From Grinch to Charlie Brown: your 2019 guide to holiday shows

Nov. 2, 2019 6 AM PT

Performances coming to San Diego this holiday season include “The Eight: Reindeer Monologues,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and more.

11.10-12.29: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The lime-hued holiday-hater from the beloved children’s book is back for his 22^nd season of pestering the gentle Whos (and maybe bumbling into a little redemption) in this family-favorite musical.

Old Globe’s Shiley Theatre, Balboa Park, theoldglobe.org

A photo of the cast of "Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"

11.21-12.22: The Santaland Diaries

You know it’s hard out here for an elf, and David Sedaris’ bristly comedy —based on his own experiences as Santa’s little helper at a department store —tells you just how.

Diversionary Theatre, University Heights, diversionary.org

11.22-12.14: The Eight: Reindeer Monologues

Turn the yuletide dial to its darkest setting for this adults-only satire that chronicles jealousy, malfeasance, booze abuse and much worse among Santa and his crew.

Point Loma Playhouse, Point Loma, pointlomaplayhouse.com

11.23-12.24: Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show

Here’s something rare at the holidays: An all-new season-themed show —and one with a local spin to boot, in this comic mash-up derived from the Dickens favorite.

Old Globe’s White Theatre, Balboa Park, theoldglobe.org

11.27-12.29: A Christmas Carol

Cygnet goes more traditional with its richly Victorian-minded, music-filled take on the Scrooge story, now in its sixth season.

Cygnet Theatre, Old Town, cygnettheatre.com

A photo of the cast of "A Christmas Carol"

11.27-12.29: A Christmas Story: The Musical

The beloved holiday movie about a boy and a dreamed-of BB gun gets the song-and-dance treatment, staged by San Diego Musical Theatre with a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of Dear Evan Hansen and La La Land fame.

Horton Grand Theatre, downtown, sdmt.org

12.5-29: Festival of Christmas

Lamb’s rolls out a different script every year for this long-running, family-minded holiday tradition; for 2019, it’s an encore of the radio-centric It’s Christmas and It’s Live!

Lamb’s Players Theatre, Coronado, lambsplayers.org

12.8-9: A Holly Jolly Cabaret

Local musical-theater favorites gather up to add some sugar and spice to the season as they perform holiday songs and sketches.

New Village Arts Theatre, Carlsbad, newvillagearts.org

12.13-22: A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play

Another twist on the broadcast-style holiday show —this one an encore of OTC’s old-timey radio adaptation of the Scrooge saga, complete with commercial breaks.

Oceanside Theatre Co., Oceanside, oceansidetheatre.org

12.13: An Irish Christmas

Top Irish dancers and musicians bring some Emerald Isle-style yuletide zest to San Diego in this one-night-only touring show.

Balboa Theatre, downtown, sandiegotheatres.org

12.27: A Charlie Brown Christmas Live Onstage

The whole Peanuts gang is on hand for this stage adaptation of the Charles M. Schulz classic, featuring the TV-tested tunes of Vince Guaraldi as well as traditional carols.

Balboa Theatre, downtown, sandiegotheatres.org

12.28: A Magical Cirque Christmas

From the people behind Broadway’s The Illusionists comes this acrobatic and fantastical show, which sets circus exploits to holiday tunes.

Broadway/San Diego at the Civic Theatre, downtown, broadwaysd.com

James Hebert

James Hebert is The San Diego Union-Tribune’s theater critic, and has covered the San Diego arts scene for more than two decades. He earned his master’s degree at Columbia University in New York and worked as a magazine editor in Boston before joining the U-T. Hebert’s awards include a national arts-writing prize from the Society for Features Journalism (for a profile of the choreographer Twyla Tharp), and some two dozen local and regional journalism honors; his work also has been republished in two college writing textbooks. In 2009, Hebert served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama.