"Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And then Some!)"
Even though Christmas was yesterday, there are still holiday shows in the pipeline for you to enjoy.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has an annual hit with Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!), and this ninth go-round has been no exception. In fact, all 12 of the show's originally scheduled performances were sold out. A 13th performance was added on Sunday, Dec. 21, and it too sold out. So one more has been tacked on, this Sunday, Dec. 28, at 7:30 p.m. If you want to see this hilarious mash-up of Christmas stories — Ebenezer Scrooge, Frosty, Rudolph (he's Gustav the Green-Nosed RainGoat in this rendition), the Grinch, the Peanuts gang, Clarence Oddbody and others from It's a Wonderful Life — check for tickets right away. You'll be laughing all the way into 2015 it you can get in. Tickets ($28): 513-381-2273 (or, a better chance, online at cincyshakes.com).
The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 24th annual production of A Christmas Carol continues through Sunday, and the charming, tuneful recreation of girl singer Rosemary Clooney in Tenderly has proved so popular that it's on the Shelterhouse stage until Jan. 11. Tickets: 513-421-3888
If the kids are already tired of the toys they ripped open on Christmas morning, how about taking them to see Sleeping Beauty at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati? It's onstage at the Over-the-Rhine theater through Jan. 4. Yes, it's a familiar fairytale, but it's told with some new twists in the humorous script by playwright Joe McDonough accompanied by a toe-tapping score by composer David KIsor. Tickets: 513-421-3555.
For musical theater fans, take note that a cinematic rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods just opened at a movie theater near you. It has a mind-boggling cast — Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Christine Baranski, Tracy Ullman and more — so it's just about as good as going to see a live show, but with incredible special effects. Here's a the film's trailer:
Now that Christmas is in your rearview mirror, maybe it's time to make plans for New Year's Eve. Know Theatre of Cincinnati has the event you're looking for: Get ready to party like it's 1923, the seventh annual celebration (sponsored by CityBeat, so you know it will be fun) has a Speakeasy theme at Know's Underground Bar. You'll find backroom games, tasty appetizers and libations including Martinis, Sidecars and Manhattans. There's a hot dance floor and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. You can order tickets online in advance for $35, or wait until the last minute and — if there's room left — and pay $50 at the door on New Year's Eve, starting at 8 p.m.
Rick Pender's STAGE DOOR blog appears here every Friday. Find more theater reviews and feature stories here.
