It's December, which means that the traditional holiday favorites are out in force on Chicago-area stages. But if you're tired of nimble Nutcrackers, getting lectured on charity in A Christmas Carols or suspicious that it isn't A Wonderful Life on the radio after all, then check out these different ( and often deliberately quirky ) holiday alternatives:
New noels
For something truly different, take an interest in these new-to-Chicago-area shows:
—Black Peter, Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee, through Dec. 18: Wisconsin-based Venture Theatre is simultaneously producing Kevin MacLeod and Pat Quigley's dark comedic musical in Chicago and New York this season. It's all about Black Peter, Santa's dark-dealing elf who rises to power and falls from grace. www.gorillatango.com .
—Fa La La La... Fuck It, Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, through Dec. 18: The title of this new dark holiday comedy practically screams its dysfunctional family dynamics. See how a substance-abusing family falls apart over the holidays; visit www.annoyanceproductions.com .
—Float, About Face Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, through Dec. 19: Resentments, hidden affairs and other juicy gossipy bits are revealed when five small-town women come together to construct and deconstruct a Christmas parade float in this world-premiere comic drama by Patricia Kane; visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com .
—A Klingon Christmas Carol, Commedia Beauregard and the IKV Emperor's Hand of the Klingon Assault Group at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, through Dec. 19: Already a sensation in Minnesota, this Star Trek-inspired take on the classic Charles Dickens' novella is performed in the fanboy Klingon language with projected English translations. See if Dickens' supposedly universal Christmas tale survives its Klingon makeover; visit www.greenhousetheater.org .
—Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge, A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company at the Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln, Dec. 3-Jan. 2: Instead of being the dutiful background wife in every single production of A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Bob Cratchit finally has a stressful breakdown and lashes out in absurdist antagonism in the Chicago premiere of Christopher Durang's recent holiday comedy. www.arftco.com
—Robin Hood: The Panto!, Piccolo Theatre at Evanston Arts Depot, 600 Main, Evanston, through Dec. 19: Lovers of child-targeted and adult-innuendo-filled British pantomime theater shouldn't miss Jessica Puller's new retelling of the tale of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. www.piccolotheatre.com
—Striking 12, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble at Heartland Studio Theatre, 7016 N. Glenwood, Dec. 16 through Jan. 8: This decidedly "un-holiday" show takes its inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl, but rocks things up with its pop score by GrooveLily and a script by Rachel Sheinkin ( The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ) . www.bohotheatre.com
You again?
OK, these holiday shows aren't exactly new, but their creative and quirky quotients are still very high:
—The Annoyance Christmas Pageant, Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, through Dec. 18: A kids' show at the Annoyance Theatre? Yes, Virginia, the Annoyance can be family-friendly, too, especially in this double-bill revival of spoofs for both A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Year Without a Santa Claus. www.annoyanceproductions.com
—Blue Nativity, Quest Theatre Ensemble at various Chicago-area locations, Dec. 4 through Jan. 1: Now in its ninth year, this puppet-filled version of the Biblical nativity story once again goes on the road to churches and community centers throughout the Chicago area. www.questensemble.org
—The David Bowie Hepzikat Funky Velvet Flarney Solstice Spectacular, Live... from Space, New Millennium Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, through Dec. 18: Supposedly this is the final year of the rock-star-spoofing holiday special that imagines what a Christmas TV special would be like with guests ranging from Mick Jagger to Annie Lennox; www.nmtchicago.org .
—Flames and Blazes, Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, through Dec. 17: If you love disaster-movie flicks, then be sure to catch this revival of Sean Sykes and Dunbar Dicks' musical comedy about an exclusive 1928 New Year's Eve party in the "unburnable" Weisscastle Hotel. www.annoyanceproductions.com
—Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, Organic Theater Company at North Central College's Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville, Dec. 9-12: Tom Mula's acclaimed one-man adaptation and re-thinking of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale is retold from the perspective of Scrooge's late business partner. http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/show
—The Nativity, Congo Square Theatre Company at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn: Dec. 3 through Dec. 31. This rousing gospel musical takes its inspiration from Langston Hughes' African-American retelling of the Biblical nativity story. Perhaps in a nod to be more inclusive, Congo Square Theater has altered the show's title this year from Black Nativity to just The Nativity. www.congosquaretheatre.org
—The Nutcracker, The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, through Dec. 26: You won't hear Tchaikovsky's classic ballet score in this modernized re-imagining of E.T.A. Hoffmann's fairy tale of a girl who must avenge the death of her soldier brother by defeating a hideous rat king. thehousetheatre.com
—Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark, through Jan. 1: David Cerda and Scott Lamberty's adults-only and cross-dressing holiday spoof of the classic TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer returns yet again to celebrate the merry misfits at the heart of this story about tolerance and acceptance. www.handbagproductions.org
—The Santaland Diaries, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, through Dec. 31: Mitchell Fain returns in a revival of Joe Mantello's one-man adaptation of David Sedaris' celebrated true-life story about his job as a Macy's Santaland elf; see www.theaterwit.com .
Sketchy greetings
The holidays can be a stressful time, so check out these comedy revues for some much-needed levity.
—The Second City's Holiday in the Heights, The Second City Touring Company at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell, Arlington Heights, through Dec. 31: Suburbanites don't have to head into the city to get their dose of Second City sketch comedy for the holiday season. www.metropolisarts.com .
—The Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue, The Second City Touring Company at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main, St. Charles: Dec. 10 through Dec. 31. Before Noble Fool Theatricals changes its name to Fox Valley Repertory, it has one last laugh with its comic moniker by hosting the famed Second City for a few holiday performances; visit www.noblefool.org .
—Scream If You Love Christmas, GayCo Productions at the Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, Dec. 9 through Dec. 30: Chicago's premier LGBT-sketch comedy troupe hasn't forgotten the holidays, so be sure to see what kind of LGBT silliness these folks can cook up for the season. www.annoyanceproductions.com
