Need a little Christmas now? Here’s a list of holiday-themed shows & concerts

Christmas in the sunny subtropics?

Yeah, that’s always a little tricky. With temperatures in the 70s and 80s, how are we supposed to get into the mistletoe mood? C’mon — Santa Claus is wearing shorts and flip-flops.

To help you out, we’ve rounded up a guide to yuletide-themed entertainment on stages throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties. Ticket prices may not include fees and taxes.

And keep coming back, as we’ll continue to refresh this list.

‘A Christmas Carol’

Nov. 17-Dec. 3 at Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; 561-586-6410; lakeworthplayhouse.org. Tickets are $38-$114.

In addition to the classic Christmas tale retold on stage, Lake Worth Playhouse also has three dinner-and-show options for these performances (not available opening night).

Boca Ballet Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Nov. 24-26 at Olympic Heights Performing Arts Theater, 20101 Lyons Road, Boca Raton (in Olympic Heights Community High School); 561-995-0709; bocaballet.org. Tickets are $25-$55.

BBT’s co-artistic director Dan Guin‘s vision of  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet is a perennial regional favorite. Also check out The Gingerbread Ball, following the matinee performances on Nov. 25 and 26, in which children may go backstage to meet the cast and get a behind-the-scenes look at the production’s sets and costumes. They also get a goody bag. Tickets for The Gingerbread Ball are $12 and sold separately from the “The Nutcracker.”

‘A Christmas Carol’

Nov. 28-Dec. 10 at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; 561-575-2223; jupitertheatre.org. Tickets are $50-$95.

This musical revival by the Maltz, a powerhouse regional company, features illusions designed by Skylar Fox, who added special effect pizzazz to the Broadway production of “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.” In addition to a who’s-who of local adult actors, the production also puts 18 Palm Beach County children in the spotlight. The kids were cast through the Maltz’s First Step to Stardom initiative.

‘A Very Darren Crissmas’

Nov. 28 at The Parker, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; parkerplayhouse.com. Tickets are $49-$165.

Darren Criss — who first rose to fame on “Glee” before taking turns on Broadway and winning an Emmy and Golden Globe with “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” — performs songs from his 2021 holiday album of the same title. The music ranges from big-band Christmas classics to modern-day, folk-pop ballads and a few novelty tunes thrown in for good measure.

‘A Christmas Carol’

Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Amaturo Theater at  Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets are $25 and $65.

This musical production of the Charles Dickens classic spotlights the talents of The Performance
Project students and the adult professional actors who mentor them at the Broward Center. The Family Fun Series performances will take place Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Levi Kreis presents Home for the Holidays Tour

Dec. 1 in Abdo New River Room at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets start at $45.

Broadway star Levi Kreis, who won a Tony Award for playing Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet,” brings a mix of jazz, gospel, country and rockabilly to Christmas classics and holiday faves.

‘The Golden Girls Gone Wild: A Golden Christmas’

Dec. 1-17 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale; 954-678-1496; empirestage.com. Tickets are $35.

Presented by Empire Stage and Murder Mystery Manhattan present, this drag-alicious take on the iconic sitcom — famously set in SoFlo — is interactive. In the story about Dorothy getting married, it’s possible that the “groom” might be found in the audience.

‘A Christmas Carol’ (Original Radio Play Adaptation)

Dec. 2-23 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors; 954-376-6114; newcityplayers.org. Tickets are $20 (preview performance) to $40. 

New City Players theater company has a new take on the Christmas classic with Charles Dickens’ iconic story reimagined as a radio play. Written by ensemble member Tyler Johnson Grimes, this version is set at fictional radio station WNCP. The time is 1971 and a troupe of actors are preparing their annual broadcast of “A Christmas Carol” for what may be the last time because Scrooge-esque manager Alastair Filmore is about to sell the station — unless a little Christmas spirit gives him a change of heart.

Symphony of the Americas: Holiday POPS!

Dec. 4-5 in Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org or sota.org. Tickets are $35-$75.

Conducted by artistic director Pablo Mielgo, Symphony of the Americas will once again perform a variety of holiday classics ranging from the 1970 bilingual hit “Feliz Navidad” and the traditional Chanukah song “Maoz Tzur” to a few merry medleys, including “Christmas at the Movies” (excerpts from “The Polar Express”), “Somewhere in My Memory” (from “Home Alone”), the overture from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and more. Kyaunnee Richardson, a soprano and South Florida native, will perform with the symphony.

Gold Coast Jazz: A Jazzy Holiday

Dec. 6 in Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets start at $65.

In a show produced by the Fort Lauderdale-based Gold Coast Jazz Society, the Bill Mays Jazz Ensemble will perform their arrangements of holiday music with the famous jazz pianist’s group rounded out by local musicians Jamie Ousley on bass, John Yarling on drums, Mark Marineau on keyboard and John Michalak on flute and saxophone.

‘Divas Holiday Party’

Dec. 8 at Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach; 561-586-6410; lakeworthplayhouse.org. Tickets are $25.

This drag queen cast providing ad-lib comedy and lip-syncing to yuletide tunes is headed by Pepper Monroe and has been a popular seat-filler since 2011.

‘A Well-Strung Christmas’

Dec. 8 in Amaturo Theater at Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets are $39.50-$95.

This cheeky vocal and string quartet put their pop-classical mix on all kinds of music, from Madonna to Mozart. And fans of the reality TV competition “The Amazing Race” will recognize founding member Chris Marchant and his bandmate Trevor Wadleigh from Season 30 in 2018. There is a VIP post-show, meet-and-greet ticket available for $75.

Miami City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Dec. 8-10 at Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org.

Dec. 15-24 at Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-949-6722; arshtcenter.org.

Dec. 29-30 at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-832-7469; kravis.org.

Tickets are $39-$329. Information and tickets also available at miamicityballet.org/nutcracker.

Miami City Ballet will stage one of the country’s only productions of the late ballet master George Balanchine’s choreography (the company has a strong foundation performing ballets from the late, legendary choreographer). The costumes and sets have a South Florida subtropical aesthetic and were designed by Cuban-American, wife-and-husband duo Isabel and Ruben Toledo. Isabel, a highly-touted name in the fashion design world, died in 2019.

Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphony

Dec. 9 at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Tickets are $85-$125.

The soprano star — probably best-known for originating the role in London’s West End and New York City’s Broadway productions of Christine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera” — will be backed for this holiday concert tour by an orchestra, choir and special guests.

A Seraphic Fire Christmas

Dec. 10 at All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale.

Dec. 12 at Rinker Playhouse at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-832-7469; kravis.org.

Dec. 14 at Sunshine Cathedral,1480 SW Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; sunshinecathedral.org.

Tickets are $50-$62. Information and tickets also available at seraphicfire.org.

The Miami-based a cappella group will perform their signature take on traditional carols and modern renditions of classics. The ensemble, who have been nominated for a Grammy Award twice, just released their 17th studio album “The Apple Tree: Christmas with Seraphic Fire.”

“Celebrate The Holidays with the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida”

Dec. 13 at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Tickets are $46-$156.

Dec. 16 at Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 SW 9th Ave., Suite 7, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $43-$63.

For more information, go to gmcsf.org. 

Both concerts will include Christmas tunes such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Silver Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” At the Hard Rock Live show, the special guest star will be Amber Riley, from TV’s “Glee” who went on to appear in “Dreamgirls” in the West End (she won an Olivier Award) before competing on “Dancing with the Stars” (which she won in 2013) and “The Masked Singer” (American and U.K. versions). At Sunshine Cathedral, the chorus plans to debut “Don’t Say Gay,” a commissioned work by composer David Volpe.

Pentatonix: The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year

Dec. 14 at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Tickets are $75-$185.

The three-time, Grammy Award-winning a cappella quintet is touring on the heels of their newly-released “The Greatest Christmas Hits” (their seventh-holiday album).

Il Divo: A New Day Holiday Tour

Dec. 22 at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Tickets are $55-$95.

This iteration of the international vocal super group features tenors Urs Bühler and David Miller and baritones Sébastien Izambard and Steven LaBrie.

‘POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance’

Dec. 22-30 (except Dec. 25) in Great Hall Theatre at Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood, 3555 S. Ocean Drive; cirqueatthediplomat.com. Tickets are $39-$149.

Neil Goldberg’s Pompano Beach-based Cirque Productions is staging this as not only a yuletide-themed narrative, but also a show featuring 30 acrobats, magicians, singers, dancers and actors. The story follows three buddies who hone their abilities in music, magic and circus skills for the holiday season at a secret university before sharing their talents with the world. The experience is immersive with attendees surrounded by the storybook illustrations in a 360-degree video mapping experience. It also has an original musical score and more than 200 colorful costumes.