If you've somehow avoided catching a holiday show this season, there's still time to see a plethora of shows running through the end of the month and into early January. They range from perennial family-friendly fare to campy comedy takeoffs of Christmas classics. All locations are in Chicago unless otherwise noted.
Burning Bluebeard, The Hypocrites and The Ruffians at Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago's deadly Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903 is artfully reflected on in this returning revue of singed performers contemplating their roles in the disaster that claimed 600 lives. ( Through Jan. 10; www.the-hypocrites.com )
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Emerald City Theatre Company at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St. The 50-year-old Peanuts TV special is brought to life onstage for family audiences. ( Through Jan. 3; www.emeraldcitytheatre.com )
Christmas Bingo: It's a Ho-Ho-Holy Night, Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St. This returning interactive comedy is a seasonal variation on the long-running Catholic humor powerhouse Late Nite Catechism. ( Through Jan. 3; www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com )
A Christmas Carol, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Larry Yando returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge in this diversely cast and special-effects filled flagship adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale. ( Through Dec. 27; www.goodmantheatre.org )
A Christmas Carol, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. A snowy finale over the audience has been one of the highlights of this suburban interpretation of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas novella. ( 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23; 3 p.m. Dec. 24; www.metropolisarts.com )
Christmas Dearest, Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. The infamous Hollywood actress Joan Crawford gets the Christmas Carol treatment in this revival of David Cerda's drag-filled 2013 musical. ( Through Jan. 2; www.handbagproductions.org )
The Christmas Schooner, Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave. Find out all about the treacherous journeys across Lake Michigan to bring Christmas trees to early Chicagoans in the return of this acclaimed Windy City-born musical. ( Through Dec. 27; www.mercurytheaterchicago.com )
A Christmas Story, Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana. A nine-year-old boy growing up in 1940s Indiana wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas in this stage adaptation of Jean Shepherd's novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash that also inspired the 1983 film. ( Through Dec. 27; www.theatreatthecenter.com )
A Christmas StoryThe Musical, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The 2012 musical adaptation of the popular 1983 holiday film returns with a big tap dance production number that wasn't featured in the pre-Broadway tour that played the Chicago Theatre in 2011. ( Through Jan. 3; www.paramountaurora.com )
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Foundlings Theatre Company at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Scandal erupts in Jeff Goode's adults-only comedy about eight reindeer accusing Santa of sexual harassment. ( Through Dec. 27; www.foundlingstheatre.com )
EL Stories: Holiday Train, Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. A holiday version of the long-running late-night show drawn from riders on Chicago's elevated trains. ( Through Jan. 9; www.greenhousetheater.com )
Elf the Musical, Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire. Director/choreographer Marc Robin whips up an inventive and eye-popping staging of the 2010 Broadway adaptation of the 2003 Will Ferrell holiday film. ( Through Jan. 3; www.marriotttheatre.com )
Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St. St. Charles. The harmonizing Plaids quartet are back from the spirit world to perform a holiday version of their previous show of pre-Beatles pop hits in an intimate venue. ( Through Dec. 27; www.steelbeamtheatre.com )
Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, Williams Street Repertory at Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. The harmonizing Plaids quartet are back from the spirit world to perform a holiday version of their previous show of pre-Beatles pop hits in a grand venue. ( Through Jan. 3; www.rauecenter.org )
The Great Annoyance Melodrama and Vaudeville Holiday Revue, Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave. A park ranger has to protect the nation's largest Christmas tree in this comedy revue that includes tap dancing, songs and more. ( 8 p.m. Dec. 27; www.annoyanceproductions.com )
Hellcab, Profiles Theatre Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway St. A Chicago cabbie encounters all kinds of strange characters on Christmas Eve in the return of Will Kern's long-running Chicago hit comedy. ( Through Jan. 10; www.profilestheatre.org )
Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The classic 1954 Christmas film gets filled out with other Irving Berlin song standards in this Broadway musical stage adaptation. ( Through Jan. 3; www.drurylaneoakbrook.com )
It's a Wonderful Life, American Blues Theater at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The classic 1946 Frank Capra film is retold in the form of a 1940s radio play broadcast in this returning holiday favorite. ( Through Dec. 27; www.americanbluestheater.com )
It's a Wonderful Santaland Miracle, Nut Cracking Christmas Story… Jews Welcome! Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. A return of Brian Posen's interactive and family-friendly holiday show that steals from other popular Christmas show hits. ( Through Dec. 27; www.stage773.com )
It's Christmas, Goddamnit, Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave. A dysfunctional family holiday gathering turns nasty in the return of this dark comedy. ( 8 p.m. Dec. 26; www.annoyanceproductions.com )
A Kokandy Christmas, Kokandy Productions at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. A new holiday revue filled with stories, songs and more. ( 8 p.m. Dec. 23; www.kokandyproductions.com )
Moot Pulk and It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Menopause, ( re )discover theatre at Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave. A double bill of holiday tales featuring dance and drag. ( 8 p.m. Dec. 23; www.rediscovertheatre.com )
The Nutcracker, The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. A ballet-free and puppet-filled interpretation of E.T.A. Hoffmann's Christmas tale involving a girl's battle against an evil Rat king. ( Through Dec. 31; www.thehousetheatre.com )
The Nutcracker, Joffrey Ballet at Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway. This is the final outing of the late choreographer Robert Joffrey's 1987 staging of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet. ( Through Dec. 27; www.joffrey.org )
A Q Brothers' Christmas Carol, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave. Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale gets a hip-hop makeover in this adaptation by the guys who did Shakespeare takeoffs like Funk it Up About Nothin' and Othello: The Remix. ( Through Jan. 3; www.chicagoshakes.com )
The Santaland Diaries, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Mitchell Fain returns to star as the embittered Macy's department store elf Crumpet in this revival of Joe Mantello's theatrical adaptation of the story that launched the career of author and touring raconteur David Sedaris. ( Through Dec. 27; www.theaterwit.com )
The Second City's Holidazed, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. A holiday sketch comedy revue put together especially for suburban audiences. ( Through Dec. 31; www.metropolisarts.com )
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose, Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. The famed fictional detective of Baker Street is on the case to find out how a blue jewel made its way into a cooked goose. ( Through Jan. 3; www.raventheatre.com )
Tinsel! The Musical, Li'l Buds Theatre Company at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave. A kid's show about a nearsighted waitress reindeer who pursues her dream to become a recording artist. ( Through Dec. 27; www.lilbudstheatre.org )
Twist Your Dickens, The Second City and Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is sent up in this hilarious collaboration by former Colbert Report scribes Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort. ( Through Dec. 27; www.goodmantheatre.org )
Yippee Ki-Ya, Merry Christmas, MCL Chicago, 3110 N. Sheffield Ave. An odd array of pop culture character converge together for this comedy spoof of the Die Hard movies. ( Through Jan. 9; www.mclchicago.com )
