Stage Lights & Holiday Nights

Is Annie a holiday show? Much like the annual debate over whether Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie, the answer may depend on whom you ask. The musical takes place during the holiday season, after all, when the young redhead escapes her orphanage and finds an unexpected home with billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Given the guarantee that “Tomorrow” will get stuck in your head for days (or weeks) to come, the reminder that even in the toughest times, brighter days may be just around the corner is very much needed in today’s world.

Audiences young and old make their way to the Children’s Theatre Company for this holiday classic—and for good reason! CTC has a long history of stellar productions, and this show adds to that legacy. This stage adaptation had its world premiere at CTC in 1994 before eventually making its landmark run on Broadway in 2006 at the Hilton Theatre.

The Grinch is understandably bitter. Wouldn’t you be if your life were marked by constant bullying? In a moment of extreme frustration and lack of foresight as to the consequences of his actions, he hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the cheerful Whos of Whoville. But, as we know, one small voice helps the Grinch discover the true meaning of Christmas.

No holiday season is complete without the Guthrie’s rendition of A Christmas Carol. As always, it’s the holiday tale you know and love. “A Christmas Carol has never been out of fashion because it always has something to say,” shares director Addie Gorlin-Han. “In a time when our country is very divided and we’re all wondering what exactly we’re responsible for and what we owe each other, this play is an urgent reminder that we need one another—to foster community, to create positive change, and to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Need a little comic relief to get through the holidays? The Little Bummer Boy gives audiences the gift of laughter as Brave New Workshop puts its irreverent spin on the season. The longest-running comedy theater in America returns with a new holiday tradition packed with sketches and songs, plus its own gloriously ridiculous take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It’s the perfect antidote to overly earnest holiday cheer.

What better way to celebrate the season than with a beloved holiday classic? Lakeshore Players Theatre takes on Irving Berlin’s timeless story of two World War II veterans-turned-entertainers traveling to Vermont with a sister act to perform for the holidays. Can they successfully stage a massive holiday show to bring in guests and save a bankrupted inn? With favorites including “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” and the title song, this is a festive dose of nostalgia and old-school musical theater charm.

Enjoy a night out packed with hometown humor and offbeat holiday spirit. It’s the type of original comedy that only Minnesota can create, and nothing sums it up better than the show’s promo: “Snow is falling, the fire is crackling, and the stakes have never been higher—because in Anoka, the holidays aren’t complete without a little friendly competition and the chance to win a pork loin.” You’ve never experienced a holiday night out like this.

Because nothing says holiday magic like an electric-nosed animal with a theme song! Based on the stop-motion television special, it’s the holiday classic you know and love, featuring the beloved reindeer and the misfits of Christmastown. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the catchy songs and holiday cheer.

Forget the usual holiday concert—Slay Bells Ring invites you to celebrate the season exactly as you are. The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus fills the stage with more than 160 voices, joined by the shimmering sound of the Bells of the Lakes handbell ensemble for a holiday experience that honors tradition while giving it a trademark queer twist. The mix of tender moments and campy surprises is the kind of festive celebration that feels made for gathering your chosen family.

Dolly Parton’s take on the Dickens classic feels especially poignant this holiday season following the country icon’s passing. Set in the 1930s Smoky Mountains, this musical reimagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the miserly owner of a mining company town. Parton’s original music gives the familiar story an Appalachian flavor, making the production a celebration of her songwriting and storytelling legacy.

Theater Latté Da brings the cherished Twin Cities tradition back to the stage. This moving piece recreates the moment in World War I history when Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer, and burying the dead. Created by Peter Rothstein with vocal arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, the show weaves together actual letters, diary entries, poetry, official war documents, and traditional European carols.

As is to be expected when you’re a terrible human, Jacob Marley is chained and shackled, condemned to a hellish eternity. And what tale would be complete without a fun sidekick? With his own private tormentor (a malicious little hell-sprite), Marley has one chance to free himself from his fate by redeeming Scrooge. In this fast-paced one-person comedy, find out what happens to Ebenezer Scrooge’s mean, old business partner after the original story ends.

Put a little New Orleans flavor into your holiday season! The legendary ensemble brings the sounds of the French Quarter to Orchestra Hall, blending traditional New Orleans jazz with beloved holiday favorites for a festive celebration with plenty of soul.

Experience the Christmas story through a distinctly Black cultural lens. Based on Langston Hughes’ celebrated retelling, this longtime Twin Cities holiday tradition brings the Nativity story to the stage through gospel music, dance, and spoken word, with a vibrant cast carrying audiences from the Annunciation to the birth of Jesus. Expect a joyful, uplifting production that blends biblical storytelling with the power and traditions of the African American church.

Holiday cheer takes a decidedly cheeky turn in this musical comedy set at a Christmas market in Berlin. As the night unfolds, a group of revelers finds their festive gathering becoming increasingly unruly, with unexpected romantic entanglements and plenty of German cabaret flair along the way. It’s a boozy take on the holiday season for anyone whose ideal Christmas comes with a little more “Prost!” than “Silent Night.”

Holiday favorites get a swinging makeover in this festive concert from the Brooklyn-based band known for its exuberant take on vintage jazz. Fronted by singer Elizabeth Bougerol, the Hot Sardines draw on early jazz and cabaret while bringing a playful, contemporary energy to the stage. Their holiday show turns the Ordway’s Concert Hall into something closer to a roaring jazz club, inviting audiences to celebrate the season with a little more rhythm and a lot more swing.

The holiday classic gets a lavish makeover in this touring production that brings Tchaikovsky’s score to life through grand ballet staging and elaborate costumes. Follow Clara into her dreamlike Christmas Eve adventure as she encounters the Nutcracker Prince and enters a magical world filled with larger-than-life characters. This production is billed as North America’s largest Nutcracker, with international dancers, acrobatics, and puppets. The result is a dazzling holiday spectacle that invites you to see the familiar Christmas story through a fresh, fantastical lens.

Minnesota’s favorite small-town pageant queen is back to deliver a holiday message that’s equal parts life-affirming and delightfully unhinged. In what can only be described as a holiday “experience,” Miss Richfield 1981 returns to the Illusion Theater to celebrate the joys of living in the moment and enjoying your ice cream while you still can.

The beloved drag character has made a career out of poking fun at Minnesota nice, suburban respectability, and the wonderfully messy business of being human, all while keeping her perfectly coiffed hair in place. Expect new songs and hilarious videos, and don’t be surprised if you get turned into part of the show—Miss Richfield is known for audience participation. And it’s all delivered with signature Midwestern charm and razor-sharp wit. For queer audiences who appreciate a drag queen with impeccable comic timing and absolutely no interest in behaving herself, this is a holiday tradition worth celebrating. After all, nobody does holiday cheer quite like a pageant queen with opinions about everyone in the room.

Find warmth in togetherness at this concert from One Voice Mixed Chorus inspired by the Danish tradition of hygge. Through tender, uplifting music, the concert celebrates chosen family, shared moments, and the simple rituals that bring people closer. It’s a cozy reminder that comfort is something we create together.

Drag superstars Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme return for their much-anticipated holiday tradition. The long-standing holiday spectacular brings the two queens together for another round of enough seasonal chaos to make even the Grinch clutch his pearls.

Jinkx and DeLa have built a reputation on turning the traditional holiday show on its head, mixing original numbers and twisted takes on Christmas classics into a production that feels part drag show, part musical comedy, and part delightfully unhinged holiday pageant. Whether you’re looking for an alternative to the usual family-friendly Christmas fare or simply want to spend an evening surrounded by fabulous people behaving badly, this is one holiday tradition worth keeping.

The Peanuts come to life for a holiday favorite that has been warming hearts for generations. This unique production combines live actors portraying Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang with big-screen animation, while the Minnesota Orchestra performs Vince Guaraldi’s instantly recognizable score live. The result is a fresh, immersive take on the beloved television special that lets audiences experience its music and story in a whole new way.

Spend an intimate holiday evening with Borealis, the chamber ensemble of the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Set against the glow of the historic Landmark Center, the twenty-member ensemble brings beloved carols together with contemporary choral works, creating a warm celebration of the season. Expect exquisite harmonies and plenty of opportunities to sing along.

Clips from Lucy Darling shows have taken on a life of their own on social media, and it’s no wonder! Created and performed by Chicago-based theatrical illusionist Carisa Hendrix, Lucy is a larger-than-life character whose seemingly effortless charm conceals a wickedly funny sense of mischief, all wrapped in a unique mid-Atlantic accent.

Her holiday show combines sophisticated magic with cabaret-style comedy, creating an experience that feels like being personally invited into Lucy’s very strange Christmas world. Expect plenty of audience interaction, unexpected twists, and the kind of theatrical absurdity that makes you wonder whether Lucy is actually pulling off a trick or simply getting away with something. For queer audiences in search of a holiday show that sits comfortably outside the usual Christmas mold, Lucy Darling is a particularly delicious detour.

Kevin McCallister is home alone—and this time, his holiday adventure comes with a live orchestral soundtrack. This is your chance to watch the timeless comedy on the big screen while the Minnesota Orchestra performs John Williams’ score live. Follow eight-year-old Kevin as he turns his family’s empty house into an elaborate fortress against two bumbling burglars, making for a holiday screening that is as nostalgic as it is fun.

Not all Nutcrackers are created equal. This one puts a distinctly Minnesota stamp on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic and continues a long history of showcasing young dancers alongside professional performers. The real draw is Houlton’s choreography, which gives the production a more expansive, dance-centered feel than many traditional versions. A live orchestra performs Tchaikovsky’s score, while dancers from across the Twin Cities bring this beloved local tradition to life.

If you’ve ever watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and thought, “I could write this,” this musical is ready to prove you right. The parody uses the familiar movie formula: a city-dwelling career woman heads home to her small town, where a conveniently timed snowstorm and a handsome former flame change her plans. Expect plenty of laughs as the production lovingly skewers the tropes we know by heart because, let’s be honest, sometimes the most wonderful time of the year is also the most predictable.

This show is what happens when A Christmas Carol is handed over to a cast that is willing to play fast and loose with the source material. The familiar story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s supernatural Christmas Eve encounter gets a comedic shake-up, turning a well-worn holiday tradition into something delightfully unpredictable. It’s a good choice for anyone who knows the Dickens story by heart and would enjoy seeing it go a little off script.

Few holiday traditions arrive with the grandeur of Handel’s Messiah. The Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Chorale welcome renowned British conductor Dame Jane Glover, whose lifelong connection to the oratorio includes more than 120 performances around the world. Glover leads a cast of acclaimed vocal soloists, including soprano Lauren Snouffer, whose radiant voice has made her a standout in Baroque repertoire. Expect the soaring voices and unmistakable Hallelujah chorus that have made Handel’s masterpiece a holiday season favorite.

What happens when the world of The Nutcracker tumbles down the rabbit hole? Nutcracker in Wonderland offers a kaleidoscopic mashup of Tchaikovsky’s ballet and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, creating a curious new adventure for the holiday season. The production uses the familiar music against the backdrop of a dreamlike world inspired by Wonderland. Here, the magic of Clara’s Christmas Eve meets the wonderfully strange characters and landscapes of Alice’s imagination.

Intertwining these stories gave choreographer Zoé Henrot two important opportunities: to rid the second act of harmful cultural stereotypes, and to create the first full-length classical ballet in the Midwest to feature a queer love story. “There is something fitting about Clara and Alice finding each other in their parallel adventures,” Henrot shares. “Growing up as a queer artist, it was unheard of to see my love story presented on stage. It is important to me to create this representation for others through my art form.” Henrot hopes that Clara and Alice’s budding love story will inspire audiences to see the beauty of human connection, whether they identify as queer or not.

The production comes from St. Paul-based Ballet Co.Laboratory, a professional ballet company known for challenging traditions that have historically excluded people from ballet. Its work embraces dancers across body types, gender identities, ages, sexual orientations, and backgrounds, making this Nutcracker as interested in reimagining who gets to see themselves onstage as it is in creating holiday spectacle.

The holidays take flight in this high-flying spectacle that turns seasonal celebration into a dazzling circus. Acrobats, aerialists, and other performers bring gravity-defying feats to the stage alongside festive music and elaborate production numbers. It’s a holiday show for anyone who likes their Christmas cheer served with a little more adrenaline.

Ring in the new year with a concert that puts the spotlight on the Minnesota Orchestra’s own musicians. Principal Harp Cheryl Losey Feder makes her solo debut in Debussy’s elegant dances, showcasing the remarkable instrument’s shimmering range. After intermission, Ravel’s iconic Boléro builds from a quiet, hypnotic rhythm into a thrilling orchestral crescendo. The orchestra gives you an exhilarating (and unexpected) way to welcome the year ahead.