18 Merry Live Performances | The New England Holiday Bucket List
Get a front-row seat to the joyful return of live holiday performances.
Anthony Williams’s Urban Nutcracker in Boston.
Photo Credit : Peter Paradise PhotographyEnjoy the thrill of a festive live performance this season, and for more New England holiday essentials, check out the Yankee’s 2021 feature “The New England Holiday Bucket List.”
Photo Credit : Mark Turek
THEATER
CLASSIC COMEBACK: Running from November into the new year, Trinity Rep’s 44th annual production of A Christmas Carol provides a holiday boost all season long. And with this return to in-person shows, director Joe Wilson Jr. is out to deliver “lots and lots of music, singing, and joy.” 11/4–1/2. Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI; trinityrep.com
GREAT GIFT:It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is a theatrical twist on the film classic, performed in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast complete with sound effects. These 27 shows celebrate the Bedford Falls–like outpouring of support Hartford Stage received after its own moment on the brink during the pandemic. 11/26–12/26. Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT; hartfordstage.org
MERRY AND BRIGHT: Maine’s Broadway-caliber Ogunquit Playhouse and New Hampshire’s oldest theater combine forces to bring Irving Berlin’s White Christmas to the stage and into the hearts of everyone dreaming of a cozy New England holiday. 12/1–12/19. The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH; themusichall.org[Update: This production was canceled after the November/December issue went to press.]
ON THE NOSE: The glow of nostalgia lights up the national touring show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, based on the iconic 1964 stop-motion TV special. Get your fill of kitschy fun! 12/6. The Hanover Theatre, Worcester, MA; thehanovertheatre.org. For details on other New England shows, go to rudolphthemusical.com
SEE-WORTHY: Horse bells jingle, bonfires sizzle, and costumed performers entertain strollers-by during Lantern Light Village evenings at Mystic Seaport. It’s drama with a seafaring twist, thanks to the softly lit backdrop of shimmering water and ships. Dates to be announced in late November. Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org
Photo Credit : Peter Paradise Photography
DANCE
BEDAZZLED BALLET: Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, aka New England’s biggest wow-factor take on this holiday classic, takes audiences on a captivating journey filled with athletic feats and special effects. The wildly bedecked Christmas tree, which grows to more than 40 feet before wondering eyes, is outsparkled only by the smiles of the dancers, performing for live audiences for the first time in 22 months. 11/26–12/26. Citizens Bank Opera House, Boston; bostonballet.org
CRACKING ON: Maine State Ballet’s The Nutcracker mixes Balanchine’s beloved choreography with homegrown touches: e.g., artistic director Linda MacArthur Miele was mowing her lawn when inspiration struck for reindeer-suited youngsters to whisk Clara’s sleigh offstage. 11/26–11/28, 12/4–12/5. Merrill Auditorium, Portland, ME; mainestateballet.org
HEAD-TO-TOE MAKEOVER: Looking at its old Nutcracker costume, Festival Ballet Providence decided: Off with his head! Visual artists from Big Nazo Lab, the city’s creators of extraordinary creatures, were called on to craft a replacement, which together with a new venue and all-new sets help make The Nutcracker familiar yet delightfully fresh. 12/17–12/19, 12/22–12/24. The VETS, Providence, RI; festivalballetprovidence.org
ONLY IN VERMONT: Can you picture Tchaikovsky in flannel? Then you’ll love the bluegrass rearrangements of Tchaikovsky’s party dances, the appearance of the Maple Sugar Fairy, and the twirling apples and autumn leaves that make Moving Light Dance’s Green Mountain Nutcracker a delectably local confection. 12/18–12/19.Barre Opera House, Barre, VT; barreoperahouse.org
CITY BEATS:Urban Nutcracker, Anthony Williams’s ever-evolving revamp of the classic ballet, boldly sashays off in diverse dance directions: hip-hop and street tap, flamenco and swing. And no tutu troupe gets audiences grooving like City Ballet of Boston’s colorfully costumed, multicultural cast. 12/18–12/26. Shubert Theatre, Boston; urbannutcracker.com
SUGARPLUM SPLENDOR: After last year’s leap to film with Through Her Eyes: A Newport Nutcracker Reimagined, Island Moving Company returns its Newport Nutcracker to the lavishly decorated rooms and halls of Rosecliff Mansion. 11/24–12/3. Newport, RI; islandmovingco.org
MUSIC
SWAN SONG: The 168th consecutive holiday season since the Handel and Haydn Society’s U.S. premiere of Handel’s Messiah also marks the last for outgoing artistic director Harry Christophers. Expect extra emotion to color a three-hour immersion into the legendary composer’s 18th-century sound world. 11/26–11/28. Symphony Hall, Boston; handelandhaydn.org
HOLIDAY WIZARDRY: Under the direction of maestro Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops and its choral collaborators offer up heartwarming, funny-bone-tickling tonics for the spirit during the annual Holiday Pops. And when it’s time for the traditional sing-along, it’s magic to hear untrained, unrehearsed voices in an anthem of human connectedness. 12/2–12/24. Symphony Hall, Boston; bostonpops.org
HORNING IN: For more than three decades, the members of Boston Brass have been bringing the fun to often-formal musical genres. Expect their top-notch showmanship to lend extra sparkle to yuletide standards. 12/3. Chubb Theatre, Concord, NH; ccanh.com. For details on other New England shows, go to bostonbrass.com
GO NUTS: Love rocking around the Christmas tree? Check out the Squirrel Nut Zippers as they bring their “Holiday Caravan” show to Midcoast Maine, mixing jazz chords, folk music, and punk rock as they belt out holiday favorites alongside their own hits. 12/9. The Strand Theatre, Rockland, ME. For details on other New England shows, go to snzippers.com
NEW-AGE NOEL: This year marks the reunion of the No. 1 Christmas music artist in history with its fans, live and in person, as Mannheim Steamroller builds on a 35-year tradition of touring. Even if you think you don’t know their songs, you’ve heard them before—and we bet you’ll find yourself humming along. 12/14. The Flynn, Burlington, VT; flynnvt.org. For details on other New England shows, go to mannheimsteamroller.com
GLORIOUS HARMONIES: With rich resonance and next-gen harmonies that lift listeners onto a heavenly sound cloud, Voce—New England’s Chamber Choir—celebrates the return of live choral music with A Very Voce Christmas! featuring seasonal works by some of the world’s most acclaimed contemporary composers. 12/18 at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Simsbury, CT;12/19 at Immanuel Congregational Church, Hartford, CT; voceinc.org
LIFT EVERY VOICE: A tradition since 1909, Candlelight Carols looked different last year, when 80 recorded-at-home voices offered comfort to those who viewed the broadcast from home or from outside Trinity Church’s wide-open doors. Even as the service of scripture and song moves back inside the glowing sanctuary, it will reflect a shift that has expanded church choirs’ repertoires to include more music by BIPOC composers. 12/18–12/19. Trinity Church, Boston, MA; trinitychurchboston.org
