCirqueChristmas.com.
December 6th, 7:30 pm ET, StageWorks Staged Reading, Ada and the Engine, Acting Ensemble, Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E. Mishawauka Avenue, South Bend. $10. FYI (574) 232-2559 or www.actingensemble.com/box-office
December 8th, The Christmas Schooner, directed by David Zak, Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th Street, Chicago. $40. FYI https://thebeverlyartscenter.com/event/the-christmas-schooner/.
December 9th, 7:30 pm, Dear Evan Hansen, Broadway in Chicago, James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph, Chicago. FYI FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com
December 9th, 8:00 pm, Elf the Musical Jr., Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Ave., Valparaiso. $21-$23. FYI (219) 548-9137 or www.memorialoperahouse.com
December 9th, The Bird Boy, Acting Ensemble, Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E. Mishawauka Avenue, South Bend. $19. FYI (574) 232-2559 or www.actingensemble.com/box-office
December 10th, Jackie Taylor’s Joy to the World: A Holiday Celebration, Black Ensemble Theater, Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago. $50-$55. FYI (773) 769-4451 or www.blackensemble.org.
December 11th, 4:00 pm, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Strawdog Theatre, The Edge Theater Off-Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago. www.strawdog.org.
December 11th, 6:00 pm, World Premiere, Bold Sisters, Ensemble Theatre in Honor of Helen Zell, Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, Chicago. FYI (312) 335-1650 or www.steppenwolf.org
December 16th, 8:00 pm, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Music Theater Works, North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. $39-$106. FYI (847) 673-6300 or www.musictheaterworks.com
December 17th, 8:00 pm, World Premiere, Little Women, adapted by Heather Chrisler, First Folio Theatre, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83, Oak Brook. FYI (630) 986-8067 or www.firstfolio.org
December 20th, 10:00 am & 1:00 pm, Junior Claus, Citadel Theatre Company Theatre for Young Audiences, 300 South Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. $20. FYI (847) 735-8554, ext. 1 or www.citadeltheatre.org
December 22nd, 7:30 pm, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Auditorium Theater, 50 E Ida B. Wells Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $45. FYI (312) 341-2342 or auditoriumtheatre.org
**** Family Friendly