Theater openings in December
Indiana
December 1st, Dickens Christmas Carol Dinner Show RETURNS, Theatre at the Center, Center for Visual & Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. $35. FYI (219) 836-3255 or https://www.theatreatthecenter.com. Pre-show Sunday Brunch ($35) or Lunch ($32) options available, Trama Catering & Events. Reservations - 219-836-1930, Ext. 2.
**** December 2nd, 9:15 am, Dickens for KIDS Christmas Carol, Theatre at the Center, Center for Visual & Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. $10 Field Trips. FYI (219) 836-3255 or https://www.theatreatthecenter.com.
December 3rd, 7:30 pm ET, Staged Reading, Terra Nova, Stageworks, The Acting Ensemble, Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E. Mishawauka Avenue, Mishawauka. FYI http://www.actingensemble.com/july-december-2024/
December 5th, 7:30 pm ET, Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender, created and performed by Lisa Wolpe. Philbin Studio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Notre Dame, IN $10-$20. FYI (574) 631-2800 or shakespeare.nd.edu.
December 6th, 7:30 pm, Hammond Community Theatre presents Dad's Christmas Miracle, Beatniks on Conkey, 420 Conkey Street, Hammond. $20. FYI (219) 852-0848 or http://hammondcommunitytheatre.org/dads.html
December 6th, 7:30 pm ET, The Half-Life of Marie Curie, The Acting Ensemble, Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E. Mishawauka Avenue, Mishawauka. FYI http://www.actingensemble.com/the-half-life-of-marie-curie-by-lauren-gun...
Illinois
December 1st, 2:00 pm, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. $30-$75 (plus $4.50 ticket fee). FYI (773) 654-3103 or www.americanbluestheater.com
December 1st, 7:00 pm, Griffin Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of The House without a Christmas Tree, The Berry Stage, Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark Street, Chicago. $38. FYI www.griffintheatre.com.
December 2nd, 6:00 pm, Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Young Professionals host a Wicked Watch Party with special guests Broadway’s “Wonderful Wizard” Gene Weygandt and Broadway In Chicago’s “Nessarose” Heidi Kettenring, followed by private screening of Wicked. Davis Theater, 4614 N Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $25. FYI PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
December 4th, 7:00 pm, & Juliet, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, Chicago. FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
December 5th, 7:30 pm, Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women, Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. FYI (847) 673-6300 or www.northlight.org/subscribe.
**** December 6th, 7:00 pm, Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker, Joffrey Ballet, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. FYI (312) 386-8905 or www.joffrey.org.
**** December 6th, It's A Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play, The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park. FYI (708) 235-2222 or tickets@govst.edu
December 6th, 7:30 pm, Bright Star, The Drama Group, 330 202nd Street, Chicago Heights. FYI at 708-755-3444 or www.dg.booktix.com.
December 6th, The Worm, My Sister, A Red Orchid Theatre Incubator Project by Meat Machine Theatre. A Red Orchid Theatre, 1521 N. Wells St, Chicago. FYI www.ramonarotten.com
December 7th, 7:30 pm, The Totality of All Things, Redtwist Theater, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago. $35. FYI RedtwistTheatre.org
December 8th, 7:00 pm, Clownshow presents Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs ‘A Christmas Carol’ Again starring Blake Montgomery, The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Recommended for 15 & over. $32. (773) 697-3830 or TheDenTheatre.com. FYI DickensAgain.com.
**** December 10th, 7:00 pm, The Hip-Hop Nutcracker, Broadway in Chicago's CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, Chicago. $38-$116. FYI BroadwayInChicago.com
December 11th, 7:30 pm, Broken Eggs, Goodman Theatre’s 2024 New Stages Festival, Owen Theatre at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago. FYI (312) 443-3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Festival
**** December 12th, 7:00 pm, PlayMakers Laboratory’s That's Weird, Grandma: A Holiday Spectacular! Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. $25 adults, $15 youth on sale November 1st. FYI www.playmakerslab.org.
December 12th, 7:30 pm, Rave, Goodman Theatre’s 2024 New Stages Festival, Owen Theatre at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago. FYI (312) 443-3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Festival
December 12th, 7:30 pm, (SOLD OUT) JANE LYNCH’S A SWINGIN’ LITTLE CHRISTMAS Featuring Kate Flannery, Tim Davis & The Tony Guerrero Quintet, Downstairs Theater at Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $79-$119. FYI (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org/christmas
December 15th, 7:30 pm, Hell in a Handbag Productions presents Rudolph The Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) – 25th Anniversary Edition! The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted , Chicago. FYI handbagproductions.org.
December 17th, Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, co-produced by the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater. Studebaker Theatre, 410 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Tickets on sale later in the year. FYI fineartsbuilding.com/events
December 17th, 7:00 pm, Celebrate your Irish heritage with Fairytale of New York, Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
December 17th, 7:00 pm, Les Miserables, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, Chicago. FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
December 20th, Legally Blonde: The Musical, 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 20th, Open Space Arts/Arts Judaica, in association with Her Story Theatre, presents The Berlin Diaries. Open Space Arts’s hyper-intimate 20-seats theater,1411 W Wilson, Chicago. Adults $26, Students/Seniors $20, OSA members $15. FYI https://openspacearts.org/
December 29th, 3:00 pm, Hitt Records, Black Ensemble Theatre, 4450 N. Clark, Chicago. FYI 773-769-4451 or www.blackensembletheater.org.
Elsewhere
**** Family Friendly