Displaying items by tag: holiday theatre

“God bless us, everyone,” because there’s a fresh, new, reimagined version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol debuting in Chicago this holiday season.

Downtown Aurora’s award-winning Paramount Theatre is conjuring up an elegant and innovative new spectacle version of A Christmas Carol, based on the novella by Charles Dickens. Performances are November 11, 2026–January 3, 2027. Opening Night is Friday, November 20 at 7 p.m.

Paramount’s refreshing new take on A Christmas Carol is adapted and directed by Trent Stork, the two-time, Jeff Award-winning director of Paramount’s Come From Away and Kinky Boots. For A Christmas Carol, Stork has adapted Dickens' classic holiday tale specifically for the Paramount stage, replete with laughter, redemption, the most memorable characters in literature, elegant dance numbers, and live music throughout.

Reintroduce your family to Ebenezer Scrooge, the bitter and lonely miser, who is visited on Christmas Eve by three ghosts who take him on a journey through his past, present, and future. Along the way, Scrooge learns how to reexperience joy, compassion, and the power of generosity. Whether seeing Scrooge’s transformation for the first time or reliving the magic of the classic story, Paramount’s A Christmas Carol will leave audiences filled with hope and holiday cheer. Per tradition, a two-story Christmas tree in Paramount’s Grand Gallery welcomes audiences as the perfect backdrop for holiday photos before and after the show.

Rediscover the magic of the season at Chicago’s newest holiday production, ideal for friends and friends alike. A Christmas Carol begins previews Wednesday, November 11. Opening Night is Friday, November 20 at 7 p.m. Performances run through January 3: Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Exceptions: No matinee Wednesday, November 11, and no shows Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, or Christmas, Friday, December 25. There’s an added Thanksgiving weekend holiday matinee Friday, November 27 at 2 p.m.

Single tickets to A Christmas Carol are $34-$107 when purchased in-person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. Of course, tickets to A Christmas Carol make excellent holiday gifts.

Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets or subscriptions, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (630) 723-2461.

A Christmas Carol is sponsored by Jake’s Inc. and Rush Copley Medical Center.

Paramount’s cast for A Christmas Carol is led by (top, from left) Michael Moreland Milligan in his Paramount debut as Ebenezer Scrooge, with Scott Westerman as Jacob Marley, Shawn Pfautsch as Bob Cratchit, Aja Alcazar as Mrs. Cratchit, Isabel Arianna Romero-Rodriguez as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Jared David Michael Grant as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Ben Dow as The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Schyler Vargas as Fred, (bottom) Russell Konstans as Mr. Fezziwig, Michelle Duffy as Mrs. Fezziwig, Will Lidke as Young Scrooge, Angel Alzeidan as Belle, Teddy Gales as Dick Wilkins, and Morgan Michelle Barber as Martha Cratchit and others. Youth performers Seamus Flynn and Julian Totleben alternate in the role of Tiny Tim.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce Blue Man Group will bring its first-ever holiday production, "A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE," on the road this season. Chicago audiences will be among the first in the country to experience the all-new production. Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 21. BLUE MAN GROUP’S A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited three-week engagement, November 24 – December 13.

“Bringing Blue Man Group's first-ever holiday production to Chicago is an exciting milestone and a natural evolution of the iconic Blue Man experience,” said Marie-Josée Adam, President and CEO of Blue Man Group. “The holidays are about creating unforgettable memories, and we're thrilled to offer audiences a fresh, immersive celebration that blends the music, humor, creativity and joyful unpredictability that have defined Blue Man Group for decades.”

The brand-new production will feature classic holiday music performed on Blue Man Group's iconic custom instruments, while following the Blue Men as they discover the traditions, rituals and joyful absurdities of the holidays while exploring timeless themes of generosity, presence, creativity and human connection. Equal parts hilarious, heartwarming and visually unforgettable, “A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE,” offers audiences a unique holiday tradition that celebrates what brings us together.

Blue Man Group is a vibrant, interactive experience that has captivated audiences from all around the world. The non-verbal group communicates through music, art, and comedy, creating powerful connections without saying a word. As the Blue Men navigate our world with curiosity, audiences are invited into a captivating, communal experience that sparks creativity and ignites the imagination.

ABOUT BLUE MAN GROUP
Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication. Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies playing in Las Vegas, Orlando and multiple tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.
 

For more information, please visit BLUEMAN.com.
Follow @BlueManGroup on
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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 24 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 25 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 26 – No Shows (Thanksgiving)
Friday, November 27 – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 28 – 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 29 – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 1 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 3 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, December 4 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 5 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 – 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, December 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 17, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for BLUE MAN GROUP’S A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE go on sale Friday, August 21 and range from $39.00 - $120.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
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#broadwayinchicago

The holiday season in Chicagoland brings with it many things: snowstorms, festive markets, twinkling lights, and cozy traditions that warm the soul on bitterly cold evenings. Holiday traditions also abound in the Chicago theatre scene with familiar favorites, comforting stories, and guilty pleasures easy to come by. If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that what we choose matters; where we spend our money, where we focus on energies, and how we spend our money and, more importantly, our time. It’s a question at the heart of one of the most beloved holiday shows, A Christmas Carol, now playing at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center.

Charles Dickens’ enchanting tale of redemption, generosity, and hope comes to life in Arlington Heights’ favorite holiday tradition. On a snowy Christmas Eve brimming with memorable characters, ghostly apparitions, and festive holiday music, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge visits the past, present, and future and discovers the true meaning of Christmas. A Christmas Carol is adapted and directed by Metropolis Artistic Director Johanna McKenzie Miller and music directed by Cory Goodrich.

Despite the snowy weather on opening night and the lack of proper heating in the theatre itself, there was something distinctly cold about Metropolis’s staging of A Christmas Carol this year. The performance leaned heavily on Dickens’ traditional storyline, offering no room for modernization. The simple storyline was nearly impossible to follow, many voices hardly carrying past the first few rows of the chilly theatre. When the dialogue did reach audiences in the back rows, the speech was heavy-handed, garbled, and lacking any emotional substance behind it. Even Steve Connell’s brilliant and iconic performance of Scrooge felt unsupported by the ensemble cast. Actors around Connell had difficulty delivering their lines in forced English accents that came and went as swiftly as the fog dispersed, utterly devoid of conviction for such an emotional holiday piece. The performance was simply cold, distant, and clinical.

There is something to be said for traditions, but this calendar year has made us question if the traditions we uphold are worthy of such repetition. Do we do these things because we genuinely want to or simply due to muscle memory? Are these traditions worthy of putting on, or is it merely a bygone expectation? A Christmas Carol seems particularly scrutinizing in a year wrought with conversations of greed, corruption, and overconsumption. Dickens’ classic tale now skews towards sci-fi and fantasy with a moody and selfish protagonist whose sudden change of heart warms and delights. A wealthy businessman with disdain for the poor has a sudden awakening and gives back to his community? In what world? Certainly not this one. This year, the play feels farcical, sardonic, and more than a little tone-deaf. 2025 has challenged many preconceived ideas and traditions, and that same energy should be utilized when viewing Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Before we call it cynical, we should ask ourselves if this piece of Christmas tradition should be shelved with the likes of Hello, Dolly, and Annie, beautiful pieces for their time that need to step away to make room for new perspectives, new voices, new stories. Is A Christmas Carol a beloved classic or merely a ghost of Christmas past (pun intended) that has nothing left to teach us?

A Christmas Carol is now playing at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (111 W Campbell St., Arlington Heights) through December 24. Tickets are now on sale for $25-$49 at MetropolisArts.com.

It’s a truth universally known that the holidays aren’t always a great time for everyone. Holiday traditions and expectations can often leave us feeling emotionally void or overwhelmed, particularly with how bleak 2023 has been for so many. But in every darkness there is joy to be sparked and light to be found, if one is willing to look for it. This holiday season I discovered a shining light in the The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at Auditorium Theatre. 

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is an internationally acclaimed holiday variety show returning to Chicago following the massive success of their previous holiday tours. Co-written, co-created, and starring global drag icons and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, fans braved the winter cold to witness a fabulous spectacle, whip-smart comedy, and creative song parodies embodying and cleverly critiquing holiday traditions. 

The holiday show harkens back to classic comedy variety shows that used to dominate television and stage. Jinkx and DeLa are an iconic and dynamic duo, with quick and witty banter and humor that is conflict free, a rarity in today’s comedic world. Even more impressive is that the show is entirely helmed by the queens themselves, with BenDeLaCreme in the producer and director’s chairs.  Too often, queer and drag stories are written and produced by people outside of the community. The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show and BenDeLaCreme Presents are reminders why authentic queer storytelling is not only necessary but should be widely celebrated. BenDeLaCreme says, “With all the hatred, darkness, and misinformation flying around our world today, it is an honor and a privilege to spend the holidays with tens of thousands of audience members each year, creating joyous community spaces where we can gather strength through laughter and celebration. Whether you consider it the most wonderful time of year or the most troubling, we’re here to tell you… you’re right! So let’s make it our own.” Monsoon adds, “It’s been a wild year, so let’s end it wildly. DeLa and I strive to entertain while we enlighten and enliven. The Jinkx & Dela Holiday Show is not only a moment of respite, but also of community, at a time where we need our chosen family and community most of all. So add us to your holiday plans, or let us BE your holiday plans— either way, you’re welcome to join us.”

The Jinkx & Dela Holiday Show is a shining light within the darkness, and truly a magnificent experience. The Auditorium Theatre audience were loyal followers of Jinkx and DeLa, many having seen their 2023 show in multiple cities on their tour, while others were back for their yearly tradition of seeing the iconic duo perform. In talking with Jinkx and DeLa, we learned this year’s holiday show changed the formula of the variety show, pairing the usual sweet vs. spicy duo as a united front, emphasizing the core message of togetherness and unity amidst an ever divisive and polarizing world. At the end of the show, the stars beseeched the audience to carry the joy, laughter, and love exuded and felt throughout the show out into the dark world; to spark that light within others and be the light so needed in the darkness. With everything that has happened in 2023, and the last few years,  Jinkx and DeLa have channeled their worry, frustration, and anxiety into a beautifully crafted show filled with lightness, and have created an enduring and worthwhile holiday tradition sure to be enjoyed for years to come.

Though the tour only visited Chicago for one night, this show is sure to become a staple in Chicagoland, only growing and getting better with time. One of the prevailing themes of this year’s variety show was that while our traditions anchor us to the holiday season, we can consistently look within ourselves and our communities to create new traditions or adapt and grow our old traditions. And most importantly, if we cannot find a light within the darkness, we ourselves can be the light for those around us. I cannot wait to add The Jinkx & Dela Holiday Show a must-see holiday tradition and I’ll see you all there in 2024.

This year’s tour will run through December 30 across the US, UK, and Canada with the show that proves they’re still the reigning “queens of Christmas'' (Entertainment Weekly). Tickets are available at JinkxandDeLa.com.