Your Guide to Holiday Shows!

A Christmas Carol by Patrick Barlow (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m)
From the writer of the Broadway and West End hit The 39 Steps (US/UK) comes this thrilling adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, using only five actors to bring some of Dickens’ most beloved characters to life. From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mrs. Fezziwig, Barlow’s version uses nothing more than some simple props, fresh physicality, and the power of imagination to convey this timeless story of redemption.

For more versions of A Christmas Carol for your stage, check out our article “A Guide to A Christmas Carol On Stage” on Breaking Character.

An O. Henry Christmas (Musical) by Peter Ekstrom (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
This holiday favorite, set in turn-of-the-century New York City, features two heart-warming one-act musicals based on the classic O. Henry stories, each capturing the true spirit of giving: The Gift of the Magi (US/UK) and The Last Leaf (US/UK).

Chaps! A Jingle Jangle Christmas by Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 5m)
A hilarious, heartwarming holiday entertainment! On Christmas Eve 1944, frazzled employees of the BBC scramble to present a Country Christmas show when America’s favorite singing cowboy, Tex Riley, fails to show.

Clara’s Christmas Dreams by E. Thomalen (US)
(Short Musical, Drama / 3w, 4m, 1 girl, 1 boy)
Based upon the Dumas (père) version of The Nutcracker, this short musical is the story of the young girl’s journey from childhood to emotional maturity, condensed into a series of dreams brought on by a high fever during a single meaningful evening.

Gift of the Magi by Brainerd Duffield (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 1m)
This short play is a beautiful, sympathetic and warmly human account of O. Henry’s well-known story.

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Full Length Version) by Joe Landry (US)
(Radio Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m)
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. When an angel, Clarence, shows him the positive impact he has had on his family and the people around him George realizes that he is loved. Also available in a Short Version (US).

Ken Ludwig’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Ken Ludwig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
“’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But wait! A mouse is stirring – because Santa missed his house last year. Before you can say “Merry Christmas,” we’re off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf and a spunky little girl who just won’t take no for an answer. Don’t miss this joyful tribute to the holiday season from the two-time Olivier Award-winning author Ken Ludwig.

Sanders Family Christmas by Connie Ray, Alan Bailey, John Foley and Gary Fagin (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 4m)
In this heartwarming sequel to the ever-popular bluegrass musical Smoke on the Mountain, the Sanders family returns to Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, home of the Mount Pleasant Pickle Factory for Christmas Eve, 1941, just 18 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor… and Dennis Sanders is headed off to war.

Season’s Greetings by Alan Ayckborn (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 5m)
In Alan Ayckborn’s wry, cynical comedy, petty and not-so-petty squabbles break out at Neville and Belinda’s intimate Christmas gathering. When a young writer named Clive arrives, trigger-happy Harvey mistakes him for a burglar, with comical results. Other hilarious highlights include a chaotically incompetent puppet show and a midnight love scene that sets off a fearful din from some mechanical Christmas toys.

Scrooge in Rouge by Ricky Graham, Yvette Hargis, Jeffery Roberson and Jefferson Turner (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4 any gender adult)
This quick-change, cross-dressing version of the Charles Dickens classic is set in a Victorian music hall. The Royal Music Hall Twenty-Member Variety Players are beset with a widespread case of food poisoning, leaving only three surviving members to soldier on through a performance of A Christmas Carol. The undaunted trio gamely faces missed cues, ill-fitting costumes and solving the problem of having no one to play Tiny Tim. Done in the style of British Music Hall, this raucous holiday treat abounds in bad puns, bawdy malapropisms, naughty double-entendres and witty songs.

Sh-Boom! A Christmas Miracle by Roger Bean (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 4m)
In 1966, “Denny and the Dreamers” get back together to perform at the local church’s Christmas Bazaar. This crowd-pleasing tuner is filled with great 60s doo-wop hits and holiday classics.

The Gift of the Magi by Richard Adler and Wilson Lehr (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 2m + ensemble)
Richard Adler, co-composer/lyricist of Broadway hits like Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game, created this musical version of O. Henry’s short story for a 1958 telecast. Set in 1905, the stage musical is a full-length, two-act adaptation of the tale, featuring two newlyweds and a flexible ensemble of supporting roles. Both festive and poignant, this version includes the holiday gem “Christmas In Your Heart.”

Winter Wonderettes by Roger Bean (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w)
The Wonderettes are back! This seasonal celebration finds the girls entertaining at the annual Harper’s Hardware Holiday Party. When Santa turns up missing, the girls use their talent and creative ingenuity to save the holiday party! Featuring great versions of holiday classics such as “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Run, Rudolph, Run,” and “Winter Wonderland,” the result is, of course, marvelous! An adaptable version called Winter Wonderettes (Springfield High Edition) (US/UK) is available for schools and theatres with set constraints and/or the great problem of too much programming on the same stage.

2018 Playwrights Horizons Production of Noura (Joan Marcus)

Small Cast: Contemporary Stories

A Tuna Christmas by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2m)
In this hilarious sequel to Greater Tuna, it’s Christmas in the third-smallest town in Texas. Radio station news personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie report on various Yuletide activities, including the hot competition in the annual lawn-display contest. In other news, voracious Joe Bob Lipsey’s production of A Christmas Carol is jeopardized by unpaid electric bills. A total delight for all seasons, whether performed by two quick-changing comedians, as it was on Broadway, or by a cast of 20 or more.

A Twisted Christmas Carol by Phil Olson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
It’s Christmas Eve in a small west Texas town, and cantankerous barbecue joint owner Buford Johnson gets hit by a twister, setting off a Dickensian adventure with a Texas twist.

Balls by George Cameron Grant (US)
(Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 1m)
This short dramatic comedy – a hilarious conversation among five very eccentric, multi-colored Christmas ornaments – explores what happens when the ornaments, tucked snugly in a box, discover just how fragile their existence really is.

Cinnamon GRITS: Christmas in the South by Erica Allen McGee (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w)
Everything’s nice when you add a little cinnamon spice! The holiday sequel to GRITS: The Musical (Girls Raised in the South) centers on hilarious tales of holiday soirées and endearing family dysfunction. See how these four belles from four different generations cope with their countrified Christmas problems. This merry and memorable journey will delight audiences of all ages and ignite the holiday spirit.

Decked! by Ginna Hoben (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w)
It’s Christmas Eve, and Celia is unemployed, broke and increasingly reliant on alcohol and pills. Can she find her road to recovery? Decked! is an all-female dramedy about letting go and moving on.

Eight Nights by Jennifer Maisel (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 4m)
Follow Holocaust survivor Rebecca Blum and her family as they grow and evolve as Americans over the course of eight decades. In their Lower East Side apartment, Rebecca, her father, future husband, daughter and more celebrate each night of Chanukah: the festival of lights. With each passing year, Rebecca’s continued perseverance inspires her family, ensuring her legacy stretches well beyond the walls of her apartment.

Handle With Care by Jason Odell Williams, Hebrew written by Charlotte Cohn (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
In this delightful bilingual romantic comedy, circumstances both hilarious and tragic bring together a young Jewish woman, who has little command of English, and a young American man, who has little command of romance. Is their inevitable love an accident… or is it destiny, generations in the making? Hilarious and heartwarming, this romantic comedy “exudes gobs of comic energy and insight” and “achieved something special: a Jewish Christmas story” (The New York Times).

Home for the Chalidays by Sharyn Rothstein (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
A suburban Jewish family returns home on the third night of Chanukah to find that their house has been broken into. Panic and distrust conspire to convince the family that their neighbor’s latent anti-Semitism has played a role in the vandalism. A hysterical satire about the conflicting roles of secularism and cultural differences and, ultimately, the evolving nature of the American Jewish family.

Noura by Heather Raffo (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 2m, 1 boy)
As Noura and her husband Tariq prepare to celebrate a traditional Christmas, she looks forward to welcoming a special guest: Maryam, a young Iraqi refugee. But the girl’s arrival opens wounds the family has tried to leave behind, forcing them to confront where they are, where they’ve been and who they have become.

The Eight: Reindeer Monologues by Jeff Goode (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 5m)
Looking for something different for the holidays this year? This is the script for you! In  The Eight, eight reindeer dish about the real Santa. All those rumors you’ve heard about him and the elves? About Rudolph’s little secret? About Vixen’s story that was leaked to the press? All true. Yes, the reindeer finally speak up and – believe us – they do not hold back! This comic collection of monologues is a huge hit with schools and young performers.

The Long Christmas Ride Home by Paula Vogel (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 3m)
Past, present and future collide on a snowy Christmas Eve for a troubled family of five. Humorous and heart-wrenching, this beautifully written play by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of How I Learned to Drive proves that magic can be found in the simplest breaths of life. This play is a fusion of a one-act and Bunraku puppet theatre techniques – or more importantly, of one westerner’s misunderstanding of Bunraku. The misunderstanding is key.

The Night Shift Before Christmas by Isaac Gómez (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 1w)
Meet Margot, a 30-something Tejana who works at a beloved whata-sized Texas burger joint. The Christmas Eve overnight shift is her personal tradition – even if that means spending the holiday dealing with grumpy drive-thru customers and an equally grumpy robotic Santa. But when her dead best friend Jackie Marley drops by to warn her of impending late-night visits by spirits, Margot has no choice but to roll with the punches and confront the very Scrooge she’s become. It’s a Christmas Eve like none other in this brand-new holiday show filled with humor and heart set in H-town by Texan playwright Isaac Gómez.

For more versions of A Christmas Carol for your stage, check out our article “A Guide to A Christmas Carol On Stage” on Breaking Character.

The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical by Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 2m)
It’s Christmas, and Cheryl, the overworked HR Director, has one last desperate plan to save Regalia Uniforms from corporate extinction: rally the employees (a.k.a. your audience) to design an ugly sweater so outrageous it charms even a German CEO with a resting Grinch face. The result? A laugh-out-loud, interactive holiday tradition where everyone gets to join the fun. Sing along, dance along, prepare your laugh and your sweater for the office holiday party you ACTUALLY want to attend. Saving Christmas never looked so tacky – or like so much fun!

2008 Bas Bleu Theatre Company Production of A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol (William A. Cotton)

Large Cast: Nostalgic Tales

A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol by Walton Jones, David Wohl and Faye Greenberg (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 6m)
It’s Christmas Eve, 1943, and the Feddington Players are now broadcasting from a hole-in-the-wall studio in Newark, NJ, and set to present their contemporary take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Whether it’s the noisy plumbing, missed cues, electrical blackouts, or the over-the-top theatrics of veteran actor – but radio novice – William St. Claire, this musical is an entertaining excursion into the mayhem and madness of a live radio show.

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz, Bill Melendez, Lee Mendelson and Eric Schaeffer (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m, 1 any gender)
The classic animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang discover the true meaning of Christmas.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Jeremy Brooks, Adrian Mitchell and Dylan Thomas (UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 7w, 13m)
This enchanting play with music, adapted from the short story by Dylan Thomas, uses a variety of carols and well-known Welsh songs to conjure up the pure magic of Christmas for audiences of all ages. On Christmas Eve, young Dylan and the Thomas family host their relatives for a holiday celebration. Apart from a potentially major hiccup when the turkey catches fire, the traditional Yuletide festivities are enjoyed by all.

A Christmas Carol by Sheldon Harnick and Michel Legrand (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 9m, 3 girls, 3 boys)
Academy Award-winning composer Michel Legrand teamed up with Sheldon Harnick, one of the theatre’s most celebrated Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettists, and the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s prophetic Christmas Eve is reborn. From the pages of Dickens comes this scintillating musical adaptation of the Yuletide classic that continues to touch hearts and minds the world over.

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Peter Rothstein with music by Erick Lichte & Timothy C. Takach (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 10m + ensemble)
The Western Front: Christmas 1914. Out of the violence of World War I comes a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.” Thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music and peace. This a cappella chorale is a remarkable true story in the words and songs of the men who lived it.

Christmas Crackers by John Godber (UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m, 10 any gender)
In this dramatic comedy, it’s Christmas time and early morning outside a hospital A&E department. Security guard Keith sees a cross-section of patients come and go, including a clown and a drug addict, but his thoughts are with recently widowed nurse Kath. Kath finds two plane tickets to Prague in her handbag and decides to take a younger nurse, Hollie, with her on a festive getaway.

Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn by Irving Berlin, Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 1 boy + ensemble)
In this stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s perennial classic, a hoofer named Jim leaves the bright lights of show business to settle down in his farmhouse in Connecticut. Of course, Jim can’t resist the urge to put on a show, so he markets the inn as a holiday getaway, featuring musical spectaculars for each celebration through the year. The guests thrill to songs like “Easter Parade,” “Blue Skies,” and “Heat Wave,” but the beating heart of the show is Berlin’s yuletide masterpiece, “White Christmas.”

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas by Irving Berlin, Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank, David Ives and Paul Blake (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 6m, 1 girl + ensemble)
Based on the beloved, timeless film, this heartwarming musical adaptation features seventeen Irving Berlin songs and a book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. The dazzling score bursts with well-known standards like “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and the iconic title song.

Mame by Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee, Jerry Herman and Patrick Dennis (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 6m + ensemble)
This blockbuster musicalization of Auntie Mame (US) features one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time: When the stock market crash takes its toll on Auntie Mame and young Patrick, Mame declares “We Need A Little Christmas,” and the entire household joins in celebration. Jerry Herman’s holiday classic has been recorded by hundreds of artists, including original Mame Angela Lansbury, Johnny Mathis, Percy Faith and The Muppets.

Meet Me in St. Louis by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, Hugh Wheeler and Sally Benson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 5m)
This charming classic about a middle-class family and the 1904 World’s Fair boasts several hits by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, including “The Trolley Song” and “The Boy Next Door.” But one song stands out above all the others. Considered by many to be the greatest of all Christmas songs, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” was first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM feature film.

Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play by Lance Arthur Smith and Jon Lorenz (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 2m, 1 any gender + ensemble)
When a department store Santa claims he’s the real Kris Kringle, his case gets taken all the way to the Supreme Court. With live Foley effects and a score of holiday carols, this radio play adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street will melt even the most cynical of hearts.

Scrooge! by Leslie Bricusse (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 10 any gender + ensemble)
In 1970, renowned writer/composer/lyricist Leslie Bricusse (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) adapted A Christmas Carol into a hit screen musical. Later adapted into a stage musical with six new songs, this sure-fire audience pleaser is also available as as a 55-minute adaptation (US/UK) that is ideal for small theatre groups and schools, where it can be performed as a short piece or as part of a seasonal concert.

The Long Christmas Dinner by Thornton Wilder (US/UK)
(Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 5m)
The Long Christmas Dinner – nine decades long – showcases the lives of several generations of the Bayard family. Wilder breaks the boundaries of time as we measure it, and invites us to partake of “one long, happy Christmas dinner” – past, present and future. As generations appear, have children, wither and depart, only the audience appreciates what changes and what remains the same.

The Nutcracker by David Perkins and Jenifer Toksvig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 12 girls, 12 boys)
It’s Christmas: the best time of year for toys and stories. But all over the world, the magic of Make Believe is fading. Only the toys know the truth: the Queen and King of mouses have stolen the Christmas Star and used its magic to turn the Prince of Make Believe into a wooden Nutcracker. Can Clara and her brother Fritz bring the Nutcracker back to life, help him defeat the House of Mouse, and restore him to the throne? First, they must believe…

A production photo of Nuncrackers, courtesy of author Dan Goggin

Large Cast: Contemporary Stories

A Good Old Fashioned Redneck Country Christmas: The Musical by Kris Bauske (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 6m)
What if the three wise men weren’t really all that wise? What if they were just three ordinary guys, avoiding conflicts at home, who happened upon the greatest story ever told? Now add some country western music, set the entire story in modern-day America, sprinkle in a little redneck humor, and you have this smash musical comedy. In this 90-minute tuner, Bill, Dave and Jimmy leave their wives on Christmas Eve for a little hunting and a lot of beer. It’s gonna take a Christmas miracle to get these redneck families back together!

A Krampus Carol by Brent Holland (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 5m, 14 any gender)
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus’ oft-forgotten demon partner, Krampus, is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, who hopes to get him to see the error of his ways. But the joke’s on Marley: Krampus loves his life! So what if his method for punishing kids who misbehave lost him the respect of his family, friends and the elves who work for him? Spying on the past, present and future isn’t going to change his mind! Hilarious and irreverent, this holiday play pits Dickens’ classic redemption tale against a stubborn fiend who doesn’t think he needs to be saved.

Christmas Belles by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 4m)
It’s Christmas time in the small town of Fayro, Texas, and the Futrelle Sisters are not exactly in a festive mood. A cranky Frankie is weeks overdue with her second set of twins. Twink, recently jilted and bitter about it, is in jail for inadvertently burning down half the town. And hot-flash-suffering Honey Raye is desperately trying to keep the Tabernacle of the Lamb’s Christmas Program from spiraling into chaos. A hilarious holiday journey through a misadventure-filled Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Connecticut by Jason Howland, Erik Forrest Jackson, Patrick Pacheco and Amanda Yesnowitz (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 6m + ensemble)
Based on the beloved Barbara Stanwyck film, this hilarious musical is destined to become a holiday tradition! Aspiring writer Elizabeth Sanders moves to New York City and takes a job as a columnist to make rent. Under the pseudonym Liz Lane, she skyrockets to fame, writing weekly about cooking, marital bliss and life at her bucolic farmhouse in Connecticut… all while living alone in her New York apartment. When Liz’s publisher invites her biggest fan to her nonexistent farm, Liz is forced to find a house and husband in Connecticut to maintain her job. A team of co-conspirators, madcap locals and a toe-tapping Broadway-style score combine for some theatrical holiday hijinks in this musical.

Closed for the Holidays by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 11w, 5m, 4 any gender youth)
After a blizzard shuts down the roads on Christmas Eve eve, a motley crew of travelers find themselves stranded at the local community center. From the lovelorn drama teacher with a bus full of students, to the quarrelsome couple on the way to their wedding, to the overeager Sheriff ready for some real criminal action, everyone has their own troubles to untangle. But to have a happy holiday, they’re going to need a miracle – or seven, to be exact. A spirited and heartwarming comedy with a healthy dash of Christmas magic.

Coney Island Christmas by Donald Margulies and Grace Paley (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 10w, 8m)
Shirley Abramowitz has just been cast as Jesus in her school’s Christmas pageant – much to her Jewish parents’ horror. Pulitzer Prize-winner Donald Margulies weaves together nostalgia, music and merriment in this new seasonal classic for people of all ages and all faiths.

Dashing Through the Snow by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 2m)
It’s four days before Christmas in the tiny town of Tinsel, Texas, and a colorful parade of eccentric guests arrive at the Snowflake Inn, decking the halls with holiday hilarity. The harried yet upbeat innkeeper of this B&B has more than she can handle, and all this Yuletide mayhem and a spur-of-the-moment Christmas Eve wedding brings leads to a laugh-’til-your-sides-ache climax, perfect for a night of theatrical holiday cheer!

Five Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical by Stephen Garvey and David Abbinanti (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m + ensemble)
Everything you want (and expect) in a cable-TV Christmas movie, from flannel shirts to flirtatious snowball fights to overt product-placement, mixed with fun songs and a lot of holiday cheer! A business exec from “the big city” gets snowed in at a quaint Vermont B&B for Christmas and begins to fall for its non-threateningly rugged owner. The issue: it’s the very B&B her company is supposed to take over!

Hanukkah Holiday by Rosalind Friedman (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 1m, 10 any gender)
Nine original songs that tell the exciting, touching and timeless story of Hanukkah! While a teacher is relating the story to the children in her classroom, a student named Judah scoffs at the tale. Left alone to study and write a report, Little Judah is visited by a costumed Judah Macabee, who relates his deeds and sacrifices. In song and speech, this hero helps the past come alive.

How The Slug Stole Solstice by Drue Robinson (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 7w, 6m)
Turning a holiday classic upside-down, this short play is alternative fare for those who may not celebrate traditional Christmas or Hanukkah. In this delightfully wacky multi-generational comedy (in Seuss-like rhyme), a giant banana slug named Sally must battle her fear of the dark to make a journey through the spookiest of forests to stop the Winter Solstice and bring back the sun – as told around a campfire by Grampa Joe to his granddaughters Cricket and Boo – in what becomes a magical lesson in conquering one’s fears.

Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! by Allison Gregory (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 6m, 1 any gender youth)
Junie B. Jones is excited about the holiday season, and her Secret Santa gift exchange at school. But when she draws tattletale May as the recipient of her gift, will Junie keep in mind the spirit of Christmas and good will? A hilarious and endearing tale based on the best-selling book series by Barbara Park.

Kringle’s Window by Mark Medoff (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m, 4 girls, 3 boys)
Precocious 12-year-old computer hacker Becka and the eight-year-old peacemaker Boomer are sisters whose child therapist parents are in the middle of a trial separation at Christmas time. While taking her sister to the mall to see Santa, Becka is goaded by her hacker friends into telling Boomer that there is no Santa, and when she does, this threatens to ruin Christmas for the family in this heartwarming holiday tale.

My Big Gay Italian Christmas by Anthony Wilkinson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 8w, 2m)
My Big Gay Italian Christmas brings the holidays into the mix for the continuing adventures of the Pinnuziato family. This time, it’s Christmas and on the menu is a bisexual love triangle, heated political conversations run amuck, over-the-top characters, and a crushing snow storm… all of the perfect ingredients for a hilarious night out.

Nuncrackers by Dan Goggin (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 1m, 2 girls, 2 boys)
The Little Sisters of Hoboken are back! They’ve gathered in the studios of WCON-TV Hoboken – formerly known as Mt. Saint Helen’s Convent Basement – to tape their brand-new Christmas TV special, which features songs like “Santa’s Little Teapot,” “Twelve Days Prior to Christmas,” and “Santa Ain’t Comin’ to Our House.” Dan Goggin’s hilarious holiday tuner, featuring the show biz-loving sisters and a slightly tipsy Father Virgil, will keep everyone’s Christmas merry and bright.

Promises, Promises by Neil Simon, Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond, Burt Bacharach and Hal David (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m + ensemble)
A musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment, this romantic dramedy features a groove-tastic score from Burt Bacharach and Hal David. (“I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” recorded by Dionne Warwick, reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.) The show is set in the corporate world during the holiday season—in fact, all of Act Two takes place on Christmas Eve. The effervescent score includes “Turkey Lurkey Time,” one of the wackiest holiday songs ever written.

S Gunter Klaus & the Story Before by Jon Ferguson and John Heimbuch (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 11 any gender)
In a remote village at the edge of the world, a lonely coal vendor is engaged in an epic battle with the darkness of winter. This magical story combines ancient Scandinavian folklore with tales of adventure and discovery to unearth the true origins of Santa Claus. A seasonal story for all audiences to enjoy!

Santa Claus: The Musical by David Christensen, Luke Holloway and Noah Putterman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 3m + ensemble)
It’s Christmas Eve! After 1,000 years of faithful service, Santa and Mrs. Claus announce their decision to hang up the big red suit and train a replacement. Enter Nick: a website designer and single dad to tech-savvy daughter, Bee. With pressures mounting – and a jealous, naughty elf thwarting their every move – will everyone in Santa’s Workshop come together in time for Nick to take the reins? Jingle jam-packed with a sleigh full of fun, energetic and original holiday music, this heartwarming script and score put joyful audiences in the spirit of the season!

Santa Man by Ian McWethy (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 7w, 8m, 10 any gender youth)
In this fast-paced, action-packed yet intelligent comedy, Santa Claus is bullied by powerful executives (with ninja skills) into commercializing Christmas, resulting in him battling villains from all of the classic Christmas stories. But will Santa’s kung fu tirade lead to a happy ending?

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 4m, 9 girls, 8 boys)
In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on! Also available in a Full-Length Musical Version (US) and a Shortened Musical Version (US).

The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood by Jule Styne, Bob Merrill and Robert Emmett (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 4 any gender + ensemble)
This musical retelling of the Red Riding Hood story premiered as a 1965 TV holiday special starring Cyril Ritchard, Vic Damone and 19-year-old Liza Minnelli. It’s Christmas Eve and the Big Bad Wolf, who was not invited to the animals’ party, decides to tell his side of the story. The delightful Jule Styne/Bob Merrill score includes “Ding-a-Ling” and “We Wish the World a Happy Yule.”

The Dreidel Players Present… Best Hanukkah Show Ever! by Jeremy Desmon and Victor Wishna (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 9 any gender)
A troupe of passionate (but not-quite-ready-for-prime-time) performers band together to create the greatest Hanukkah show there ever was… in just eight days! As the clock ticks and the candles burn, the Dreidel Players scramble to discover the true meaning of the season and bring a little more light into the world in a hilarious series of joyful, latke-scented sketches and scenes about all things Hanukkah – delivered tongue-in-cheek and hand-on-heart.

The Four Old Broads Christmas Extravaganza by Leslie Kimbell (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 2m)
Your favorite OLD BROADS are back… and Christmas doesn’t stand a chance! When Eaddy is forced to take over the Petula Community Theatre charity Christmas pageant, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. This community-theatre-gone-wild fiasco delivers nonstop, rolling-in-the-aisles laughs… and absolutely ZERO silent nights. Senior living never felt so fun!

The Gift List by Kyle Nesbit (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 6m)
Santa isn’t the only one who has to check his Christmas list twice. After siblings Keith and Caroline ask for an unwieldy seventy-nine presents from Saint Nick, two elves arrive to tell the kids they can’t have everything they want. Luckily, Keith and Caroline – and their parents – are prepared to negotiate. A funny and charming play about dreaming big and making holiday wishes come true.

The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off! by Rick Hip-Flores (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 7w, 8m)
Eight young cookie chefs have been selected from all over the country to battle it out for first prize at the Cookie Coliseum. Over the course of this warming, Christmas spirit-filled musical, intense rivalry gives way to charity, family and forgiveness, as the chefs learn what really makes for a winning Christmas recipe.

The Land of Forgotten Toys: A Christmas Musical by Jennifer Enchin, Jaclyn Enchin, Larry Little, Dylan MarcAurele and Mike Ross (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 6m + ensemble)
Grace, a brilliant young woman with big dreams and a passion for astronomy, is stuck at a dead-end job at a toy store three days before Christmas. When she is transported to the Land of Forgotten Toys, everything changes. Christmas is in trouble – and it’s up to Grace and her rag-tag crew of forgotten and broken toys to save it!

The Silver Belles by Cathy Alter, Matt Conner, Allyson Currin, Stephen Gregory Smith and Sandra Johnson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 2m, 1 any gender)
It’s Golden Girls meets Designing Women with a heaping helping of well-known Christmas tunes and clever new country and western ditties. Christmas without the Silver Belles… just wouldn’t be Christmas! When Oralene, the longtime director of small-town Sylva Ridge’s Christmas Pageant, suddenly passes away, the Silver Belles must come to the rescue. With the spirit of Oralene looking on, the sterling-hued vixens band together, discover their talents and pull out all the stops to keep the beloved pageant alive.

The Trial of Santa by Don Zolidis (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m, 15 any gender youth)
The trial of the century: Santa Claus (aka Kris Kringle) v. Emily Worthington (aka bratty nine-year-old girl). In the TV courtroom of Judge Trudy, Santa is charged with delivering the wrong present on Christmas Day. Will Santa be convicted of this heinous crime? Or will Santa’s Elven lawyer prove beyond a doubt that Emily was naughty, not nice?

Festive Crossovers

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, John K. Alvarez and Will Knapp (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3 any gender)
The play begins as an actor begins a performance of A Christmas Carol and is joined by two castmates who refuse to join in as they have performed it too many times in their career already. They rebel and decide to present every Christmas story ever told instead. Over 90 minutes, these three comedic actors portray as many holiday stories and characters as they can remember. Using wild costumes, special effects and their comedy skills, they take a ride through well-known classics, from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas to Frosty the Snowman – and so much more.

Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m)
It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Also known as Holmes for the Holidays, this wild and funny ride leads audiences from one tantalizing clue to another in a great alternative to your standard holiday entertainment.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 3m)
A festive sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set two years after the novel ends, Miss Bennet continues the story, only this time with bookish middle sister Mary as its unlikely heroine. Now, Mary is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings’ romantic escapades. When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary’s hopes for independence, an intellectual match and possibly even love. This is first play in the Pemberley trilogy, which includes The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (US) and Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (US/UK).

The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon by Don Zolidis (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 7m, 2 any gender youth + ensemble)
Christmas: a time for magic. A time for traditions. A time to watch as many original TV movies as a human being can possibly endure. Grab a hot chocolate and your favorite wise single friend and flick through the channels with this wildly entertaining parody of holiday rom-coms. A sugar rush of six Christmas movies all at once!

Times Square Angel by Charles Busch (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 7m)
Charles Busch’s hilarious and heartwarming spoof of early Hollywood’s brand of holiday fare continues to delight audiences year after year. In New York, 1948, Irish O’Flanagan is the tough-as-nails redheaded headliner of the Club Intimé. A lifetime of hard knocks has left her bitter and with a chip on her shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore. In the spirit of film fantasies like A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life and The Bishop’s Wife, an angel in the form of a sexy vaudeville magician named Albert comes down to show Irish the error of her ways.

Winter Wonderlands

Snow Angel by David Lindsay-Abaire (US/UK)
(Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 8w, 8m)
When the quiet town of Deerpoint, Vermont is hit by the biggest blizzard in 107 years, a mysterious girl named Eva steps out of a snow bank and into the lives of 15 confused teenagers who are asked to help her in her search. What Eva’s searching for – and who she truly is – becomes a mystery that baffles, divides and energizes the teens of Deerpoint. A funny and eerie tale of teen angst, discovery and the power of belief from acclaimed playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, told through students’ journal entries and interactions over the course of a single snow day,

Snow Day by Tracy Wells (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 8 any gender youth, flexible casting)
In the dead of winter, when the temperature drops below freezing and the days drag on, there are two words that every student longs to hear: SNOW DAY! From a scared sledder to a beleaguered babysitter to role-playing paladins, the characters in these scenes show what students get up to when school gets canceled. Performed together as a one-act with a minimal set and super flexible cast, this play makes for an easy and frostily fun way to bring the magic that can only be found on a snow day.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Glyn Robbins (UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 8m)
This stage adaptation of the C.S. Lewis classic is a perennial holiday favorite. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy travel through the wardrobe to a magical adventure in the wintry land of Narnia. There they encounter several characters, including Father Christmas; the White Witch, representing the forces of evil; and Aslan the lion, representing all that is good and right. In the end, the forces of good to triumph over evil in the play’s bittersweet, inspirational conclusion.

For more great holiday shows, visit the Concord Theatricals website in the US or UK.