{"id":10939,"date":"2016-11-16T12:27:06","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T17:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=10939"},"modified":"2016-11-16T12:29:14","modified_gmt":"2016-11-16T17:29:14","slug":"holiday-performances-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/holiday-performances-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Holiday Performances in Chicago to Get You in the Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scrooge, Rudolph, and all your Christmas favorites<\/h2>\n

The holidays\u00a0crept up quickly this year\u00a0thanks to an impressive stretch of\u00a0unseasonably warm temperatures. Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is only a week away with Christmas soon to follow. If you’re looking for holiday performances to help get you into the “spirit,” here are a few ideas, including a heavy dose of Nutcracker<\/em> variations.<\/p>\n

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1. The Theatrical, Ballet-Free Nutcracker<\/em><\/h2>\n

The modern, ballet-free theatrical version of\u00a0The Nutcracker<\/em><\/a>, put on by\u00a0The House Theatre of Chicago<\/a>, is playing at The Chopin Theatre<\/a>\u00a0now through December 30. The plot of this version differs from the original Nutcracker,<\/em> telling a story of young Clara fighting to save Christmas in the wake of her brother Fritz’ death. The production is a play\/musical combination incorporating puppetry to tell the dark but heartwarming tale. See the House Theatre of Chicago’s website for more details.<\/p>\n

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2. Ballet Chicago’s The Nutcracker<\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Holiday<\/p>\n

Ballet Chicago’s Nutcracker<\/em><\/a>, playing at The Athenaeum Theatre<\/a>, presents\u00a0a more traditional retelling of the story. In this version,\u00a0young Marie travels on Christmas Eve to The Kingdom of Snow and The Land of Sweets.<\/p>\n

Most Nutcracker<\/em> buffs might be surprised to know that in the novella\u00a0The\u00a0Nutcracker and the Mouse King<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by E.T.A. Hoffmann, (the story on which The Nutcracker Ballet<\/em> is based), the young girl is actually named Maria and her doll, Clara. The theater will host only five performances from December 10 through December 18.\u00a0More detailed information can be found at Ballet Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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3. World Premiere of The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker<\/em><\/h2>\n