Six live theater events to get you in the holiday spirit

Like eggnog, ice skating, and light posts dressed in red velvet bows, theater is a holiday season staple. Of course, there’s always The Nutcracker. But Philadelphia’s very diverse theatrical landscape is dotted with shows that reenergize classic stories for audiences who have made theatergoing a yearly holiday tradition, while still delighting people watching for the very first time.

Here are six shows you don’t want to miss — and that would make a great experiential gift.

Dec. 4

After watching Dickens’ characters onstage, you hear from the man himself in MAC Theatre’s production of Generous Fire: Charles Dickens in America. Brian McCann plays Dickens near the end of his life. McCann, who adapted Dickens’ lectures to create this piece, focuses on the author’s commentary on American society. His disapproval of Philadelphia’s city planning is well-known: “After walking about it for an hour or two, I felt I would have given the world for a crooked street.” Fun fact: William Penn designed the perfectly rectangular street grid to avoid the frequent fire hazard posed by the winding streets of London.

3 p.m., MAC Arts Center, 11 E. State St., Media. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mac-theatre-generous-fire-charles-dickens-in-america-tickets-456511186247

Dec. 17-18

Carols in Color, a retelling of Jesus’ birth based on Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, is celebrating its 31st anniversary at Eleone Dance Theatre. Leon Evans II created the dance musical in 1998 as an opportunity to showcase the city’s Black artistic talent, including dancers, singers, and musicians. This is a cross-cultural theatrical experience, with artistic direction from Shawn-Lamere Williams and musical direction from Omar-Frederick Pratt, that ties in soul music and contemporary dance to present a uniquely Philadelphian holiday performance.

Dec. 17: 4 p.m., Dec. 18: 2 p.m., 5 p.m., The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St., Phila. Tickets: https://eleone.ticketlocity.com/events/29643

Dec. 3-28

Charles Dickens used to perform an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, fitting 15 characters into a one-man show. Anthony Lawton at Lantern Theatre Company follows that tradition, performing his own adaptation of the novel, produced in collaboration with sound designer Christopher Colluci and set designer Thom Weaver. The story’s characters retain their Dickensian morals and while audience members will get heavy servings of the original text, it’s told in an engaging and family-friendly way. There is even an ode to Philadelphia’s Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market.

The Drake Theatre, 302 S. Hicks St., Phila. Timings and tickets: https://www.lanterntheater.org/plays/a-christmas-carol.html

Nov. 23-Dec. 31

Quintessence Theatre Group is known for taking classic stories and adding a contemporary progressive lens. This holiday season, QTG is staging Mary Poppins, which keeps the original stage version’s book and music and adds music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The reimagined Poppins, cocreated by Cameron Mackintosh, emphasizes capitalism’s dangers while holding true to the story’s original message: Life’s joys come from the family. What better message to soak in with your family or friends-like-family?

The Sedgwick Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave., Phila., Timings and tickets: https://www.quintessencetheatre.org/marypoppins

Nov. 16-Jan. 1

Don’t miss the People’s Light’s holiday panto production of Alice in Wonderland. A panto is a musical comedy that thrives off of audience participation with sing-alongs and posed questions throughout the show. The guide in this panto is drag performer Eric Jaffe, who plays the mischievous Dinah and the Cheshire Cat. A show for all ages.

People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern. Tickets and timings: https://www.peopleslight.org/whats-on/20222023-season/alice-in-wonderland/

Dec. 7-Jan. 29

The unconventional friendship between a pig and a spider in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web has become a near-universally adored phenomenon. The adaptation, written by Joseph Robinette, was first produced at the Arden in 1998 and is now returning for its fourth production. Whit MacLaughlin, the original production’s director, is also staging a return for this season’s production. This is the perfect way to introduce new folks (especially Peppa Pig fans) to the story or re-awake nostalgia in former kids.

Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., Phila. Tickets and timings: https://ardentheatre.org/production/charlottes-web/