& Juliet (photo by Matthew Murphy)
The theater season rolls into the holidays with more great productions. Give the gift of theater and support our local stages and the actors, designers and technicians who light them up with Christmas cheer.
ALONE TOGETHER
Now through Nov. 16 | New Theatre Restaurant
KC’s comedy cutie Cathy Barnett teams up with Brady Bunch heartthrob Barry Williams in a new piece of fluff about a middle-aged couple who’ve packed their three sons off to the real world. Wouldn’t you know it — one by the one, the boys return home, robbing their folks of their much loved privacy but paying the dividends of joy, connection and family you can only experience alone—together. Tickets at www.newtheatre.com.
ELF THE MUSICAL
Nov. 11 – Dec. 31 | The Coterie in Crown Center
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole where he’s raised alongside the other elves. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Quite a pedigree on this one: songs by Tony Award-nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and a book by Tony Award-winner Bob Martin and the guy who wrote Annie, Tom Meehan. Can you think of a better holiday gift for the 9-13 set? Tickets at www.thecoterie.org.
MAGIC VALLEY COMMUNITY THEATRE’S LITTLE WOMEN
Nov. 12 – Dec. 7 | Unicorn Theatre
It’s closing night for Magic Valley’s production of Little Women, so what could go wrong? Turns out, plenty, as the pugnacious crew barrels their way through the finale and on to the Nationals in Rochester. On the journey, the local ladies playing the March sisters encounter backstage chaos as creative dreams and practical worries ricochet through their performances. Tickets at www.unicorntheatre.org.
& JULIET
Nov. 18 – 23 | Music Hall
What would happen if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? This sensational new musical answers that captivating question and delivers so much more, thanks to a hook-filled score cobbled together from the super songbook of Max Martin (ask your
16- year-old granddaughter). Juliet’s new story bursts to life to the tune of pop anthems from “Since U Been Gone‚” “Baby One More Time,” to “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” and tons more. Forget the balcony scene – there’s life after Romeo and this show has it all. Tickets at www.kansascity.broadway.com.
NOBODY’S PERFECT
Nov. 19 – Feb. 1, 2026 | New Theatre Restaurant
Jim O’Heir of Parks & Rec fame stars as an out-of-work writer who disguises himself to win a feminist writing competition—only to fall head over heels for the contest’s judge. Meddling families, wacky misunderstandings and a love story hanging by a thread make this fast-paced comedy another perfect evening to enjoy after the sumptuous buffet and those great desserts! Tickets at www.newtheatre.com.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Nov. 22 – Dec. 27 | Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus
Celebrated actor Gary Neal Johnson has been donning the garb of Ebenezer Scrooge for more than 20 years. Join him and the sturdy cast of Dickensians delighting us with this story of hope and family, as important now as ever. Scrooge’s redemptive journeys with Christmases Past, Present, and Future, the Cratchits, Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, and all of your favorite Yuletide characters ring in the holidays with enough Christmas cheer to fill a baseball stadium—wherever they decide to put it. Tickets at www.kcrep.org.
JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS
Nov. 28 – Dec. 23 | City Stage in Union Station
First grader Junie B. Jones is super-excited about the upcoming holiday sing-along and Secret Santa exchange at school. Too bad tattletale May keeps ruining Junie’s fun. What happens when Junie B. draws May’s name for Secret Santa — only the most perfect way to teach that girl a lesson. Based on the best-selling children’s books by Barbara Park. Tickets at www.tya.org.
CHRISTMAS IN SONG
Nov. 28 – Dec. 21 | Quality Hill Playhouse
J. Kent Barnhardt and company continue 30 years of great American songbook tributes with their annual holiday program. From classics to contemporary, sacred to secular, Quality Hill promises something in song for everyone in the family. Tickets at www.QualityHillPlayhouse.com.
EBENEZER SCROOGE’S BIG KC MO CHRISTMAS SHOW
Dec. 3 – 28 | Unicorn Theatre
Ron Magee and the funniest cast in town return their 2024 holiday hit to a town (and country) desperate for some Christmas cheer. Those ‘Sons of Pitches’ take on dozens of characters in this energetic, imaginative retelling of Dickens’ beloved holiday tale. Wacky fun for the whole family make this a new, festive 90-minute highlight of the season. Tickets at www.unicorntheatre.org.
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Dec. 4 – 17 | Just Off Broadway Theatre
Talk about your counter-programming for the holidays: KC Melting Pot Theatre revives Arthur Miller’s masterwork, a haunting exploration of the American Dream and the cost of chasing an illusion. As fading dreams and fractured memories blur his reality, “everyman” Willy Loman grapples with failure, strained family ties, and the illusion of success as the story comes to a heartbreaking conclusion. Tickets at www.kcmeltingpot.com.
AMERICAN HOLIDAY STORIES
Dec. 5 – 14 | Warwick Theatre
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre joins the Christmas carousel with a pair of one act plays by Truman Capote (A Christmas Memory) and Thornton Wilder (The Long Christmas Dinner).
In the Wilder piece, six generations of an enterprising American family gather around the table to capture the poignant joys and humor of family life. Capote’s contribution recalls an idyllic Southern holiday when, as a young boy, he baked fruit cakes, gathered holly, and flew kites with the eccentric cousin who inspired him to become a writer. Tickets at www.metkc.org.
NUTCRACKER SUITE & A CHRISTMAS CABARET
Dec. 12 – Jan. 1 | Englewood Arts
Jeanne Beachwood’s redoubtable Martin City Melodrama brings professional theater—the family-friendly variety—to the new arts center in this charming strip of old Independence. Holiday hi-jinks highlight the festivities, including a Water Glass Symphony you won’t find at the Kauffman Center. Tickets at www.martincitymelodrama.org.
Compiled by Mark Edelman
