Christmas Culture

   The trees are lit and the shopping mania has begun. Christmas time has officially arrived in Palm Beach County. But what is Christmas without Christmas entertainment? We’ve compiled a brief listing of some of the area’s holiday happenings, from the plethora of Nutcrackers to a radio version of It’s a Wonderful Life and all the carols in between.

• The Radio City Rockettes, an American dance institution formed in 1925, are onstage at the Kravis Center in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular through December 8. The first Christmas Spectacular was performed in 1933, and the show still features classics including The Parade of Wooden Soldiers and The Living Nativity. There’s no better way to kick off the holiday season than with eye-high kicks and a parade of sequined leotards.

  The Rockettes perform in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

• The Nutcracker is the quintessential holiday show, and there are a number of performances to choose from in Palm Beach County. The Lyric Theatre in Stuart hosts the Florida Arts & Dance Company and its rendition December 5 to 8. The Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce presents two Nutcracker productions, the first on December 13 by the St. Lucie Ballet followed by The State Ballet Theatre of Russia on December 26. On December 15, see the Dance Academy of Boca Raton perform the classic at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square. Finally, from December 27 to 30, see the Miami City Ballet dance George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the Kravis Center.
• Once December rolls around, it’s time to dust off that VHS of It’s a Wonderful Life. To see (or hear) George Bailey as you never have before, attend Arts Garage‘s radio theatre production of the Christmas classic on December 12. This one-night-only performance adapts the movie into a live radio play, complete with sound effects and a strong moral character.
• For another dose of Christmas nostalgia, head to the Wick Theatre and Costume Museum in Boca Ration, which is presenting Irving Berlin’s White Christmas through December 25. All the standards are there: I Love a Piano, Happy Holiday and—of course—White Christmas. Just try your best not to sing along.
• From December 18 to 23, step back in time to an era of gilded age glitz and Christmas glamor as the Flagler Museum

  Hear Christmas carols on the Flagler Museum’s historic organ. Photo courtesy of the Flagler Museum.

  invites you to celebrate the holidays at Whitehall. In addition to a 16-foot Christmas tree, the entire first floor is decked in Gilded Age-style decor and ornaments. Cap the night with a carol on the historic organ or with one of the special Christmas lectures.
• Also on December 18, the Society of the Four Arts hosts the State Capella of Russia in “A Russian Christmas.” This traditional concert will include classic carols like Silent Night and Jingle Bells, as well as works by Bortnyansky and Tchaikovsky.
• December 18 will be packed with Christmas fun as the Lake Worth Playhouse invites kids of all ages to Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause. Inspired by a famous newspaper editorial, which first appeared in print in 1897, this production follows a 1940s newspaper man as he seeks to prove the existence of Santa Clause.
• Another holiday treat for the kids: From December 20 to 22 the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square presents Home for the Holidays on Ice. Part ice capades, part musical, this production has it all—including dancing penguins.
• If you haven’t yet had your fill of the traditional holiday fare, then attend A Christmas Carol at the Sunrise Theatre on December 21. This ballet rendition will be performed by the South Florida Dance Company and tell the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his transition from sour curmudgeon to joyful optimist.
• For one last taste of traditional Christmas and Hanukkah songs, attend the Palm Beach Garden’s Concert Band Holiday Concert at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre on December 23. And don’t worry—we won’t tattle if you sing along.