Pictured above: A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre (photo by Greg Mooney)

The holidays are quickly approaching, and the first of Atlanta’s holiday performances begin this weekend. While the city is crawling with shows to see with family and friends over the next month or so, Encore has narrowed it down to our top five picks for this season!

A Christmas Carol (Alliance Theatre)
November 16-December 24, 2019
Click here to purchase discounted tickets at OFFencore.com.
Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man well-known for his miserly ways, is visited by ghosts offering him a chance at a better future – his old partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future – who teach him it is never too late to change.  The beloved Dickens classic comes to life in this Broadway-scale production with beautiful live music. 

A Tuna Christmas (Georgia Ensemble Theatre)
Performed at The Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University
December 13-29 2019
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It’s Christmas in the third-smallest town in Texas. Local radio station news personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie report on Tuna’s Yuletide activities, including the hot competition in the Christmas lights contest. More than 20 residents of Tuna, Texas are portrayed by two actors in one hilarious rush of quick-changes and absurdity! 

Christmas Canteen (Aurora Theatre)
November 14 – December 23, 2019
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Gwinnett’s longest-running theatrical holiday tradition, Christmas Canteen 2019 returns for a 24th smash year! This stunning musical revue makes The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, even more wonderful. Brimming with songs, comic sketches, trips down memory lane and an explosion of Christmas magic, it’s the holiday show with something for everyone.

Christmas with the Crawfords (Out Front Theatre)
December 5-21, 2019
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This riotous camp classic is based on the actual Christmas Eve live radio broadcast from Joan Crawford’s Brentwood mansion in 1949. Filled with exaggerated silver screen icons, this mash-up musical parody is a loving homage to Hollywood’s “Golden Age” and features appearances of Tinsel Town divas such as Judy Garland, Carmen Miranda, Gloria Swanson, Hedda Hopper, Ethel Merman, and the Andrews Sisters. Christmas With The Crawfords is a delightful alternative to the usual saccharine fare offered during the holidays and is guaranteed to make anyone who sees it feel much better about their own family this time of year.

Courtenay’s Cabaret (Alliance Theatre)
December 5-24, 2019
Click here to purchase discounted tickets at OFFencore.com.
Atlanta favorite Courtenay Collins returns to the Alliance from her Broadway performance in The Prom with her popular holiday cabaret for an exclusive engagement.  Join Courtenay for an evening of music, drinks, stories, laughter – and maybe even home-baked cookies – on the Hertz Stage.  Accompanied by a live band and a rotating list of surprise guests, Courtenay sings holiday classics and new favorites with the wit and quirky Southern charm that have won her fans from Atlanta to New York City.

Bonus! Experience this holiday classic during its final year at the Fox Theatre!

The Nutcracker (Atlanta Ballet @ Fox Theatre)
December 7-24, 2019
Click here to purchase discounted tickets at OFFencore.com.
After a triumphant premiere last year and a recently announced engagement at the Kennedy Center in November 2019, Atlanta Ballet’s reimagined production of The Nutcracker returns to the Fox Theatre this holiday season. Join us for a thrilling journey through space and time, where everyday objects grow in extraordinary size and the pages of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story come alive before your very eyes. Add some splendor and world-class enchantment to your family’s holiday with Atlanta Ballet this December.

About Sally Henry Fuller

A theatre aficionado with a passion for telling people's stories, Sally Henry Fuller is a performing arts journalist. She has had the privilege of interviewing both local theatre professionals and multi-award-winning celebrities including Carol Burnett, Matthew Morrison, Vanessa Williams, Josh Gad, and Taylor Hicks. With theatre journalism experience since 2011, her work has also been featured on BroadwayWorld.com, the Huffington Post, and the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival.

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