Theatre
Elf: The Musical
If you thought Will Ferrell’s 2003 blockbuster movie was delightful, wait till you hear it in song.
Through Dec. 15, Cadillac Palace Theatre
A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol
The holiday classic with a hip-hop twist.
Through Dec. 22, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Christmas Dearest
A campy take on A Christmas Carol, starring a drag-queen Joan Crawford.
Through Dec. 29, Hell in a Handbag at Mary’s Attic
El Stories: Holiday Train
Nothing says Christmas like chaotic commuters at the Belmont Red Line stop.
Through Jan. 11, Greenhouse Theater Center
Comedy
That’s Weird, Grandma: Holiday Edition
CPS students write—and Barrel of Monkeys adapts—the darnedest stories for this family-friendly show.
Dec. 9 to Jan. 13, Neo-Futurist Theater
Winter FUNderland
Drunken caroling and bad turkey-bowling bets make for delicious comedic fodder.
Through Dec. 19, iO Theater
Kiss Kiss Cabaret
If you’re not already on Santa’s naughty list, you will be after a night with these babes in bustiers.
Through Dec. 20, Greenhouse Theater Center
Miracle on Wells Street
R-rated improv and abundant drinks—so, basically, the opposite of the movie.
Through Dec. 31, UP Comedy Club
Music and Dance
Chanticleer
Angels’ voices may be heavenly, but these famous falsettos are truly divine.
Dec. 4 to 5, Symphony Center
Handel’s Messiah
The Apollo Chorus’s 134-year-old tradition is even longer-lived than the Cubs’ championship drought.
Dec. 7, Symphony Center; Dec. 21, Harris Theater
Andrew Bird
This famed local folkie heads to church for his annual “cozy concert.”
Dec. 9 to 12, Fourth Presbyterian Church
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Three singers croon songs of mistletoe mishaps and sexy Santas.
Dec. 12, Driehaus Museum; Dec. 15, North Central College