The holidays are upon us, and that means the umpteenth revivals of A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker. But for Chicago audiences who tire of the standard seasonal fare, there's a plethora of other quirky holiday shows out there, and (ironically) many have become time-honored traditions in their own right:
Lavender holiday lights
Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary's Attic, now through Dec. 30: Chicago's favorite cross-dressing reindeer is back to celebrate his 15th anniversary. This spoof of the beloved 1960s Rankin Bass stop-motion animated TV special involving misfit toys and an elf who wants to be a dentist gets a campy musical makeover by the likes of David Cerda and Scott Lamberty. Each edition features subtle changes, but its message of how being normal isn't normal after all continues to be comically preached. www.handbagproductions.org
The Santaland Diaries, Theater Wit, through Dec. 30: Out author David Sedaris skyrocketed to fame 20 years ago with his sarcastic story based upon his season working as an elf in a major department store's Santaland. The story was a hit when first broadcast on NPR, and Joe Mantello's one-man stage adaptation eventually followed. For Theater Wit's revival, actor Mitchell Fain is back again in the elfin tights and felt hat. www.theaterwit.com
Santa's Dead! & Dirty Carol's Christmas, MidTangent Productions at Hydrate, now through Dec. 22. This is new campy double bill on the dance floor of the gay bar Hydrate. Santa's Dead is a North Pole murder mystery by Tony Lewis where Mrs. Claus is a big bimbo and the prime suspect. Dirty Carol's Christmas provides actor and co-writer Aaron Michael Adamkiewicz a fabulous turn as a major lush drag queen who hosts her own second-rate Christmas variety show with a smattering of guests that she loves and adores, and a few unwelcome visitors who can't escape her liquored-up and loopy attacks. www.hydratechicago.com
re: Gifted, GayCo at Annoyance Theatre, now through Dec. 22. GayCo is doing what we all secretly do and hope to get away with: re-gifting preexisting presents. Call them cheap or economical, but GayCo is serving up a revue of their best-holiday themed sketches from previous shows like Scream if You Love Christmas, Do You Fear What I Fear? and LIT! www.gayco.com
God Is Gay and Wants You To Be Gay: Proof From The Bible, Annoyance Theatre, Dec. 16-Jan. 6. Comedian Lee Barats' satire is not a holiday show per se, but its seasonal timing (and the fact that it draws so heavily from Biblical texts) makes it of interest to LGBT audiences. See what happens when disputed so called "ex-gay" Christian conversion therapy practices are turned toward the opposite, rainbow-colored direction. www.annoyanceproductions.com
Sparkle Hour, Annoyance Theatre, now through Dec. 9. Time is running out to catch this one-man musical extravaganza about Philip Markle's quest to become ... Philip Sparkle! This might not also be a holiday show per se, but anything involving sparkles deserves attention from the LGBT community. www.annoyanceproductions.com
New to town
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Cadillac Palace Theatre, now through Dec. 16. This 90-minute musical take on the beloved Dr. Seuss story of a malcontent who attempts to destroy a village's Christmas has previously been seen in other major cities and on Broadway. Now it comes to Chicago via a seasonal national tour. www.broadwayinchicago.com
Best Musical! Holiday Edition, Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773, now through Dec. 26. A completely different musical comedy with completely new songs is concocted on the spot every week in this holiday-themed version of the musical revue that first debuted earlier this season. www.porchlighttheatre.com
Bah Humbug!, Piccolo Theatre in Evanston, now through Dec. 22. Rather than focus on a fairytale for its annual take on a British holiday panto, Piccolo Theatre has turned its attention to Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale for an oversized lampooning with lots of audience interaction. www.picolotheatre.com
Other returning traditions
The Christmas Schooner, Mercury Theater, now through Dec. 30: This well-established homegrown musical about the sailors who crossed Lake Michigan to bring Christmas trees to Chicago returns for a second season at the Mercury Theatre. www.mercurytheaterchicago.com
The Annoyance Christmas Pageant, Annoyance Theatre, now through Dec. 28: Wow! A family show at the Annoyance Theatre! Also, it's a long-running one that which combines two beloved TV specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, into two acts. www.annoyanceproductions.com
Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performances A Christmas Carol. Again., The Building Stage, now through Dec. 24. One way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth is to remember the celebrated Victorian author as an actor who thrilled audiences with his one-man tours reading from his popular fiction. The Building Stage dramatizes this fact with its own one-man show that finds metaphysical humor in its initially reluctant narrator. www.buildingstage.com
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Provision Theater, now through Dec. 23. After its successful world-premiere production last season, Provision Theater revives this show all about a broken-hearted boy who goes to the gloomy local woodcarver in hopes to obtain a replacement. www.provisiontheater.org
Two other returning shows include A Klingon Christmas Carol and Hannukatz The Musical, both of which are playing in new venues. Check out a review of both shows in next week's issue, plus a review of About Face Theatre's We Three Lizas.
