Old favorites like the 'Grinch' and 'A Christmas Carol' will be joined by new shows like a mariachi opera, a new Lamb's holiday revue and 'Elf, The Musical'
Christmas season is all about traditions. San Diego has many of its own with holiday musicals and plays coming back year after year and beloved by local audiences. Here's a roundup of the annual shows playing through the holiday season, as well as several new additions , in alphabetical order.
Cygnet Theatre presents its annual production of Dickens’ redemptive holiday tale, once again starring Cygnet artistic director Sean Murray as the miserly Victorian money-lender Ebenezer Scrooge. This version of the story was adapted for the stage and directed by Murray, with lyrics by Murray and original music by Billy Thompson. It features sing-along Christmas carols, puppetry, humor, dancing and special effects. Runs Dec. 1 through 30. Showtimes, 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Cygnet’s Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town San Diego. $73. 337-1525. cygnettheatre.com Community Actors Theatre presents this holiday children's program. Written and directed by Marvell Bryant and Kimberly Coburn, it's a drama featuring actors ages 7 to 15 learning how the spirit of Christmas season is about honesty, faith and teamwork. Runs Dec. 8 through 17. Showtimes, 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. $10. 2957 54th St., San Diego. communityactorstheatre.com Genesis Opera Theatre presents Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 one-act Christmas opera about a crippled boy and how his generosity toward the three kings on their way to visit the Christ child changes his life. 7 p.m. Dec. 22 and 23. Star Repertory Theatre, 329 E. Valley Parkway, Escondido. $25 and up. sdartstix.com The Roberts Group presents this family-friendly, circus-style show featuring jugglers and acrobats and an original score to tell familiar holiday stories. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9; 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 10. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. $42.50 and up. sandiegotheatres.org Patio Playhouse Community Theatre presents this holiday adaptation of the musical comedy 'Nunsense,' where the surviving Little Sisters of Hoboken gather to celebrate the holiday season with humor and warmth. Runs Nov. 17 through Dec. 17. Showtimes, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. 116 Kalmia St., Escondido. $7-$17. 746-6669, patioplayhouse.com The Old Globe's 26th annual production of this holiday classic will once again star Andrew Polec, who returns for his third year in the title role. Based on a 1957 children’s book by the late La Jolla author Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, the musical by Timothy Mason and Mel Marvin premiered in 1994 at a children’s theater in Minneapolis. In 1998, it moved to the Old Globe, where artistic director Jack O’Brien worked with Geisel’s widow, Audrey Geisel, to add music from the famous 1966 animated TV version and a storybook-come-to-life scenic and costume design. It’s been an annual tradition ever since. Now playing through Dec. 31. Showtimes vary, but mostly evenings Tuesdays-Fridays and multiple shows on weekend days. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $49 and up. 234-5623, theoldglobe.org The Old Globe brings back its fast-paced comedic take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which was first presented at the Globe in 2019. Playing Scrooge this year is two-time Tony nominee Christopher Sieber, who memorably starred as Miss Trunchbull in Broadway’s “Company,” “Shrek” and “Matilda.” Runs Nov. 17-24. 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $29 and up. 234-5623, theoldglobe.org Theatre at the Welk presents this new musical comedy based on the children's book and Will Ferrell movie about a human boy raised as a Christmas elf at the North Pole who returns to New York City to find his human family and restore the spirit of Christmas in the Big Apple. Award-winning San Diego actor Bryan Banville plays the lead role of Buddy the Elf. Opens Saturday and runs through Dec. 24. Showtimes, 1 and 7 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays. 1 p.m. Sundays. 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido. $67, adults; $32.50, children 14 and under. 749-3448, tickets.thewelksandiego.com San Diego Opera presents this 2019 mariachi opera, co-produced by Houston Grand Opera and Arizona Opera, was written by Javier Martinez, son of the late Jose “Pepe” Martinez, whose “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna” and “El Pasado Nunca Se Termina” mariachi operas were presented by San Diego Opera in 2013 and 2015, respectively. “El Milagro” is a prequel to “Cruzar la Cara” and features the same characters. Set during Christmas time in a small village in Michoacán, Mexico, this production is about how the townspeople are impacted by the loss of men who move to the U.S. for work. Dec. 1 and 3. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego. sdopera.org Inspired by the musical 'Million Dollar Quartet,' about the real day on Dec. 4, 1956, when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley jammed together in a Memphis recording studio, this fictional story imagines a holiday gathering that same year when they sing, play and talk together about Christmases past, present and future. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 12. $31.50 and up. Balboa Theatre, 858 Fourth Ave., Downtown. sandiegotheatres.org San Diego playwright Dea Hurston’s 2021 contemporary holiday musical features original music by Milena Phillips, who also stars in the show's lead role. It’s the story of widowed family matriarch Dorothy Black, hosting a Christmas Eve celebration at her elegant beachside home with her adult son and extended family when some unexpected family drama erupts: Dorothy has a new boyfriend and she's ready to make big changes in her life, home and holiday traditions. Runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 24. Showtimes, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; with a few additional performances. 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $28-$55 or 'dinner and a show' for $102. 433-3245. newvillagearts.org San Diego Musical Theatre once again presents this holiday edition of the popular doo-wop musical comedy “Forever Plaid.” In this version, the long-dead 1960s-era men’s vocal quartet, the Plaids, are resurrected for one night to give the holiday concert they never got to sing in life. Runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. 8 p.m. Fridays. 3 p.m. Saturdays. 2 p.m. Sundays. SDMT Stage, 4650 Mercury St., San Diego. $25-$70. 560-5740, sdmt.org In a nod to the huge success of its long-running productions of 'Million Dollar Quartet' in 2022 and 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' in 2023, Lamb's Players Theatre has crafted a new holiday show of Christmas songs and carols featuring cast members from both shows. Runs Nov. 25 and Dec. 24. Showtimes, 7 p.m. Tuesdays- Saturdays. 2 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. Lamb's Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. $36-$72. 437-6000. lambsplayers.org OnStage Playhouse presents San Diego playwright Herbert Siguenza’s world premiere holiday nativity play set in the small Imperial County border town of Ocotillo. Two mismatched couples reminisce about their past lives and hopes for the future when an unexpected visitor arrives, changing their perspective on what their futures and that of the world could be. Runs Dec. 1 through 23. Showtimes, 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. 5 p.m. Sundays. 291 Third Ave., Chula Vista. $15 minimum donation online. 435-4856. onstageplayhouse.org
Christmas Traditions San Diego Holiday Musicals Plays Annual Shows New Additions Dickens Holiday Tale Ebenezer Scrooge
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