Holiday season 2014 is offering perhaps a greater variety of selections and venues than ever before.
TOUCHSTONE
The most frivolously entertaining, and certainly the most community-relevant in many ways, is 'Christmas City Follies XV', Touchstone Theatre's annual venture into physical comedy and social satire of the lowest--- meaning, of the highest--- order, which they themselves aptly describe as "the high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show that celebrates the Christmas season in the Christmas City."
Christmas City Follies XV runs from December 4-21, 2014 in Touchstone's home theatre at 321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Tickets are $25 / $15 for students and seniors, with group rates available on request. On Thursdays, Touchstone offers a pay-what-you-will ticket option at the door, allowing patrons to name their own ticket price. Advance tickets may be purchased at 610-867-1689 or online at www.touchstone.org
CROWDED KITCHEN PLAYERS
Sticking to their commitment to become the showcase theater for regional playwrights, Crowded Kitchen Player's 60 production will be 'Tidings: A Fractured Christmas Fable' by Brian McDermott.
Tidings is a comedy that merges elements of 'Its A Wonderful Life' and 'A Christmas Carol' into a magical story set a few days before Christmas in a modern department store.
'Tidings' runs December 5 through December 20 at Zion's Reformed UCC, 620 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA.
Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 PM and Sunday shows are at 3 PM.
For ticket information, please call 610-395-7176 or order online at www.ckplayers.com/site/buy-tickets
PINES DINNER THEATRE
With an original score by award winning writing team of Oliver Blatt and Jason Michael, and favorite traditional Christmas carols, 'A Christmas to Remember' seeks to "fill the soul of even the most determined Scrooge with the spirit of Christmas."
Ticket prices for Dinner and Show are Adults, $48.50, Seniors (60+ $47.50, Child (2-12) $20.00.
Ticket prices for Show Only (General Admission), Adult $25.00, Child $15.00.
Pines Dinner Theatre is located at 448 North 17th Street, Allentown, PA 18104. For information, please call (610) 433-2333 or visit www.pinesdinnertheatre.com
PENNSYLVANIA PLAYHOUSE
"Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," will be the 2014 holiday show at Pennsylvania Playhouse.
The show promises to present "the well known story in a format that has rarely been seen before.
The Playhouse transforms into a 1940s style radio station. It is Christmas Eve in 1946 and WBFR: The Playhouse of the Sky will be performing their rendition of 'Its a Wonderful Life'"
Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, will run December 5 through December 21 at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $22, $19 for students and seniors (except Saturdays).
Pennsylvania Playhouse is located on Illick's Mill Road, Bethlehem. For additional information, please call 610-865-6665 or visit their website, http://www.paplayhouse
SHAWNEE PLAYHOUSE
Shawnee Playhouse presents its customarily impressive calendar of holiday shows, starting with 'Scrooge' by James Leisy
In this new, musical version of the ever-popular Dickenss Classic by James Leisy and published by Shawnee Press, Scrooge is woken on Christmas Eve by the ghost of Marley, and warned of his impending fate - to walk the earth, dragging chains, in agony and shame.
The rebirth of Scrooge through the discovery of the child within himself is apparent in this musical with beautiful melodies and a wonderfully witty script!
'Scrooge' runs 2pm December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 and 8pm December 6, 13, 20
Tickets are $29 Adults $26 Seniors $16 children 12 and under
This is followed by 'A Christmas Peter Pan' by Kathryn Schultz Miller
It's Christmas Eve and Tinker Bell summons Wendy, Michael and John to help her save Peter Pan and Santa Claus from Captain Hook and his terrible pirates!
Show times are 10am: December 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20. All Seats are $11.
The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, presented by C & K Dance Company is a holiday fairy tale about a young girl, Clara, and her very favorite Christmas gift, a beautiful Nutcracker doll.
Monday 10am shows are geared towards the younger crowd, are a little bit shorter and the cost is $11 per ticket. Sunday 7pm shows are for all audiences and run longer than the Monday morning shows.
Show times are 10am : December 1, 8, 15 and 22 and 7pm: December 5, 12 and 19.
Tickets are $19 for adults, $16 Seniors, AAA members and $11 children 12 and unde.
'Holiday Cabaret- Songs of the Season' features a winter cast performing their favorite Holiday hits December 11th at 7pm.
This show is open-seating, and a suggested donation of $8 is gratefully accepted at the door.
'The Messiah' by George Freidrich Handel, will be presented one night only, 8pm December 22.
This concert is lead by professional conductors, soloists and musicians, and is a gift to the community from the Kirkwood Family.
An $8 donation gratefully accepted at the doo.
'Kids Kabaret' features a diverse cast of children ages 4 to 16 entertain audiences with singing and dancing, 7pm December 26 and 27.
All Seats are $11 per ticket.
For information or to reserve tickets please call the Shawnee Playhouse Box Office at
570-421-5093.
For more information on show dates, times and to purchase tickets online visit our website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com
CIVIC THEATRE
Civic presents its 25th annual incarnation of 'A Christmas Carol' December 5 through December 20 at 527 N. Nineteenth Street, Allentown.
For showtimes and ticket information, please visit https://civictheatre.secure.force.com/ticket
LIBERTY BELL MUSEUM
'Pip: The Mouse Before Christmas' returns to Liberty Bell Museum, located in Zion's Reformed UCC at 620 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA November 28, 2014 through January 3, 2015.
Reservations are required. Reserve your seating at 8:00, 8:45, 9:30, or 10:15 a.m. as soon as possible.
The cost for the breakfast, which includes admission to the museum and a performance of Pip: The Mouse Before Christmas, is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.
Please call 610-435-4232 for reservations. Their website is http://libertybellmuseum.org/pip-the-mouse
Buy a regular priced ticket for "Tidings' at https://ckplayers.com/site/buy-tickets and for just one dollar more get a half-price adult ticket to 'Pip'.