From satires to spectacles, from family-friendly to adult, holiday shows deliver something for everyone

Along with time-honored favorites like "A Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life" and seasonal sketch-comedy sendups, suburban and Chicago theaters offer Christmas-set dramas and musicals, adaptations of beloved TV specials and a Cirque du Soleil spectacular for your holiday entertainment.

Here's a list of seasonal shows for 2023.

'A Christmas Carol'

• Goodman Theatre's "A Christmas Carol," starring Larry Yando as Ebenezer Scrooge, runs Saturday, Nov. 18, through Dec. 31 at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• Drury Lane Theatre for Young Audiences' 60-minute adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 30 at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. (630) 530-8300 or drurylanetheatre.com.

• Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's "A Christmas Carol" runs Nov. 25 through Dec. 24 at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• "Manual Cinema's A Christmas Carol," an ingenious cinematic adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale, runs Nov. 29 through Dec. 24 at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

'It's a Wonderful Life'

• American Blues Theater inaugurates its new home with "It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!" its annual staged, radio-play adaptation of Frank Capra's classic film that has become the gold standard in Chicago. It runs Dec. 8-31 at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 654-3103 or americanbluestheater.com.

• Improv Playhouse's radio play adaptation of "It's a Wonderful Life" runs Dec. 8-16 at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. (847) 968-4529 or improvplayhouse.com.

Holiday fun for everyone

• The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences' production of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" runs Friday, Nov. 17, through Dec. 31 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

• "The Illusionists Magic of the Holidays" runs Tuesday, Nov. 21, through Nov. 26 at The Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. broadwayinchicago.com.

• Strawdog Theatre's "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins," based on Eric Kimmel's book, runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 23 at The Chicago Loop Synagogue, 16 S. Clark St., Chicago. strawdog.org.

• "'Twas the Night Before ..." a Cirque du Soleil show inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" runs Dec. 7-28 at The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. chicagotheatre.com/cirque.

• Playmakers Laboratory's "That's Weird, Grandma" returns with a mix of holiday and nonholiday sketches written by kids and performed by adults. It runs Dec. 8-17 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. playmakerslab.org.

• Otherworld Theatre Company's "Space Cat Holidays," about kittens working to free their mother from The Mouse King and free Sandy Claws from a timeout, runs Dec. 8 through Jan. 7 at 3914 N. Clark St. A percentage of box office proceeds benefits the Tree House Humane Society. otherworldtheatre.org.

• "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," adapted from the well-loved animated TV special, runs Dec. 19-31, at The Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. broadwayinchicago.com.

• Chicago Children's Theatre's "The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party" runs now through Dec. 24 at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• "Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas," a show about generosity and selflessness inspired by "The Gift of the Magi," runs now through Dec. 31 at the Fine Arts Building's Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. emmetotterlive.com.

Dramas and comedies

• Buffalo Theatre Ensemble revives "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley," the first of Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon's three holiday dramedies inspired by Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." It runs now through Dec. 17 at The McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.

• Oil Lamp Theater presents Jon Jorry's play-with-music version of O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" now through Dec. 30 at 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. (847) 834-0738 or oillamptheater.org.

• Citadel Theatre's revival of the musical "She Loves Me" runs Friday, Nov. 17, through Dec. 17 at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554, ext. 1, or citadeltheatre.org.

• The ghost of the King of Rock 'n' Roll comforts a newly divorced woman who learns on Christmas Eve that her ex-husband is getting remarried in "Christmas With Elvis," running Nov. 24 through Jan. 7 at The Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. (773) 278-1500 or chopintheatre.com.

• Steel Beam Theatre stages Alan Ayckbourn's comedy "Absurd Person Singular," which looks at three marriages on three successive Christmas Eves. It runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 23 at Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.

• British writer and scholar C.S. Lewis shares yuletide recollections with visiting Americans in the solo show "Christmas with C.S. Lewis," running Dec. 5-10 at The Broadway Playhouse, Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. broadwayinchicago.com.

• Court Theatre's revival of James Goldman's dysfunctional dramedy "The Lion in Winter" runs through Dec. 3 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.

Just for laughs

• The Second City holiday revue "What the Elf?" runs Friday, Nov. 17, through Dec. 23 at the Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

• Laugh Out Loud Theater's "Ha-Ha Holiday Show" runs Friday, Nov. 17, through Dec. 30 at 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-0386 or laughoutloudtheater.com/schaumburg.

• The Second City's seasonal sketch comedy sendups include: "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Sweater," running Monday, Nov. 20, through Dec. 31 on the main stage at 1616 N. Wells St., Chicago. "The Second City Improv Holiday Brunch" runs Sundays, Nov. 19 through Dec. 31, at the same location. (312) 337-3992 or secondcity.com.

• BearWithUs presents "Eggnogschtick" Thursdays through Dec. 14 at Second City E.T.C., 230 W. North Ave., Chicago. "(expletive) The Nutcracker" runs there through Dec. 1. (312) 337-3992 or secondcity.com.

• At iO Chicago, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago, improv shows "Holidays From Hell" and "Trapped in a Holiday Musical" run now through Dec. 30. "The Hanukkah Comedy Show" runs there from Dec. 2-30. (312) 300-3350 or ioimprov.com.

• "It's Christmas (expletive)" runs Saturday, Nov. 18, through Dec. 30 at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. "Oy (A Holiday Show for Everyone)" runs there from Nov. 25 through Dec. 30. An original play, "Christmas Karen 2," runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 28. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• "Christmas Bingo: It's A Ho-Ho-Holy Night" runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 30 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

• "A Swingin' Little Christmas With Jane Lynch, Kate Flannery, Tim Davis and the Tony Guerrero Quintet" runs Dec. 9-10 at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org.

• The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre hosts The Second City's "What the Elf?" Dec. 18-31 at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. The revue plays the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, on Dec. 9. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.

• The Practical Theatre Company hosts its "Ho-Ho-Holiday Revue" featuring sketch comedy, music and cabaret from Dec. 28 through Jan 6 at Studio 5, 1934 Dempster St., Evanston. (847) 328-6683 or studio5.dance.

Adults only

• Itasca native Veronica Garza reprises her role as 40-something Cindy Lou Who who recounts her relationship with the Grinch in Theater Wit's "Who's Holiday!" running Nov. 24 through Dec. 30 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org.

• Hell in a Handbag Productions premieres "The Golden Girls Save Xmas - A Lost Episodes Parody" from Nov. 25 through Dec. 30 at The Hoover-Leppen Theatre at The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago. handbagproductions.org.

• "The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque" runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 30 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. thebuttcrackerburlesque.com.