A Christmas Carol, Goodman Theatre, through Dec. 26. Forget your Compassionate Conservatism--Scrooge discovers what money is REALLY good for in Kate Buckley's ( via Charles Dickens ) low-glucose tale of rehabilitation and triumph. MSB
The Doctor In Spite Of Himself & The Pretentious Young Ladies, City Lit Theatre, through Jan. 2. No, it's not Dr. House and the Hilton sisters, but a Road Runner-paced double-bill featuring Moliere's classic farce satires. MSB
It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron, through Dec. 26. See how Frank Capra's holiday chestnut might have looked if it had been done as a live radio broadcast, complete with sound effects ( Joe Landry adapts ) . RR
Monty Python's Spamalot, Shubert Theatre, though January 16. Eric Idle plunders his own movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, to create this musical Arthurian send-up. The legendary Mike Nichols directs stars Hank Azaria, Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce. JA
By Jonathan Abarbanel, Mary Shen Barnidge and Rick Reed