The Safe House, City Lit Theatre at Edgewater Presbyterian Church, through Dec. 16. The occupants of the title dwelling may be a three-generation white, het Norman Rockwell family in suburban Michigan on the surface, but author Kristine Thatcher's savvy filial dynamics render their needsand solutionsapplicable to all demographics. MSB
The Nutcracker, House Theatre at the Chopin, through Dec. 30. The House Company's adaptation transforms E.T.A. Hoffman's romantic fancy into a mythic tale of a household battling the sorrow threatening their holiday cheer, their resistance aided by clever reanimated toys, tuneful musical interludes, thrilling sword fights and scrumptious cookies. MSB
Gypsy, Porchlight Music Theatre, through Dec. 29. E. Faye Butler is ferocious yet tender in this exceptional production of a legendary musical. Butler was born to play Mama Rose. JA
Neverland, Prop Thtr, through Dec. 2; Peter Pan, Bros Do Prose at the Mercury Theater, through Dec. 23. You've got two Peter Pan options this month, with Prop and Bros Do Prose both telling the story of the boy who refused to grow up. If you're a J.M. Barrie aficionado, this is your season. CES
By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Sullivan