A Hodgepodge of Holiday Theater

’Tis the season for heartwarming missives on peace and good tidings and magic and mirth and tinsel and snow-covered gingerbread houses and eggnog warmed with brandy. And the Front Range is chock full of ’em…

THE NUTCRACKER SUITE
Tchaikovsky’s most prolifically-performed piece, the “Nutcracker Suite” is the Colorado Ballet’s bread-and-butter, and is as much a Yuletide tradition as sappy Target commercials and clanging Salvation Army bells. The Russian composer’s final opus, the ballet tells the story of a young girl’s Christmas night dream, where her toy nutcracker protects her from rampaging mice, turns into a prince and sweeps her off of her feet to a land of fairies. There they dance and rejoice at the return. Strangely enough, Michael Bay has yet to re-envision this one for the big screen.
Nov 25-Dec 24, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 303.893.4100.

SCROOGE
For 20 years, the Jesters Dinner Theatre in Longmont has performed the holiday tome “Scrooge” based on Charles Dickens’ enduring winter classic, “A Christmas Carol.” This year, Jesters is welcoming all “Scrooge” alums with discounted tickets and a sing-a-long on Dec. 17 and Dec. 26.
Dec 14-30, Jesters Dinner Theatre, 303.682.9980.
1950s Holiday Revue
If you’re planning a ski trip around the holidays this year, factor in time to catch some theater in the mountains. Head to Breckenridge the weekend before Christmas, and take in the Backstage Theater company’s original “1950s Holiday Revue.” The show blends family sing-alongs such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “White Christmas” with a loose story about the Carvers, a model 1950s nuclear family, looking to keep holiday traditions alive while confronting this crazy new “rock-and-roll” music sweeping their nation.Dec 20-23, Backstage Theater Company, 970.453.0199.

Stories on Stage
The storytelling tradition spans the length of human history and encompasses every artistic medium. Get back to the basics with Stories on Stage, a non-profit organization based out of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It features one actor on stage reading a story.
Stories on Stage features four holiday-themed pieces:

“Christmas Grouch” written by Ellis Parker Butler, read by Kathy Brady.
“Christmas is a Sad Season for the
Poor” written by John Cheever, read by Malachy McCourt.
“A Christmas Memory” written by Truman Capote, read by Gabriella Cavallero.
“A Child’s Christmas in Wales” written by Dylan Thomas, read by Jamie Horton.
Dec 16, Stories On Stage, 303.494.0523.