Head out this month and you are sure to find a holiday themed production that ranges from heart warming and sweet to bawdy and hilarious. Here are some of our favorites.
Santaland Diaries
Friday, December 7 through Monday, December 24
Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse
7312 W Greenlake Drive N
Seattle, WA 98103
206.524.1300
http://www.seattlepublictheater.org
For those who like a little spice with their Christmas sugar, this hilarious one-person play with David Sedaris chronicles a man’s experience working as an elf in Macy’s Santaland. David Sedaris is a genuine American voice–witty, sardonic and unpredictable, mercilessly cutting through the Christmas spirit to point out what crazy things we do as human beings during the holidays. For mature elves only! Tickets available online.
Dashing through the Snow
Friday, December 7 through Sunday, December 23
Phoenix Theatre
9673 Firdale Avenue
Edmonds, WA 98020
206.533.2000
http://www.phoenixtheatreedmonds.com
It’s four days before Christmas in Tinsel, Texas and a colorful parade of guests including down and out actors from a touring company of A Christmas Carol, two feuding 80 year olds, and a couple dressed like Mrs. Claus and an elf arrive at the Snowflake Inn. When you add to this the Futrelle sisters you have a laugh until your sides ache. From the authors of last year’s hit, Christmas Belles.
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol
Through Saturday, December 29
Taproot Theater
204 N. 85th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
206.781.9707
http://www.taproottheatre.org
These then are the facts: The year, 1894. The date, Christmas Eve. The location, 221B Baker Street. After being presumed dead for three years, a hardened Sherlock Holmes resurfaces, turning his back on the people who need him most. Three unexpected callers arrive on Christmas Eve uncovering clues from the detective’s past, present and future. Can they save Holmes and his world from a dire end? They must “do it all in one night” to accomplish the task. A mystery full of Christmas spirits your whole family will enjoy. Call for tickets.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Friday, December 7 through Monday, December 24
Seattle Public Theater at the Bathhouse
7312 W Green Lake Dr N
Seattle, WA 98103
206.524.1300
http://www.seattlepublictheater.org
It’s the 12th Anniversary SPT Production of one of the season’s favorite plays. As the infamous Herdman clan take over the church pageant, everyone’s traditional notions of Christmas are challenged. See how a story can transform us all, even when told by a misfit group of kids in bedsheets. Purchase tickets online.
Wisemen
Thursday, December 13 – Sunday, December 23
ACT Theatre
700 Union Street
Seattle, WA 98101
206.292.7676
http://www.acttheatre.org
Wisemen 2012 takes over ACT’s Falls Theater this December, playing Thursdays – Saturdays, December 13 – December 22. This year, Rosenstock delves deeper into absurdity, revamping Wisemen with new songs, an expanded ensemble, and an opening act that’s as hot as a Puerto Rican kitchen. The actors shift characters and accents almost as quickly as the live band blazes through genres. Wisemen takes you into the twisted corporate mind of Santa Inc., behind the walls of the Vatican, and finally to Nazareth where the true meaning of Christmas is revealed. Just kidding, none of it’s true. Actually, Wisemen traces the trials of three representatives from the Wisemen Law Firm: Goldberg, Frankenstein, and Murray. Hired by a cuckolded Joseph to find and sue the illegitimate father of Jesus, the three lawyers must hold court against an evil Santa Claus, the gangster-rapping Easter Bunny, and the Man Upstairs in their quest for the truth. This 21st Century take on Christmas comes complete with an ungodly script and an original score ranging from klezmer to dub-step to funk to salsa. Tickets available online.
Sleeping Beauty and the Pea
Saturday, December 15 – Sunday, January 13
Hale’s Palladium
4301 Leary Way NW
Seattle, WA 98107
http://www.fremontplayers.com
This year, for their tenth anniversary, the Fremont Players weave two classic fairy tales to create one hilarious Panto with all original songs and music performed live by the Fremont Philharmonic Orchestra. You will see large colorful characters, men dressed as women, women dressed as men. You will be encouraged to boo at the villain, cheer for the hero, and applaud the Magical Cow! And of course the Fremont Players promise that enough jokes and innuendos will be fired over the kids’ heads to keep everyone entertained. So make this show part of your holiday tradition – visit Hale’s Palladium and enter the raucous world of Panto! Tickets available online.
