Be Merry & Bright

Make your holiday a little more raucous during Ladies Night at the Farmer's Daughter in South Kingstown, featuring Mrs. Fezziwig's Christmas Tea Party. Presented in collaboration with the Courthouse Center for the Arts, the free Ladies Night event includes hors d'oeuvres, a wine tasting and desserts, plus 15% off all holiday decor. For only $20 to benefit the Courthouse Center, you can stick around for the Tea Party, a ribald bit of holiday cheer featuring Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig at their... shall we say, most festive. The merriment starts at 5pm on December 6, with the play beginning at 6.

It might be a bit of a drive, but it’s worth it to see Erika Van Pelt perform live. Our own American Idol finalist – along with Idol alums John Stevens and Jen Hirsch, and jazz vocalist Laura Brunner – is performing with the Beantown Swing Orchestra on December 9 at The Vets in Providence. The lively 18-piece big band will also have a special string section for this festive holiday concert.

The Nutcracker is a holiday must-see for any kid (or kid at heart). The Island Moving Company stages things a little differently, though, by performing it inside a Newport mansion. The Nutcracker at Rosecliff combines the beauty of this beloved ballet with the period-appropriate architectural beauty of one of the City by the Sea’s most stunning spaces. Performances through November 30.

You can always count on the Contemporary Theater Company for an entertaining show. This season, CTC presents The Gift of the Magi, the O. Henry tale of what’s truly important at the holidays. The show is being performed through December 1 at CTC’s space in Wakefield, and then throughout December at the Towers in Narragansett.

You’ve seen the movie, but It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is a whole new experience. The beloved show takes on a whole new spirit in this fast-paced, creatively staged production that’s done as a 1940s radio broadcast. The Renaissance City Theatre of the Granite Theatre performs the show through December 23.

Join the Jamestown Community Chorus for A Celebration of Carols. This year, their annual holiday concert features Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” and a special guest: Hyun-jung Choi, principal harpist for the Rhode Island Philharmonic, who has performed with Andrea Bocelli and on Broadway. At the Central Baptist Church, 99 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown

It isn’t the holiday season in Rhode Island without A Christmas Carol by Trinity Repertory Company in Providence. The beloved annual tradition is now in its third decade, but every year, the show is different. This season, see Timothy Crowe as Scrooge, and two different children’s casts.

Tap your feet to the Christmas Pops by the Chorus of Westerly. On December 16, enjoy two performances, conducted by Andrew Howell. This year’s selections include swinging Christmas carols, paired with some beautiful classical pieces, like selections from The Nutcracker.

To experience some family-friendly holiday theatrics, take the little ones to the Contemporary Theater Company’s Family Holiday Spectacular. Every Saturday morning from November 24-December 22, bring the family to Wakefield for an interactive show that involves carols, a “snack-tivity” by the Goddard School and “a tale of five Santas,” which, hopefully, involves five times the gifts.