Don your favorite holiday duds for 25 holiday performances that are sure to get you in the spirit during the 2019 holiday season.
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Also in December 2019
From holiday music showcases to Christmas-laden dramas and comedies, there are plenty of performances and theatrical holiday performances to choose from this holiday season.
Still looking for more holiday-themed entertainment? Visit our Event Calendar for a more comprehensive list.
Top 25 Holiday Performances This Holiday Season: November & December 2019
- Main Street Theater for Youth presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at MATCH | Through Saturday, December 21 – Main Street Theater’s Theater for Youth offers this hilarious, family-friendly play based on the novel by Barbara Robinson. The Herdman kids are universally known for being badly behaved and causing chaos wherever they go. What happens when the decide they want to take part in the annual church Christmas pageant? Find out in this funny, warm-hearted show that explores the true meaning of Christmas. Tickets start at $16. Showtimes vary.
- Miracle on 34th Street, A Live Radio Play at Stages Repertory Theatre | Through Sunday, December 15 – The classic story of a department-store Santa who says he’s the real thing comes alive in a new way. The play is adapted from the 1947 Lux Radio Broadcast of the holiday favorite. Tickets range from $25 to $65, but a limited number of $40 seats are discounted to $22.50 for select shows. Showtimes vary.
- More Than Christmas at the Ensemble Theatre | Thursday, November 14 through Sunday, December 29 – This world-premiere musical is the story of the Merry family, who gather for Christmas, only to discover there is more to unwrap than the presents under the tree. Look for a selection of music that includes holiday favorites and new songs sure to be on the must-play list. Tickets start at $34. Showtimes vary.
- A Christmas Carol at the Alley Theatre | Friday, November 15 through Sunday, December 29 – This holiday classic returns to the Alley stage, telling the store of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his Christmas Eve visit by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future, who attempt to convince him to change his ways. Based on the beloved Charles Dickens story, this heartwarming show is one of the most enduring on the Christmas calendar. Tickets start at $39. Showtimes vary.
- Panto Hansel and Gretel at Stages Repertory Theatre | Wednesday, November 20 through Sunday, December 15 – Stages continues its holiday Panto tradition with this outrageous reimagining of the classic fairy tale. Hansel and Gretel desert their children in the woods to pursue their own dreams of being theater stars. What on earth could go wrong? Tickets start at $25. Showtimes vary.
- The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at Main Street Theater | Monday, November 23 through Sunday, December 22 – This companion piece to the enchanting Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley centers the action on the servants of Pemberley, attempting to avert a scandal while the events of Miss Bennet unfold upstairs. Lydia’s incorrigible husband, Mr. Wickham, turns up, and the housekeeper, serving girl and groomsman have to keep him contained. Chaos ensues in this delightful holiday romp. Tickets start at $36. Showtimes vary.
- Fully Committed at the Alley Theatre | Tuesday, November 26 through Sunday, December 29 – The one-man comedy explores the harried life of Sam, who works the reservation’s line at one New York’s hottest restaurants. With all the chaos from demanding socialites and wannabes, not to mention his overly demanding boss, will he manage to make it home for the holidays? Tickets start at $47. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Symphony presents An All-Strauss Thanksgiving at Jones Hall | Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1 – Discover the mesmerizing talent of the Houston Symphony in this program of lush, full-orchestra showpieces from the greatest symphonic poet of all time. The performance begins with two of the most soul-stirring works ever written in Strauss’ poignant musings on life, death, and transcendence. Then, sparks fly and spirits soar as we feel the racing pulse of history’s most legendary ladies’ man and encounter a loveable trickster who always gets the last laugh. Tickets start at $24. Showtimes vary.
- A.D. Players presents Miracle on 34th Street at the George Theatre | Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22 – A.D. Players presents this stage version of the classic film. At Christmastime in 1947 New York, an old man named Kris Kringle turns up at the famed Macy’s department store and gets a job as Santa Claus. When word gets out he thinks he’s the real Kris Kringle, he’s institutionalized and a lawyer and a young girl must prove he is who he thinks he is. Tickets start at $25. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Wortham Theater Center | Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 29 – The ballet classic returns to the stage courtesy of the Houston Ballet. Tchaikovsky’s enchanting music is just as much a character as the Nutcracker Prince and the little girl Clara who delights in a night of magic Christmas miracles. Tickets start at $30, but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale site. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Grand Opera presents El Milagro del Recuerdo at Wortham Theater Center | Thursday, December 5 through Sunday, December 22 – Houston Grand Opera presents this world-premiere prequel to its popular Mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. “The Miracle of Remembering” brings audiences to Michoacán, Mexico for a Christmas season of family traditions against the backdrop of decisions to be made and big dreams for new lives. Tickets start at $30. Showtimes vary.
- Miracle on 34th Street Movie Screening at Discovery Green | Thursday, December 5 | FREE – See the movie that has captured generations of fans since its premiere in 1947. The story of an old man who claims to be Santa Claus, it’s about what happens when we have the courage to believe in something. The showing part of the park’s Bank of America Screen on the Green. 7pm.
- Houston Latin American Philharmonic presents Latin Christmas at the Wortham Theater Center | Friday, December 6 – This holiday offering, with the music of Villancicos, Aguinaldos, Parrandas, Plena and more. The only professional group in the U.S. that presents full programs of Latin American music, the Latin Phil’s holiday show is sure to showcase the depth and diversity of both Houston and music, itself. Tickets start at $24. 7:30pm.
- A Beatles Holiday Cabaret at the Music Box Theater | Friday, December 6 through Saturday, December 28 – In a performance that pays homage to both the Beatles and the holidays, look for classic and contemporary Christmas songs, along with tunes by the Fab Four, all presented in Music Box’s signature cabaret setting. Tickets start at $31. Showtimes vary.
- TUTS presents Elf: The Musical at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts | Saturday, December 7 through Sunday, December 22 – Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) offers this musical version of the beloved movie comedy. Buddy is transported to the North Pole as a baby, but as he grows, it becomes increasingly clear that he isn’t an elf. He sets off to find his family and, along the way, remind people what Christmas is really about. Tickets start at $40. Showtimes vary.
- River Oaks Chamber Orchestra presents Brunch and Brass at the Czech Center Museum | Monday, December 9 – ROCO’s brass quintet offers this yuletide concert, complete with brunch. On the program are Czech compositions, Hanukkah tunes, and ROCO original jazz arrangements of The Nutcracker and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Tickets are $65 per person. Doors open at 9:45am; brunch available at 10am.
- Artists Lounge Live presents An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas at the George Theatre | Monday, December 9 and Tuesday, December 10 – This special production of Evan Tyrone Martin as the iconic Nat King Cole. The one-man concert incorporates the music legend’s life story among such classic songs as “L-O-V-E,” “The Christmas Song,” and “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” Martin has wowed critics coast to coast, with the Chicago Tribune calling him “destined for stardom.” Tickets start at $25. 7:30pm both days.
- It’s A Wonderful Life Movie Screening at Discovery Green | Thursday, December 12 | FREE – Part of the park’s Bank of American Screen on the Green series, this Frank Capra-directed classic is the story of George Bailey, who believes the world would be better without him. An angel from heaven is tasked with showing him how wrong he is. 7pm.
- Houston Symphony presents A Very Merry Pops at Jones Hall | Friday, December 13 to Tuesday, December 17 – Join the Houston Symphony for this lively Christmas concert, featuring holiday favorites, including a Houston Symphony commission, Glad Tidings, a telling of the Christmas story that combines narrative with classic songs like “Joy to the World” and “What Child is This?” Tickets start at $64, but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale site. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Symphony presents ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas at Jones Hall | Saturday, December 14 – The Houston Symphony’s associate conductor Robert Franz leads a program featuring holiday classics such as “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Sleigh Ride.” There’s also a visit from Santa Claus and a sing-along. Students from the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Handbell Choir are also scheduled to perform. Tickets start at $29, but you may find cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s online resale market. Performances at 10am and 11:30am.
- Houston Grand Opera presents Carols on the Green: Celebrating the Season in Song at Discovery Green | Saturday, December 14 | FREE – Members of the Houston Grand Opera (HGO) Chorus return to Discovery Green for the second annual holiday showcase, led by conductor Ben Manis and featuring HGO Studio Artists Leia Lensig, mezzo-soprano, and Kyle Naig, piano. The chorus will be joined by more than 70 voices from the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Chapel Choir and AFA Girls Chorus for a concert of holiday music from an array of traditions, and featuring sing-along holiday favorites. 7pm.
- Houston Chamber Choir presents Christmas at the Villa at the Chapel of the Villa de Matel | Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 – This annual concert of Christmas favorites is usually an early sell-out. You’ll want to plan ahead to hear the Houston Chamber Choir sing songs of the season in the dazzlingly beautiful setting of the chapel at the Villa de Matel convent. They’re joined by the Christ Church Cathedral Treble Choir at their matinee performance and the Houston Bronze professional bell choir for the evening show. Anyone seeking old-school, traditional carols for multi-part voices, this is your concert. Tickets are $40; discounted rates are also available for music educators, active duty military/veterans, first responders, seniors, and students. Saturday and Sunday 2:30pm and 5pm.
- A Christmas Story Movie Screening at Discovery Green | Thursday, December 19 | FREE – This installment of the park’s Bank of America Screen on the Green series is this modern classic, a hilarious look at a boy growing up in the 1940s. All he wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun. What lengths will he go through to convince his parents and Santa Claus that he should have it? 7pm.
- Houston Symphony presents The Messiah at Jones Hall | Friday, December 20 to Sunday, December 22 – The Houston Symphony performs Handel’s masterpiece, featuring the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus.” Tickets start at $59. Showtimes vary.
- SPA presents Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical at Jones Hall | Thursday, December 26 and Friday, December 27 – The beloved animated classic comes to life on stage in a new production, brought to Houston by the Society of the Performing Arts (SPA), that is sure to delight the whole family. The story of a reindeer ostracized for his red nose shows that sometimes, our differences can be just the thing that saves the day. Tickets start at $35. Showtimes vary.
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