St. Louis Rep's It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Leads BroadwayWorld's Holiday Guide: Must-See Central US Shows
BroadwayWorld is unwrapping the best theatre across the country.
By: Team BWW Dec. 08, 2023
As the festive season sweeps across the country bringing holiday cheer, BroadwayWorld is thrilled to present our selection of must-see shows for December. Check out our top picks for the East Coast, West Coast, and Central US!
Our expertly curated list showcases a dazzling array of performances that embody the spirit of the holidays, each offering a unique blend of heartwarming tales, spectacular visuals, and enchanting music.
Whether you're a lifelong theater enthusiast or looking for a special holiday experience, these top picks promise to light up your December with unforgettable theatrical magic.
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It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
St. Louis - Repertory Theatre St. Louis - December 23, 2023 through December 23, 2023
Transporting you to a glamorous 1940s radio station, this magical production breathes new life into the classic Holiday film about George Bailey, and the tale of how the life of one good man can change the world. With a full cast of St. Louis actors, a meticulously crafted set, authentic period costumes, and foley sound effects, you become a part of the story, capturing the nostalgia of a bygone era.
For tickets: click here.
Away in the Basement: Church Basement Ladies
South Dakota - Washington Pavilion - December 23, 2023 through December 23, 2023
Out of the basement shall come a Church Basement program of good tidings, great humor and joy! The ladies are serving it up again, and this time around it’s an all-new holiday show.
For tickets: click here.
Nutcracker in Wonderland
Minneapolis / St. Paul - Ballet Co.Laboratory - December 8, 2023 through December 10, 2023
Ballet Co.Laboratory’s enchanting twist on a holiday classic returns to the stage at The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts from December 8-10! Nutcracker in Wonderland weaves together the magic of two timeless stories, E.T.A. Hoffman’s The Nutcracker and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Jump down the rabbit hole for the most curious adventure. The beloved Tchaikovsky Nutcracker score will take on a new meaning as Clara and Alice join forces to battle the Rat Queen, whirl through the Land of Snowflakes hand-in-hand, and encounter Wonderland residents like the Mad Hatter, mischievous Cheshire Cat, perpetually tardy White Rabbit, and spiteful Queen of Hearts all while discovering themselves.
For tickets: click here.
It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Nashville - Studio Tenn Theatre Company - December 7, 2023 through December 24, 2023
Middle Tennessee’s newest holiday tradition is back. Studio Tenn is delighted to revive our critically acclaimed production of It’s A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play for the second year. It’s A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play is set on a snowy Christmas Eve inside a local radio station which features a multi-talented ensemble of five actors who bring to life every heartwarming character, the iconic town of Bedford Falls, and the story of an idealistic George Bailey as he considers the course his life has taken up to this one fateful night. A Heaven-sent gift for the entire family.
For tickets: click here.
Narnia the Musical
Cincinnati - The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati - December 9, 2023 through December 18, 2023
Based on C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Narnia The Musical tells of four English schoolchildren – brothers and sisters – sent away from London during World War II to stay in the manor house of their uncle – who stumble upon (and through) a wardrobe into the magical kingdom of Narnia, held in the power of the White Witch, whose evil spell has frozen the land, so that it is “always winter – and never Christmas.” In this spellbound landscape, filled with creatures of myth and fable, the children face temptation and fear, but learn deep lessons of courage, unselfishness, and wisdom that help them grow in spirit and prepare them for life in our world.
For tickets: click here.
Homoe for the Holidays
Des Moines - Tallgrass Theatre Company - December 15, 2023 through December 17, 2023
Tallgrass Theatre Company presents Home for the Holidays – A Christmas Cabaret featuring the A Sisters! The A Sisters, Allison Wergeland , Ashley Rogers and Alison Buechler, are back for 3 performances of cheer. This year the A Sisters will be joined by special guests Bing Crosby (Nicholas Root), Doris Day (Caitlyn Porter) and Danny Kaye (Alex Lindsley), under the Musical Direction of Charissa Hamel, along with a few surprise guests. Please join us as the A Sisters and friends sing some classics, some new songs and a few songs that they just wanted to sing for fun. Songs will include Jing Jing a Ling, Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, and an Irving Berlin Medley.
For tickets: click here.
A Christmas Story
Arkansas - Royal Players - December 7, 2023 through December 17, 2023
Sponsored by Everett Buick GMC, A Christmas Story, written by Phillip Grecian and directed by Matthew Burns, comes to the Royal Theatre at 111 S. Market Street, Benton, Arkansas on December 7-17th. A Christmas Story is Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the 1940s Midwest. This tale follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening performances (December 7, 8, 9,14, 15 and 16) will begin at 7:00pm and Sunday matinees (December 10 and 17) will begin at 2:00pm. A Christmas Story is destined to become Saline County’s favorite holiday event this year.
For tickets: click here.
Meredith Willson's Miracle on 34th Street
New Hampshire - Majestic Theatre - December 8, 2023 through December 10, 2023
Join the Majestic Theatre for this holiday show filled with humor, spectacle and such beloved songs as "Pinecones and Hollyberries," "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "My State, My Kansas," this joyous, heartwarming musical is pure family entertainment, wholesome without being cloying. A holiday classic from the writer of the musical theatre classic, “The Music Man”, and based on the movie of the same name, Miracle on 34th Street features a book and score by none other than Meredith Willson. Majestic's production is Directed by Jocelyn Duford and Musical Direction by Keith Belanger and starring an ensemble cast.
For tickets: click here.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, A New Adaptation by Patrick Barlow
New Orleans - Crescent City Stage - December 7, 2023 through December 21, 2023
Patrick Barlow, writer of the Broadway and West End hit The 39 Steps, has retold Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. This thrilling adaptation uses only five actors to bring some of Dickens' most beloved characters to life. From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mrs. Fezziwig, Barlow's A Christmas Carol uses nothing more than some simple props, fresh physicality, and the power of imagination to convey this timeless story of redemption. Witness Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from a stingy miser to a man who generously celebrates the spirit of the season all year long, in this highly theatrical adaptation.
For tickets: click here.
MRS. DOUBTFIRE
St. Louis - Fabulous Fox Theatre - December 26, 2023 through January 7, 2024
A new musical comedy about the things we do to stay together. Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny is headed to St. Louis in an internationally acclaimed new hit musical critics call “wonderful, heart-warming, and laugh-out-loud funny” (Manchester Evening News) and “a feel-good, family-friendly comedy that delivers” (The Hollywood Reporter). Based on the beloved film and directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. It’s “the lovable, big-hearted musical comedy we need right now,” raves the Chicago Tribune – one that proves we’re better together.
For tickets: click here.
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: The Musical
St. Louis - Fabulous Fox Theatre - December 23, 2023 through December 23, 2023
The beloved TV classic RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER soars off the screen and onto the stage this holiday season. Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us.
For tickets: click here.
Disney's ALADDIN
St. Louis - Fabulous Fox Theatre - December 12, 2023 through December 17, 2023
Discover a whole new world at Disney’s ALADDIN, the hit Broadway musical. From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of ALADDIN, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
For tickets: click here.
A Christmas Carol
South Dakota - The Premiere Playhouse - December 15, 2023 through December 23, 2023
A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
For tickets: click here.
It's a Wonderful Life: A New Musical
Madison - Capital City Theatre - December 8, 2023 through December 10, 2023
The classic 1946 film about George Bailey, Clarence the angel, and the sleepy town of Bedford Falls has been a major part of our holiday season for decades. Come experience the first staged reading of a newly re-imagined musical version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with all the characters you love in the film singing their hearts out. With a score that takes a fresh approach to the period style of the story, you’ll see why CCT wants this to become the timeless holiday classic that we bring you year after year.
For tickets: click here.
Your Old Fashioned Die Hard Holiday Radiocast
Austin - Penfold Theatre - December 22, 2023 through December 22, 2023
After years of sincere, nostalgia-dipped Christmas stories, Penfold’s fictional 1940s radiocasters switch gears with an “after dark” version of Die Hard, reimagined as the irreverent, “Prairie Home Companion” Christmas Special that never should have existed. Back by popular demand and for one night only, you’re invited to a night of irreverent holiday fun at Austin’s iconic Driskill Hotel. The small company of voice actors will create the large cast of terrorists, hostages, police, newscasters, and family – as well as the live sound effects of explosions, gunfire, bleeding, property damage, and hugs. Because some nights Christmas just isn’t Christmas until Bruce Willis drops Alan Rickman off a California skyscraper!
For tickets: click here.
Espresso Nutcracker
Dallas - Dallas Black Dance Theatre - December 9, 2023 through December 9, 2023
Travel to a winter wonderland full of cheer, delight, and the sweetest of treats with our Dallas Black Dance Academy students as they take to the stage for an enchanting performance. Sprinkled with sugarplum fairies and a little holiday magic, this whimsical reimagining of a timeless tale is sure to leave you feeling merry and bright!
For tickets: click here.
Musical Adventures: Family Christmas
Dallas - Plano Symphony Orchestra - December 23, 2023 through December 23, 2023
Join the Plano Symphony Orchestra for a festive 45-minute concert featuring great holiday music and a chance to meet the string and woodwind families of the orchestra. Rebel Theatrics will join us for a modern re-telling of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” including singing, acting, and dancing. End the afternoon with a sing-a-long of your favorite holiday carols! Audiences are encouraged to arrive 45 minutes early for the Instrument Petting Zoo, where children can interact with instruments up close.
For tickets: click here.
Home for the Holidays
Dallas - Plano Symphony Orchestra - December 17, 2023 through December 17, 2023
The always popular “Home for the Holidays” concerts feature seasonal favorites for orchestra, vocalists, and chorus, the popular audience sing-along, visitors from the North Pole, and more! Joining the PSO will be singer-songwriter Nick Fabian, the dynamic and international award-winning vocal quartet Midtown Quartet, as well as the Plano Civic Chorus.
For tickets: click here.
Josh Kellman's One-Man "A Christmas Carol"
Denver - Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre - December 9, 2023 through December 10, 2023
RMRT fan favorite Josh Kellman returns to our stage in his own adaptation of the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol". Josh brings all of the warmth and drama of this well-known tale to life, portraying all of Dickens' colorful characters in a holiday performance that you'll never forget. From Jacob Marley's first appearance to Tiny Tim's final exclamation, this performance will start your holiday season off in the most magical way. These performances are being offered as a benefit for RMRT's "Raise The Roof" Capital Campaign. All proceeds will go toward "Raise The Roof".
For tickets: click here.
Home for the Holidays at Rocky Mountain Rep
Denver - Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre - December 16, 2023 through December 17, 2023
Our "Home for the Holidays" show is Saturday, December 16th, at 7:30pm and Sunday, December 17th, at 2:00pm. Join Rocky Mountain Rep alumni as they present a festive and heartwarming holiday tribute! Staged and directed by Michael Querio and Jeff Duke, our "Home for the Holidays" weekend is the perfect way to celebrate the season!
For tickets: click here.
New Year's Eve with Rocky Mountain Rep
Denver - Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre - December 31, 2023 through December 31, 2023
"New Year's Eve with Rocky Mountain Rep" is December 31st, at 9:00pm. Join us and celebrate as Rocky Mountain Rep invites alumnus and Henry Award winner, Mitchell Lewis, to return to Grand Lake for a one-night-only performance! Enjoy dinner - perhaps even dine out at one of Grand Lake's outstanding restaurants - come to Rocky Mountain Rep for a fantastic performance, and then bundle up and go watch the Town of Grand Lake fireworks. What a fabulous night!!
For tickets: click here.
Christmas with C.S. Lewis
Kansas City - The Westport Playhouse - December 7, 2023 through October 17, 2023
In the early years of his young adult life C.S. Lewis believed the story of Christ’s birth was nothing more than feel-good myth. That all changed after a particular encounter with his great friend and fellow author, J R R Tolkien. Although both men loved mythology in general, Tolkien was convinced that the Jesus myth was the one true myth. That was the start of Lewis’ journey from Atheism to Christianity. From that point on Christmas, for Lewis, took on an entirely different meaning. Here we find him at his home near Oxford on Christmas Eve hosting a group of Americans who are Christmassing in England. They are about to experience an unforgettable assortment of Yuletide recollections which stimulates a whole range of emotions – curiosity, laughter, gladness and even some tears. Above all, they will discover how that encounter with Tolkien forever changed his Christmas celebrations.
For tickets: click here.
Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play
South Dakota - The Good Night Theatre Collective - December 14, 2023 through December 16, 2023
Just in time for the holidays, experience the classic, heartwarming story of the man who might be Santa Claus like never before, presented as a limited engagement in the Washington Pavilion’s Schulte Room. Join us for the musical radio play adaptation of the beloved and timeless tale… Miracle on 34th Street!
For tickets: click here.
Copany
Memphis - Orpheum Theatre Group - January 2, 2024 through January 7, 2024
“HANDS DOWN THE BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF THE SEASON!” – New York Post PHONE RINGS, DOOR CHIMES, IN COMES COMPANY. Winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, COMPANY “strikes like a lightning bolt. It’s brilliantly conceived and funny as hell” (Variety). Three-time Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliott (War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Angels in America) helms this revelatory new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy, at once boldly sophisticated, is deeply insightful, and downright hilarious. It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, Why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st-century could drive a person crazy. COMPANY features Sondheim’s award-winning songs You Could Drive a Person Crazy, The Ladies Who Lunch, Side by Side by Side and the iconic Being Alive. Let’s all drink to that!
For tickets: click here.
The Illusionists: The Magic of the Holidays
Memphis - Orpheum Theatre Group - December 28, 2023 through December 29, 2023
It’s the most magical time of the year! Celebrate the holidays with the entire family at The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays, a mind-blowing showcase featuring jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. The Illusionists has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions. Sponsored Locally By: Simmons Bank
For tickets: click here.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical
Memphis - Orpheum Theatre Group - December 19, 2023 through December 19, 2023
YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SPECIAL COMES TO YOU LIVE ON STAGE! The beloved TV classic RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER soars off the screen and onto the stage this holiday season. Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us.
For tickets: click here.
Interested in being included in the next roundup? Get in touch here.
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