Northwestern School of Communication stages the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, You Can’t Take it With You. This madcap comedy follows the clash between the conservative Kirby family and the eccentric Sycamore household, who come together one fateful evening after their children become engaged. The straight-laced Kirbys show up at the Sycamore home for dinner on the wrong night, leading to an explosion of chaotic hilarity. Full of fast pacing and witty one-liners, the play, written by masters of comedy George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, has entertained audiences for more than 70 years.

I just read the synopsis on Wiki and it sounds hilarious!

Goldstar’s holiday lineup uses your computer’s IP address to target promotions in your area.  More events will be listed throughout the holiday season.  They have Nutcracker performances, tree lighting ceremonies, holiday boat parades, caroling events and holiday concerts – plus so much more.  For those who don’t live in one of their markets, it will display the biggest events around the country.

This is the second It’s a Wonderful Life radio play being offered through Goldstar (and there are lots of similar productions presented locally as well) with tickets starting at $8 for $25 seats. This ATC show comes complete with audiograms and commercial breaks, and audiences may be recorded live for broadcast on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio.  Free milk and cookies are served after every performance, too, If you’ve never experienced a radio play, you really should try one – you’ll be caught up in the drama, even knowing it’s not real!

Audiences of all ages will enjoy the timeless story of young Masha (Clara), who receives the gift of a nutcracker one Christmas and dreams of a grand adventure with her Nutcracker Prince in the enchanted Land of Peace and Harmony, with dancers from all over the world in the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker.  Enjoy it even more, knowing your tickets were almost half off!  Tickets are for Sunday, December 2 3 pm matinee performance at the Akoo Theatre.

Your whole family will enjoy this heartwarming story of the first Christmas Tree Ship and the people who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the holiday spirit. Based on the shipwrecked Rouse Simmons, The Christmas Schooner is a powerful, moving story with an exquisite score by Chicago favorites John Reeger (book), and Julie Shannon (music and lyrics). The musical has entertained audiences for hundreds of productions, including a 12-year run at Chicago’s Bailiwick Repertory Theatre. Set in the late 19th century, this holiday musical tells the song and dance-filled story of a close-knit group of German immigrants who receive a message from a Chicago-based cousin lamenting the lack of traditional Christmas trees. A shipping captain and his crew then undertake a risky late-season journey across the notoriously violent Lake Michigan to deliver the precious timber to the city, carrying with them a full cargo of holiday hope and joy.

Get your tickets through Goldstar and save 50%.  Performances run through December.

Goldstar has FREE tickets to It’s A Wonderful Santaland Miracle Nut-Cracking Christmas Story … Jews Welcome for performances next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Stage 733. Performances continue through December with ticket prices ranging from $5 to $15.  Goldstar deals are always limited in time and number, so don’t wait.

The most wonderful thing about the holidays is how they bring people together to celebrate friendship and family. With that in mind, Street Tempo Theatre has created a holiday show and celebration that gathers all different holiday traditions and packs them into one crazy night. It’s A Wonderful Santaland Miracle Nut-Cracking Christmas Story … Jews Welcome is a seasonal adventure featuring singing, dancing, stories, games and non holiday-specific eggnog. This festive event will give your family a chance to experience some of the world’s best holiday stories and characters in a fun environment. And don’t be surprised if the guy with the white beard shows up at some point. All ages and faiths are welcome.

$10 tickets for Gentlemen’s Rule are available for shows in November – after that the cheapest tickets are $30+.

A cappella relies on pure vocal talent, and there are few groups in the genre as talented as Gentleman’s Rule, the 10-member ensemble based in Chicago. Produced by the creator of Straight No Chaser (one of the best-selling a capella groups of all time), Gentleman’s Rule has been working hard before their Royal George Theatre run, which coincides with the launch of their debut album.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey: A Holiday Drama runs through November and December at Provision Theater.  Freebie tickets are for Wednesday and Friday performances.

Based on the beloved children’s book of the same name by Susan Wojciechowski, this adaptation from Provision Theater tells the story of a sad little boy who’s lost the wooden nativity set given to him by his late father. He and his concerned mother seek out the town recluse — a bitter and lonely woodcarver — to recreate it, and though the talented craftsman agrees, the project stirs up painful memories and plenty of conflict. As Christmas approaches, though, the three damaged souls must find a way through their pain to celebrate the holiday with love and joy.

American Blues Theater presents a live radio-style performance of Frank Capra’s holiday masterpiece on stage at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. This has been a holiday tradition in Chicago since 2004 and this year’s performance once again features the original director and ensemble that have warmed hearts for many holiday seasons. Complete with live sound effects, an original score, and a cast of eight wonderful actors who bring the typical small town of Bedforf Falls to life on stage, It’s a Wonderful Life recreates a 1940s-era radio broadcast of this heartwarming tale of troubled George Bailey’s Christmas Eve journey through his life history.

If you’ve never attended a radio performance, you are really missing out.  We “saw” the radio broadcast “The War of the Worlds” in Brooklyn a few years ago and I was able to understand how so many people were frightened by the Martian attack.