Ranking The Twelve Best Christmas Themed Theatre Shows

Rachel Wagner, Guest Editorial

There is something extra special about going to a live musical or play during the holiday season. Unlike most performances, there is an element of tradition tied to these shows that gives them special meaning. Knowing people are sacrificing their time during this busy season to entertain us makes me especially forgiving. As a theater critic, I have seen most of the holiday-themed works recently, and I thought it would be fun to give you my ranking on these shows. 

The only show I have not seen is the theatrical staging of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have seen the live version that aired on NBC in 2020, and while I didn’t hate it as much as most (I was starving for theater that year and took what I could get!) it was garish and unpleasant to watch. The theatrical version differs, so I will leave it off this list. 

So here we go…

12. Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol

I had high hopes for this new take on A Christmas Carol by Tom Mula but left disappointed. Instead of elaborating on Jacob and Ebeneezer’s friendship and why Jacob had gotten this chance of salvation for his friend, it uses Jacob as a narrator to follow Scrooge’s journey with the three ghosts. Instead of giving us something new, they gave us the same story without Tiny Tim!

My recent review for UTBA. 

11. Both Musical Versions of A Christmas Carol

There are 2 major versions of A Christmas Carol that can be licensed (that I’ve seen at least). Unfortunately, both are underwhelming. The first has music by Alan Menken and a book by Lynn Ahrens and Mike Ockrent.

It has some nice moments, but unfortunately, it feels like Menken’s Beauty and the Beast was warmed over, so it feels uninspired. There’s even a “Home” knock-off called “A Place Called Home” and a “Be Our Guest” copycat called “Abundance and Charity” (in the version I saw, it had elves and Santa in this song, which was very strange in Dickens A Christmas Carol, but added to the “Be Our Guest” feel of it all.) 

The other version, Scrooge, is based on the 1970 film of the same name with music, lyrics, and book by Leslie Bricusse. The movie has a real edge, with Scrooge going to Hell at one point, but that’s mostly sanded off here with a “Fine for families but rather boring” version of this classic tale. “Thank You Very Much” is the highlight of both stage and film. 

10. The Forgotten Carols

This is a holiday favorite in my neck of the woods, and it’s sweet enough for faith-based audiences looking for a more spiritual take on the holidays. Beleaguered nurse Connie Lou remembers the true meaning of Christmas from a mysterious visitor who teaches her the “Forgotten Carols.”

The highlights are “Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby” and “I Cry the Day They Take the Tree Down.” 

9. Christmas in Connecticut

I was thrilled to see only the 2nd staging of this new musical at Pioneer Theatre Company this season, and it has a lot of potential to be a holiday favorite. It’s a loose adaptation of the classic film; some of the changes they made to make it more feminist also make it more generic, but if you like holiday rom-coms you’ll have a good time with this, especially once it gets to the second act.

It has music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz, with the highlight being a song called “Chemistry.” I interviewed the book writers Patrick Pacheco and Erik Forrest Jackson here. 

8. Elf: The Musical

Featuring music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan, this musical is a fun-enough adaptation of the 2003 film. It hits all the movie's beats and gives most of the laughs of innocent Buddy facing off with New York City at Christmas.

The songs are, however, forgettable, with bland numbers like “A Christmas Song” and “I’ll Believe in You.” “Never Fall in Love” is probably the highlight of the show. 

7. Nuncrackers

Not enough companies perform this holiday entry in the Nunsense series. This is the 4th show in Dan Goggin’s Nunsense musicals and is sweet and funny with songs like “It’s Better to Give Than to Receive.” 

6. Here’s Love

Rarely performed, this adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street by Meredith Wilson (of The Music Man fame) is quite charming, and I wish it were performed more. It features “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Pine Cones and Holly Berries” 

5. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

This little play is a great choice if audiences want something more Jesus-centric. In this blessedly brief one-act story, a church pageant is thrown into disarray when a wild family of kids gets all the lead roles. It’s quite sweet and touching, and to use the cliché, it gets to the heart of the reason for the season. 

4. A Christmas Carol Straight Plays

Because A Christmas Carol is in the public domain, it means theater companies can do their own adaptations, and these have routinely been my favorite. I usually prefer musicals, but in the case of this story, we just haven’t made a great musical version, so give me a play any day! 

3. She Loves Me

If I were picking my favorite on this list, I’d probably have She Loves Me at number one, but it isn’t the most Christmasy, so that would feel strange. Still, it is a holiday show and a delightful one at that.

Telling the Parfumerie story, we have music from Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joe Masteroff, and it’s such an underappreciated Broadway show.

I love songs like “Vanilla Ice Cream,” “She Loves Me” and “A Trip to the Library.” I highly recommend it if you have never watched the pro shot on Broadway HD with Zachary Levi and Laura Bennati.

2. A Christmas Story: The Musical

I debated the placement of these last two. They are both very strong, and I think will entirely depend on your attachment to the original movies they are based on.

A Christmas Story: The Musical includes almost every iconic scene from the film with some very catchy tunes from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul with book by Joseph Robinette. I particularly like “When You’re a Wimp,” “The Genius on Cleveland Street,” and “What a Mother Does. “

1. White Christmas

It might seem blasphemous to say this stage adaptation improves upon the classic film it is based upon, but it’s how I feel. It tightens the storytelling, removes the “Minstrel” number, and still has everything you know and love from Irving Berlin. “White Christmas,” “Count Your Blessings,” “Sisters,” and “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me” are all highlights combined with wonderful dancing (“The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” and more.) I honestly don’t know how they could have made a better adaptation of this movie, and it makes for a delightful night at the holiday theater. 

So, there you have it: my ranking of the holiday plays and musicals I’ve seen. Please let me know @RachelsReviews what I have missed and how you would rank them. And Merry Christmas!