HOLIDAY SHOW
originally published on December 7, 2001 at Suite101

When I was young, the holiday season was always a brilliant time chock full of school concerts, plays, TV specials, and our traditional annual visit to the Morris Civic Auditorium for the visit of The Nutcracker. We kids were bristling with excitement. The air was pure magic as we happily filed into the theaters in our stiff little dresses, be it to appear as little carolers on stage or to be spectators to the ballet company’s stars. This magic--it’s a pure, simple joy that I still enjoy and crave in this time of grown-up-ness and heavy world events. Strive to create a little of your own magic, memories, and begin a new tradition with a day out for a holiday show.

Check out your options. Like I’d mentioned, this time of year is one extremely rich in events and happenings that will be sure to fit the holiday show bill. Be on the lookout for ideas everywhere. Keep your eyes peeled for school and community bulletins, check local newspapers and city websites. Keep on the prowl for a good holiday outing. Following is my humble list of possibilities. Grow your options from there, or let me know of something you do that I’m obviously missing out on!

The following events can be found in all types of locations at all sorts of levels. The range can span professional performance troupes like the Rockettes and the Joffrey Ballet dancers, mid-level pros like civic playhouse players and university theater department players, and pure players like church productions and elementary, middle, and high school concerts and shows.

• Dance productions ~ As I alluded to at the open of this week’s column, The Nutcracker is a tradition that is deeply rooted in childhood for me and for many of my friends. As a child, we went every year for a 7-year stretch. More than 15 years later, and I still yearn to get back into the annual habit. If this ballet doesn’t catch your fancy, you can opt for ice-skating shows or less traditional dance presentations at performing arts schools, city activities offices, etc.
• Plays ~ Lots of people think of “A Christmas Carol” and old Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to Christmas plays, but there is a vast array of new “classics” being cultivated each year in smaller playhouses and theaters. Many universities and high schools get a hand in the holiday plays this time of year, and that most certainly makes for an interesting and inexpensive time of entertainment. The range of storylines and players’ talent could very well astound you.
• Choral concerts ~ This type of event holds a special place in my heart because I have always been a ham of the choral sort. From nursery school onward, I always looked forward to costuming up and singing my heart out to the good old holiday tunes. I can still remember the costume theme of “festively colored” sweaters and exaggeratedly pink cheeks my junior year in high school choir. I currently carry no musical aspirations of late, so I really enjoy catching the local high school’s holiday concert every now and again, and the occasional elementary school production when I am really yearning for nostalgia. School marquees often advertise the upcoming holiday shows, but you can usually gain a bit of info on the inside track by chatting with your neighbors and co-workers with kids.
• Musicals ~ A combo of plays and concerts, musicals are a rousing fun time of unlikely discourse between characters. My friend Kris has made a tradition for the last 3 or 4 years to attend the Rockettes’ Radio City Christmas Spectacular with her sisters. I often stick with The Sound of Music for my Christmas musical.
• Television specials ~ I still remember waiting with bated breath for the animated (cartoon and/or Claymation) holiday specials of Frosty, Rudolph, and Santa Claus coming to town. Also wonderful were the occasional Andy Williams or Bob Hope specials (I am really dating myself now…) of the singy, jokey variety. Scan TV listings for upcoming shows you want to catch.
• Films ~ If the weather outside happens to get too fierce, or the exhaustion of fending off holiday throngs too much, consider renting (or growing your own collection of) a slew of holiday favorites. The big benefit of this is being able to plan your gathering on your own time, rather than on specific dates and at specific show times. My little video library includes A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Chicagoans, check out these resource lists on citysearch.com and metromix.com.

Invite fellow revelers and reverie followers. Share the greatness of the holidays by rounding up your friends and family. You can attend a ton of holiday shows and events if you want by spreading your guest list over several events. A simple invite or phone call should suffice with details (event, date, time, place), but there are so many festive options in electronic as well as paper greetings. Because the holidays are such a busy, hectic time for many of us, and schedules often fill more quickly than usual, it would be wise to send out the invitation/idea as soon as possible. At the least, a week before the actual event.

Sweeten the deal. Part of the fun of seeing a show is making a big day or night of it. If you’re attending an afternoon show, consider meeting prior to the show for lunch at an eatery near the venue or stopping off after the show for a nice cup of coffee or cocoa. If it’s an evening event, perhaps plan to gussy yourselves up a bit and then head out for a nice dinner or drink before or after the show. The experience of the show itself can only be improved with a bit of good food and drink.

Soak in the sights and sounds; savor. They say one of the stronger triggers for a memory is in sound. I think this is absolutely true, as I still get taken back to a particularly rigorous tree-trimming session when I was 8 every time I hear the Chipmunks’ Christmas album, a post-kindergarten class visit with Santa at my daycare center is always conjured up when I hear “Up On the Rooftop,” and I’m reminded of a relaxing Christmas at home sophomore year of high school when I hear the score from Home Alone. The “sounds of the season” is a popular phrase for a good reason. So, really stop and listen to the show. Even sing along with the songs you know if you’re so inclined (I learned this uninhibited trait from my freshman-year roommate, Sarah, who sang along with The Graduate at an on-campus viewing of the flick). Occasionally glance at your fellow audience members and take in how pleased they are by the show. Let loose and enjoy yourself! You will be sure to look forward for next year’s holiday shows before this year’s are even over. Happy caroling!