Spotlight
See out 2016 with Die Fledermaus, one of the world's favorite comic operettas. With rousing party scenes, luscious waltzes by Johan Strauss II, and plenty of adulterous shenanigans and practical jokes, Die Fledermaus has proven itself time and time again to be a frivolous favorite for New Year's Eve. Light Opera Works' English-language production plays 2 p.m. Dec. 26, 28 and Jan. 1 with 8 p.m. evening shows on Dec. 29, 30 and 31 at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. Tickets are $34 to $98; call 847-920-5360 or visit LightOperaWorks.com .
Critics' Picks
Crazy for You, Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook Terrace, through Jan. 8. The Gershwin brothers' showtunes once lifted spirits during the Great Depression. These songs are once again put to expert and escapist use. SCM
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Northlight Theatre, Skokie, through Dec. 24. This is no ordinary fan-fiction, but a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice grants bookish middle-sister Mary Bennet her due while remaining faithful to the conventions of Regency romance. MSB
Twist Your Dickens, The Second City and Goodman Theatre, through Dec. 30. This side-splitting spoof of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is back for its third year. It prominently features plenty of improvised bits drawn from audience suggestions to increase the non-stop humor. SCM
Uncle Philip's Coat, Solo Celebration at Greenhouse Theater Center, through Dec. 31. The season isn't all holly and ivy: Matty Selman's tale of immigrant survival will warm your heart like the ancient garment protecting his eccentric mentor. MSB
By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Morgan