It’s that time of year again when the holidays take over Seattle stages. That’s not a bad thing, especially with some of the high-caliber productions hitting the local boards. And if you’re looking for a night out that doesn’t hit you over the head with snow, mistletoe, and presents under the tree, Seattle theater has you covered there as well.   

You can’t get too much more Christmas than the production of Elf. Over at the 5th Ave Theatre, Elf The Musical pops off the stage as Buddy bounds around New York in his big elfin body. Based off the 2003 Will Ferrell classic (at least it’s beginning to turn into a classic), the all-local production had the audience cheering for Buddy from the moment he bounded on stage. The set is a holiday treat with props that are comically oversized, while the cast makes merriment amongst the candy-colored scenery to the delight of the young (and not so young) in the audience. 

Union Arts Center is marking 50 years with another holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. This year’s iteration finds Reginald André Jackson playing Scrooge in all of his “Bah! Humbug!” ways. And even though we know what’s in store as Scrooge begins his journey on embracing the spirit of Christmas, the story never disappoints. This production is a classic for a reason and Union Arts Center does it justice once again. 

Back in the late 90’s there was a holiday show that had Seattle buzzing. More than 25 years later the Dina Martina Christmas Show, remains one of the most anticipated holiday outings for Seattleites in the know. We first saw her at the beloved and greatly missed Re-Bar in 2000 (if those walls could talk). Performing at Union Arts Center, Dina is delightful as ever with plenty of weird left turns that still make Seattle crowds light up. Stick around for the encore as Dina touchingly pays homage to some of Seattle’s lost iconic settings.

If you’re looking for a dose of stand-up with your holiday nog, Annex Theatre has revived Sugar Plum Gary, Emmett Montgomery’s oddball holiday monologue. It shifts every night depending on who shouts what from the seats, but the through-line is always a holiday winner for those looking for a little dark whimsy with a straight face.

Taproot Theatre is doing The Sherlock Carol, which plays the Holmes–meets–Dickens mashup straight and gets decent mileage from the clipped dialogue. 

Another classic can be found over at Meany Center as Dianne Reeves graces the stage with songs built around her holiday album. This is a one-night-only chance to catch the 5-time Grammy winner do her thing. Do not sleep on this one.

For the rowdy’s out there, nab a ticket to Seattle Public Theater’s staging of A Very Die Hard Christmas, if you can. Always a show to sell out quickly, this musical parody is filled with a little bit of everything: action-movie jokes, soft-rock sendups, and rapid-fire costume swaps.

For those looking for some uplifting stories without candy canes and tinsel on trees, Seattle Rep has brought back Come From Away marking the production’s 10th anniversary. 

When we were there for the original opening night a decade ago, it seemed like half of Gander was in the house as some of the real-life residents and local officials were in town to mark the official start to the run of the production. The show follows the days after September 11, when a small Newfoundland town ended up hosting thousands of stranded travelers as planes were diverted there for safety. From Seattle, Come From Away took off and eventually landed on Broadway where it had a successful run for five years. For it’s 10-year redux, Brandon Ivie’s production still conveys the joy, warmth and whimsy that made the original such a feel good success. 

And across the bridge, ArtsWest is running Penelope. It’s a folk-pop retelling that shrinks the Odyssey to something closer to a living-room confessional. Penelope has waited a decade for Odysseus while the rest of the soldiers have already made it home. The cabaret layout brings the audience right into her irritation and Chelsea LeValley handles the title role with a mix of command and quiet focus.

From the Rep to West Seattle to the small black boxes, December plays out across the city with familiar titles and oddball detours, and we’re here for it.