Stages around the country overflow with Nutcrackers, Christmas Carols, and other classic chestnuts. But a few new productions give the old formulas a twist.
Chicago
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In Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, a young boy cursed by the evil Snow Queen is rescued by a determined young girl. This eerie and enchanting staging returns after a successful debut last year. It was devised by hometown boy Frank Galati, who recently directed The Pirate Queen on Broadway. Nov. 30 through Dec. 23
New York
Wintuk
WaMu Theater
(212) 307-1000
This new Cirque du Soleil production has been specially designed for the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. A young boy wishing for a snowy day gets more than he could hope for. As always with Cirque du Soleil, showy special effects and acrobatic feats take precedence over plot. Through Jan. 6, 2008
San Francisco
The Hard Nut
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
(510) 642-9988
The Mark Morris Dance Company performs the choreographer’s oddball take on Tchaikovsky’s musical setting of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s timeless story. Vaguely set in the 1970s, and featuring snowflakes of both genders and countless references to classical ballets, Morris’ creation is now a classic itself. Dec. 14 through Dec. 23.
Washington, D.C.
A Christmas Carol 1941
Arena Stage
(202) 488-3300
This world-premiere musical transposes the Charles Dickens holiday tale to Washington, D.C., in the days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Playwright James Magruder re-creates a time of rationing and preparation for war, while songwriters Henry Krieger and Susan Birkenhead summon the era’s sound. Through Dec. 30
The Phantom Tollbooth
Kennedy Center
(800) 444-1324
A musical version of Norton Juster’s children’s classic, in which a young boy named Milo travels from his dull everyday existence into a land of eccentric characters. Lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, provides the wordplay for Arnold Black’s music. Through Dec. 16
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