Shepherd Express Holiday Arts Guide

What struck us was the immensity: the sheer number of holiday offerings in the Milwaukee area by performing arts groups. The volume of events inspired us to produce a guide to holiday-themed shows opening this week and next month. Whatever your persuasion, there will be something here to fill the long winter nights with a sense of warmth, humor and wonder.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

First Stage

Nov. 24-Dec. 31

Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Todd Wehr Theater

123 E. State St.

Follow Snoopy, Charlie, Linus and the gang on an adventure to find out what Christmas is truly about. From Charlie Brown trees and Yuletide blues to dancing and the Christmas spirit, the play directed by Jeff Frank is a fun take on the heart-warming television special. “With an iconic score played live by the incomparable Jack Forbes Wilson and laughs aplenty courtesy of the brilliance of Charles Schulz, this is a perfect holiday show for families to celebrate the season together,” says Frank. (Megan Leonard)

The Christmas Schooner

Memories Dinner Theatre

Nov. 25-Dec. 17

1077 Lake Drive, Port Washington

Set at the turn-of-the-century of the last century, The Christmas Schooner’s true, heart-warming story follows a Michigan shipping captain bringing German-American families the Christmas spirit. He sails across the frigid waters of Lake Michigan in winter to bring the homesick Chicagoans something familiar, Christmas trees. The musical story shows joy and courage and the belief that “our blessings aren’t ours to keep, they’re meant to be passed along.” (Megan Leonard)

A Christmas Carol

Nov. 28-Dec. 24

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.

Milwaukee Repertory presents Artistic Director Mark Clements’ adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Production changes from last year are minimal and many of the cast return, including Jonathan Smoots as Marley, Angela Iannone as Mrs. Fezziwig and Jonathan Wainwright as Scrooge. Clements is excited to put suggestions from last year’s audience and artists into effect, and celebrates that this “cross-faith and cross-generational story” is often the first experience of professional theater local young people have. His intended takeaway for audiences? “Be present. Literally. Be engaged. Find the joy in what you can. Remember life is precious and live everyday as if it’s your last.” (Selena Milewski)

Scrooge in Rouge

Nov. 30-Jan. 7, 2018

In Tandem Theatre

Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St.

In Tandem Theatre returns with this popular comedy about an early 20th-century music hall production of Charles Dickens’ 19th-century classic. The hook is that much of the cast falls ill and the entire show must be performed by four actors. In Tandem’s Chris Flieller will be joined onstage by Elyse Edelman, Nathan Marinan and Josh Robinson. (Russ Bickerstaff)

A Christmas Carol

Falls Patio Players

Dec. 1-3

N88 W16750 Garfield Drive, Menomonee Falls

Falls Patio Players’ rendition of A Christmas Carol has become a family tradition. The original musical play by Carol Klose and Jack C. Strawbridge starts with Charles Dickens’ story and adds French and English carols along with original songs. Falls Patio Players, located in Menomonee Falls, has been entertaining audiences of all ages in southeastern Wisconsin for more than 50 years. (Megan Leonard)

“Holiday Musical Spectacular”

Dec. 1-10

Cardinal Stritch University, Nancy Kendall Theater

6801 N. Yates Road

The cabaret-style show encapsulates “song, dance and good old-fashioned holiday fun” through a variety of songs, dance and dialogue. The 80-minute program of Christmas fun doesn’t miss any of the classics like “O Christmas Tree,” “White Christmas” or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” to name a few. (Megan Leonard)

The House Without a Christmas Tree

Dec. 1-17

Waukesha Civic Theatre

Margaret Brate Bryant Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St., Waukesha

Milwaukee actor/writer Doug Jarecki has adapted the beloved 1972 holiday TV special (and subsequent novelization) into a live stage show that makes its debut this year in Waukesha. The story of a girl helping her father move beyond the death of his wife for the holidays is brought to life onstage under the direction of John Cramer. With Jarecki’s clever narrative instincts, this should be a satisfying addition to local holiday stage fare. (Russ Bickerstaff)

A Christmas Carol: The Musical

Dec. 1-17

Racine Theatre Guild,

2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine

A Christmas Carol: The Musical wraps the nostalgia of Charles Dickens’ classic story in a lively musical retelling. Talkin’ Broadway called it a “soaring, delightful musical theatre with a treasure house of beautiful, evocative music.” Prior to the show on Dec. 1, 9 and 15, traditional carols will be sung by the Union Grove High School Carolers. (Megan Leonard)

Wisconsin Philharmonic

“Northern Lights Concert”

Dec. 5

Carroll University’s Shattuck Music Center, 218 N. East Ave., Waukesha

Combined girls’ choirs of Brookfield Central, Brookfield East and Muskego high schools join the orchestra for an interesting holiday season concert with a Scandinavian bent. They promise music “from ABBA to Edvard Grieg.” A Pre-Concert Conversation (6:30 p.m.) will help audience members get into the spirit of things and appreciate the evocative and wonderfully wintry music of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. (John Jahn)

“Holiday G.I. Jukebox”

Dec. 6

Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts

19805 W. Capitol Drive

Singer Elaine Dame has become a mainstay of Chicago’s jazz scene, headlining Windy City clubs with her swinging, virtuosic performances and venturing as far as New York’s legendary Rainbow Room. She’s coming to Milwaukee for a holiday show featuring beloved Greatest Generation hits such as “White Christmas,” “We’ll Meet Again” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” (Morton Shlabotnik)

Black Nativity

Black Arts MKE

Dec. 7-17

Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St.

Great American playwright/poet Langton Hughes tells the Christmas Story in the voices of African Americans. Carols and original songs are performed in gospel style. Director Malkia Stampley uses our current social and political climate as backdrop. “The birth of Jesus was not immune to drama and controversy,” she said. “It represented the fierce commitment to challenging the status quo for the sake of true peace for all, and that is one of our production’s goals.” Dec. 7 is “pay-what-you-can” night. (John Schneider)

Home for the Holidays

Florentine Opera

Dec. 8-9 and Dec. 16-17

Wayne and Kristine Lueders Florentine Opera Center

930 E. Burleigh St.

The Florentine’s Studio Artists will help get you in the holiday spirit with seasoned chestnuts like Jule Styne’s “Let it Snow,” Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” Irving Berlin’s immortal “White Christmas” and Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane’s touching war-time classic, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Rarer songs, too, such as Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnon’s “This Christmas.” (John Jahn)

Holiday Pops

Racine Symphony Orchestra

Dec. 8

Racine Festival Hall, 5 Fifth St., Racine

The RSO’s Beth Bender explains that the orchestra will be performing “Robert Shaw’s ‘The Many Moods of Christmas’ and Jim Stephenson’s ‘Holly Jolly Sing Along’ with a combined high school choir of students from Union Grove, Burlington, Park and Prairie schools.” Given the audience layout for this concert, attendees can opt for individual seating or tables for eight to 10 concertgoers. (John Jahn)

“Bing Crosby: Christmas on the Air”

Milwaukee Entertainment Group

Dec. 8-23

Brumder Mansion, 3046 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Bing Crosby was, in the knowing estimation of clarinetist and bandleader Artie Shaw, “the first hip white person born in the United States.” These days, der Bingle’s once revolutionary vocal innovations have been so thoroughly assimilated as to be shorthand for the musical tastes of yesteryear, as exemplified by the seasonal ubiquity of “White Christmas,” the best-selling record of all time. Written by and starring Matt Zembrowski, “Bing Crosby Christmas on the Air” presents a tune-filled evening of nostalgia designed to delight old fans and win new ones. (Tyler Friedman)

Christmas in the Basilica

Bel Canto Chorus

Dec. 8-10

The Basilica of St. Josaphat, 2333 S. Sixth St.

What terrific and most apropos ambiance for a Christmas music concert! Bel Canto Chorus will make great use of the historic locale for “Christmas in the Basilica,” a concert featuring the well-known chorus accompanied by brass and organ. Along with many of “the usual suspects” of music composed specifically for this celebrated time of year will be a new piece by local composer Daniel Van Gelderen. (John Jahn)

The Nutcracker

Milwaukee Ballet

Dec. 9-26

Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St.

Michael Pink’s endearing production reached perfection years ago. It’s exciting to see who among this superb family of dancers from around the world is playing which of the vivid roles at any given performance. To celebrate 40 years of Nutcrackers by Milwaukee Ballet, Pink himself will play the magic maker Drosselmeyer on Dec. 22. There’s a sensory-friendly performance on Dec. 20 in partnership with Autism Speaks and the Marcus Center. And there’s Tchaikovsky’s ravishing score. (John Schneider)

“The Boston Camerata & SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble perform A Mediterranean Christmas”

Early Music Now

Dec. 10

St. Joseph Chapel, 1501 S. Layton Blvd.

As the early music movement gathered steam in the 1960s and early ’70s, most ears were tuned to Western Europe for repertoire from the Baroque and Renaissance eras. Recent years have seen the concept expand to include other regions. Milwaukee’s Early Music Now has been at the forefront of this shift by presenting music from other cultures and exploring cross-cultural groups. Their mission is evident in EMN’s holiday concert. The Boston Camerata, one of America’s foremost early music ensembles, will perform with SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble, an Arab American group focused on the art music of the Near East. (David Luhrssen)

The Messiah

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Dec. 13: St. Mary Catholic Faith Community, 9520 W Forest Home Ave.

Dec. 14: Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 812 N. Jackson St.

Dec. 15: St. Josaphat Basilica, 2333 S. Sixth St.

George Frideric Handel’s 1741 English-language oratorio, The Messiah, has perhaps become the prolific Baroque composer’s most famous work, its “Hallelujah Chorus” almost instantly recognizable by people who’ve never heard the whole piece. Its three-part texts (derived from the King James Bible) follow the story arc of Jesus’ life, and its performance by the MSO and Chorus has become one of our area’s great holiday traditions. Under conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong, four vocal soloists, orchestra and chorus will fill various locations with Handel’s glorious music. (John Jahn)

“Holiday Harp with Kim Robertson and Friends”

Dec. 16

Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave.

ICHC’s international shows rarely feature local talent, but the internationally acclaimed Wisconsin-born harpist Kim Robertson will join Milwaukeeans Brett Lipshutz on Irish flute and whistle, Maria Terres on fiddle, vocalist Rachel Pollack, David Pollock on the Great Highland bagpipe and small pipes, Celtic harpist Mary Radspinner, a harp ensemble from the Irish Fest School of Music and dancers from the Cashel Dennehy School of Irish Dance for a traditional Christmas celebration in the historic Hallamór. (John Schneider)

Holiday Improv Show

McMann and Tate Productions

Dec. 16

Cedarburg Cultural Center, W62 N546 Washington Ave, Cedarburg

McMann and Tate Productions will bring its brand of adult comedy back to the Cedarburg Cultural Center for its Holiday Improv Show. A great way to laugh through the holidays with family, friends and coworkers, CCC’s resident comedy cast is still tickling funny bones after 17 years of holiday skit shows. (Morton Shlabotnik)

Winter Concert

Chant Claire Chamber Choir

Dec. 16

St. Marcus Lutheran Church, 2215 N. Palmer St.

“The program follows the narrative arc of the Reformation, as well as Martin Luther’s life,” explains Chant Claire’s music director, Ben Bedroske. In addition to music reflecting “the Catholic polyphony which preceded the Reformation,” he says, it will then “move through the rich musical history of the Lutheran faith” and “the hugely influential Lutheran Choral School.” Composers like Felix Mendelssohn, Heinrich Schütz and, yes, even Martin Luther will be heard. (John Jahn)

“Welcome All Wonders”

Master Singers of Milwaukee

Dec. 16-17

St. Joseph Chapel, 1501 S. Layton Blvd.

The Master Singers of Milwaukee welcome all of the many wonders of the holiday season in two concerts; the Dec. 16 concert has the celebrated ensemble joining voices with the Muskego High School Concert Choir; on Dec. 17, MSM’s joined by the Hamilton High School Concert Choir. Works on the program include “All Bells in Paradise” by John Rutter, “Lullay, My Liking” by Matthew Owens and, appropriately enough, “Welcome All Wonders” by Richard Dirksen. (John Jahn)

“An Evening of Readings and Carols”

Milwaukee Children’s Choir

Cathedral Church of All Saints

818 E. Juneau Ave.

Dec. 16

Looking for a Christmas concert that’s accessible yet musically informative? Milwaukee Children’s Choir has a performance for you! The concert features the Milwaukee Youth Chorale along with “Wisconsin’s premier treble choir,” Voices of Eterna. Audience members are invited to sing along on familiar carols and, according to Voices of Eterna Conductor Marco Melendez, enjoy “rarely performed works by well-known composers such as Johannes Brahms, Pablo Casals and Giovanni Bassano.” Carols are interspersed with inspirational text by writers including Maya Angelou and Martin Luther King Jr. (Selena Milewski)

“It’s a Wonderful Life-Live from WVL Radio Theatre”

Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St.

Dec. 22-23

“It’s A Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio Theater” is a fresh adaptation of Frank Capra’s classic film set during the Golden Age of radio. The show features a bygone radio formula where actors and live sound effects engaged the imagination of listeners. The on-stage version’s “live broadcast” takes the audience back to George Baily’s close call with death on Christmas Eve and transports them back in time. (Megan Leonard)