Curtain call: December performing arts calendar

December performing arts performances Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Into the Woods and The Great Russian Nutcracker.

12.1: Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and Friends: New Worlds

Murray — the actor and sometime North County resident – will read from American classics and sing standards, alongside German cellist Vogler and others. (So we got that going for us. Which is nice.)

California Center for the Arts, Escondido: 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, 800.988.4253, artcenter.org

Actor Bill Murray performs alongside German cellist Vogler and others.

(Courtesy photo)

12.1-3: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

That slipper is around here somewhere: The new-ish musical-stage version of the fairy-tale favorite waltzes into town again.

San Diego Civic Theatre: 1100 Third Ave., downtown, 619.570.1100, broadwaysd.com

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

(Carol Rosegg)

12.1-12.17: Into the Woods

The young, ambitious company takes on the Stephen Sondheim-composed riff on fairy tales — born at the Old Globe 31 years ago.

Sapphire Theatre Co. at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center: 930 Tenth Ave., downtown,619.384-4781, sapphiretheatrecompany.com

12.1-24: Miracle on 34^th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

The beloved story of a department-store Santa who might be the real deal gets the musical treatment once more in this encore of last year’s SDMT success.

San Diego Musical Theatre at the Horton Grand: 444 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp, 858.560.5740, sdmt.org

Miracle on 34th: A Live Musical Radio Play.

(Ken Jacques)

12.1-24: A Christmas Carol

Scrooge keeps on doing his penny-pinching thing – at least until those ghosts show up — in Cygnet’s rich Victorian revival.

Cygnet Theatre: 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town, 619.337.1525, cygnettheatre.com

A Christmas Carol.

(Ken Jacques)

12.1-30: Festival of Christmas

Lamb’s keeps it yuletide-y with “A Fargo Christmas,” a play that’s brand-new to the long-running “Festival” tradition.

Lamb’s Players Theatre: 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.437.6000, lambsplayers.org

12.8-10: Dickens Unscripted

The “Christmas Carol” author gets the improv treatment in this freewheeling, full-length piece from L.A.’s Impro Theatre.

North Coast Rep: 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, 858.481.1055, northcoastrep.org

An improvised play featuring Charles Dickens’ style.

(Photo courtesy of Impro Theatre)

12.14-24: An American Christmas

The holidays will be grand at the Grant once again as Lamb’s Players rolls out its sumptuous feast-and-theater ode to Christmas circa 1917.

Lamb’s Players Theatre at the U.S. Grant Hotel: 326 Broadway, downtown, 619.437.6000, lambsplayers.org

A feast-and-theater ode to Christmas circa 1917 will play at Lamb’s Players Theatre at the U.S. Grant Hotel.

(Courtesy photo)

12.16: Jane Lynch: A Swingin’ Little Christmas

The star of TV (Glee) and stage (Annie on Broadway) serves up favorite Christmas songs and stories with a twist of wit.

California Center for the Arts, Escondido: 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, 800.988.4253, artcenter.org

Jane Lynch (center) performs favorite Christmas songs and stories alongside Tim Davis (left) and Kate Flannery (right).

(Courtesy photo)

12.21: The Great Russian Nutcracker

The Russian company’s sprawling production of the Tchaikovsky favorite will put more than 100 artists onstage — not to mention towering puppets and a live Christmas tree.

Moscow Ballet at the Jacobs Music Center: 750 B St., downtown, 619.235.0804, nutcracker.com

The Great Russian Nutcracker.

(Photo courtesy of Moscow Ballet)

12.21-23: The Nutcracker

Members of the San Diego Children’s Choir will accompany the ballet in this full-scale production of the holiday classic.

San Diego Ballet at UC San Diego: Mandeville Center, 9500 Gilman Dr., 619.294.7378, sandiegoballet.org

12.26-31: Motown the Musical

This is one jukebox musical that’s bursting with tunes – some 60 of them altogether, encompassing decades of Motown hits.

San Diego Civic Theatre: 1100 Third Ave., downtown, 619.570.1100, broadwaysd.com