Theater-goers who crave originality might want to consider taking it easy for the next month or so, but audiences looking to lift their Christmas spirit are decidedly in luck.
To be sure, what would the holidays be without the Alliance Theatre’s annual production of its lavish “A Christmas Carol”? (Nov. 23-Dec. 23). Under the direction of Rosemary Newcott, veteran actor Chris Kayser reprises his performance as the transformed curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge for the 20th time, alongside such other familiar actors as Bart Hansard (as Mr. Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas Present), Elizabeth Wells Berkes (as the Ghost of Christmas Past) and Neal A. Ghant (as Bob Cratchit). Newcomers to the ensemble include Andrew Benator (as Marley’s Ghost) and young Morgan Gao (as Tiny Tim).
That isn’t to suggest that there aren’t a few new and different options to be had. The Alliance’s Hertz studio space becomes a honky-tonk dive in “Holidays with the Chalks” (Nov. 30-Dec. 23), staged by artistic director Susan Booth, about a trio of rowdy, down-on-their-luck sisters and country-western singers. For tickets and further details about either show: alliancetheatre.org, 404-733-5000.
For the most part, however, ’tis not the season for new or different things. On its main stage, for instance, Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre presents “Christmas Canteen 2012,” (Nov. 23-Dec. 23), the 17th annual version of its yuletide musical revue. With artistic director Anthony Rodriguez at the helm, returning cast members include Eric Moore and Brandon O’Dell. And in Aurora’s black-box space, Rodriguez will enact his one-man rendition of “A Christmas Carol” (Nov. 29-Dec. 16) for a sixth year: auroratheatre.com, 678-226-6222.
Without the benefit of having two stages, at Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points, Harold M. Leaver will be back by night for his 14th time as the sarcastic department store elf Crumpet in the David Sedaris comedy “The Santaland Diaries,” (Nov. 23-Dec. 30), directed by co-artistic director Jeff Adler and co-starring LaLa Cochran and Enoch King. By day, the company will present its fifth annual “Madeline’s Christmas” (Dec. 8-30), based on the popular children’s book: horizontheatre.com, 404-584-7450.
One holiday show you haven’t seen before is the regional premiere of “Christmas Wishes,” (Dec. 6-23), at ART Station in Stone Mountain. Staged by artistic director David Thomas, it’s a musical story about five strangers who are stranded at a small-town diner on Christmas Eve: artstation.org; 770-469-1105.
The famous O. Henry story on which it’s based may not be new, but Theatrical Outfit’s musical version of “The Gifts of the Maji” (Dec. 1-23) is. The ensemble includes Nick Arapoglou, Glenn Rainey and Bernardine Mitchell: theatricaloutfit.org, 1-877-725-8849.
Similarly, Dunwoody’s Stage Door Players tweaks a classic holiday film in “It’s a Wonderful Life (A Live Radio Play)” (Nov. 30-Dec. 18). Artistic director Robert Egizio’s cast features Jacob York, Marcie Millard and Tony Larkin: stagedoorplayers.net; 770-396-1726.
Popularized in a couple of earlier “Nunsense” shows, the Little Sisters of Hoboken return with a new Christmas musical, “Nuncrackers” (Nov. 23-Dec. 22) at Onstage Atlanta, directed by Cathe Hall Payne: onstageatlanta.com, 404-897-1802.
Every performance promises to be different in Dad’s Garage’s fifth annual “Invasion: Christmas Carol” (Dec. 1-23), which gives the Dickens story an improvisational twist by adding a totally unrelated character into the mix each night: dadsgarage.com, 404-523-3141.
Last but not least, let’s hear it for the counter-programming of a few Atlanta companies that have resisted the urge to capitalize on the holidays.
In lieu of its annual production of Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity,” Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre is offering “The Mountaintop” (through Dec. 16), a drama about Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Southwest Arts Center: truecolorstheatre.org, 1-877-725-8849.
Synchronicity Theatre remounts its popular family production of “A Year with Frog and Toad” (Dec. 7-30) at the 14th Street Playhouse, with Bryan Mercer and Spencer Stephens reprising their title roles: synchrotheatre.com, 404-484-8636.
And Fabrefaction Theatre presents a musical version of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel “Little Women” (Nov. 29-Dec. 23), helmed by artistic director Christina Hoff: fabrefaction.org, 404-876-9468.
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Fairburn’s Southside Theatre Guild stages “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (Dec. 6-16): stgplays.com, 770-969-0956.
Other versions of “A Christmas Carol” include those at the New London Theatre in Snellville (Nov. 30-Dec. 22) and at the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta (Nov. 29-Dec. 23): newlondontheatre.org, 770-559-1484; shakespearetavern.com, 404-874-5299.
Pumphouse Players in Cartersville presents the nostalgic coming-of-age tale “A Christmas Story” (Nov. 30-Dec. 9): pumphouseplayers.com, 770-387-2610.
On tap at Atlanta Lyric Theatre in Marietta is “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” (Dec. 7-23): atlantalyrictheatre.com, 404-377-9948.
Griffin’s Main Street Players airs its rendition of “It’s a Wonderful Life (A Live Radio Play)” (Dec. 6-16), while the Renaissance Project in Decatur mounts a more conventional version of the classic story (Dec. 1-16): mainstreetplayers.org, 770-229-9916; trp-atl.org, 678-250-4800.
Newnan Theatre Company is decking the halls of both its main stage and studio spaces. In the big house are children’s productions of “Madeline’s Christmas” and “A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail” (Dec. 7-16), while in the smaller black-box theater is the grown-up comedy “Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” (Dec. 6-16): newnantheatre.org, 770-683-6282.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” continues at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta (through Jan. 6): puppet.org, 404-873-3391.
A 1950s girl group performs a Christmas concert in “Winter Wonderettes” (Nov. 23-Dec. 16) at Tyrone’s Legacy Theatre: thelegacytheatre.org, 404-895-1473.
