December Brry Brry Cold Outside…Warm Theater Inside!

Compiled by Miryam Gordon from press releases.

Plenty to do this month, so curl up with a good show and get comfy!

Ho Ho Ho!, Seattle Men’s Chorus, 12/1-21/24 (Benaroya Hall, Pantages Theater, Everett Civic Auditorium)

SMC serves up everyone’s favorite holiday tradition: seasonal classics, Christmas comedy, a dizzying array of dancing Santas, and the gayest sing-along ever. Songs include “Pink Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” and a new holiday version of “Holding Out for a Hero.”

www.seattlechoruses.org 

Black Nativity, Intiman Theatre and Hansberry Project, 12/4-29/24 (at Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway)

Langston Hughes’ Gospel Song-Play returns in this newly reimagined production! Celebrate the season with a cast of more than 30 actors, dancers, soaring vocalists, a live band, and a rousing city-wide gospel choir. Audiences will have the chance to sing along during this holiday musical for families of all backgrounds and beliefs. 

www.intiman.org 

A Charlie Brown Christmas, Taproot Theatre, 12/5-28/24

Charlie Brown is depressed by the never-ending commercialism surrounding the holidays. Thankfully, Linus is there to help him find the true meaning of Christmas in this musical adaptation of the cartoon classic.

www.taproottheatre.org 

Fellow Passengers, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, 12/5-23/24 (at 12^th Avenue Arts)

A three-person narrative adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this play is written and directed by Strawshop Artistic Director Greg Carter. Including every page of the 1843 novel, Passengers playfully engages found objects, clothes, toys, and furniture to restore vitality to the most important story ever written. It was first devised by Rhonda J Soikowski and her cast during Strawshop’s inaugural season. Includes original music by Ayako Okano.

www.strawshop.org

Bake to Alaska, Key City Public Theatre, 12/5-29/24 (world premiere)

A simmering adventure story about family, devotion and loyalty for the farcical pressure cooker of our times. Quirky contestants, hidden identities and concealed crimes whip a whirlpool of batter full of nuts and reasons hovering just below the surface. By local playwright David A. Natale.

www.keycitypublictheatre.org 

The Dina Martina Christmas Show, ACT Theatre, 12/6-24/24

A beloved Seattle tradition for over 25 years, The Dina Martina Christmas Show is back at ACT and better than ever! The iconic Dina Martina brings a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday tunes, treated with her undeniably surreal comic sensibility. Expect the unexpected!

www.acttheatre.org

Scott Shoemaker’s War on Christmas, Shoes and Pants Productions, 12/6-28/24 (at Theatre Off Jackson)

This annual all-star variety spectacular Yule Tide tradition returns. Come spend an evening with Scott and a cast of Seattle luminaries as they try to figure out who’s fighting a war on Christmas and what for? It’s a hilarious night of comedy, songs, dance numbers, delightful videos, and partial nudity!

www.theatreoffjackson.org

The Wickhams: Christmas At Pemberley, Secondstory Repertory, 12/6-29/24

A delightful and unexpected sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This uproarious comedy shifts the focus from the grand ballroom to the bustling heart of Pemberley – the servants’ quarters. As the Darcy household prepares for a lavish Christmas celebration, chaos erupts with the surprise arrival of the infamous Mr. Wickham. With wit, charm, and a healthy dose of holiday spirit, The Wickhams offers a fresh perspective on the beloved Austen world, revealing the underbelly of the privileged life and the resilience of the human spirit.

www.secondstoryrep.org

Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas, Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas, 12/11-21/24 (at Erickson Theatre)

Uncle Mike, everyone’s least favorite holiday guest & Seattle’s most favorite live comedy show, is back in town and ready to roast your chestnuts and trim your grandma’s tree. Seattle’s top creative & comedic minds sweetly perform recreations of our audience’s cherished holiday memories… until Uncle Mike defiles & corrupts them in ways no sane human should have the capacity to imagine. Foul and fun, alarming and charming, audiences return year after year for another serving of Uncle Mike’s special blend of madness. But be warned, this comedy features mature content and is not suitable for everyone.

www.strangertickets.com/events/159960510/uncle-mike-ruins-christmas

Boy mother / faceless bloom, On The Boards, 12/12-14/24

Threading mythology and autobiography, while drawing from the diverse lineages of queer, anti-colonial, and care-based artistic practices, Boy mother / faceless bloom tells a story of transformation, transgression, and the formation of new transcestral lines. Dance, music, poetry, ritual, and sculptural installation converge in this work by Juni One Set – an international collaborative cohort including Seattle-based Degenerate Art Ensemble (Haruko Crow Nishimura & Joshua Kohl), visual artist Senga Nengudi, and violinist/composer edi yuniya kwon. 

www.ontheboards.org 

Emmett Montgomery’s Sugar Plum Gary, Annex Theatre, 12/13-24/24

One fateful night many decades ago, Santa visited the Rankin Bass Home for Unfortunate Children. By the time the sun rose, the boy who would become Sugar Plum Gary was the only survivor. Now, the kind-hearted Santanist wanders the world learning and sharing about the reason for the season and returns to Seattle for a ninth seasonal run in his signature jolly footie pajamas to lead a discussion about the mysterious truths about the ancient magic of the thing known as Santa, his reindeer, the sinister motives of the soda companies and the government who try to lull us into a false sense of safety with their seasonal propaganda and other things we should know so that we all survive the night. 

www.annextheatre.org

Rented Christmas, Olympic Theatre Arts Center, 12/19-22/24

John Dale hasn’t enjoyed a ’real Christmas’ for years.  So, on the spur of the moment, he decides to ’rent’ a Christmas from Anne Weston, who owns the local rent shop. Anne is at first flustered with the requirements:  a tree with presents, Christmas carols and also a wife and five children. Anne feels she has solved the problem of a Christmas family by calling the actors’ guild. But the young actors come down with the measles so she turns to the local orphanage. When the guild can’t locate a ’mother,’ Anne steps in to play the role herself. 

www.olympictheatrearts.org

Jinkx and Dela Tour Holiday Show 2024, BenDeLaCreme Presents, 12/21-24/24 (at The Moore Theatre)

While there’s no guessing as to what wild and unexpected directions this year’s show will take audiences, fans can expect another year of over-the-top camp spectacle, side-splitting gags, brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, thrilling dance numbers, and iconic costumes. Join the sugary, terminally delightful DeLa and the spicy bombastic Jinkx for a holiday experience like no other.

https://www.jinkxanddela.com

For more articles and reviews, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. Please go to https://MiryamsTheaterMusings.blogspot.com and subscribe to get articles direct to your in-box!