“ELF — The Musical”: Talk about being a bit of a misfit.
Buddy is the rather large human who, when he was a wee orphan, accidentally crawled into Santa’s bag of gifts and was whisked away to the North Pole to be raised by elves.
If this sounds familiar, it is; “Elf — the Musical” follows pretty closely “Elf” the movie, the one starring Will Ferrell.
So if you’ve seen the movie, you know Buddy sets out for the big city to find his father.
On his journey, Buddy discovers not much in the way of Christmas spirit and finds his own daddy definitely on the naughty list and his little brother not a believer in Santa.
Buddy decides to accomplish at least two things: Eat everything in sight that’s gooey and sweet and spread the true meaning of Christmas.
This is an all-ages show and rated PG with some mild adult language, including a few “hells” and “damns.”
“Elf” opens at 8 p.m. Fridayat the 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle.
Tickets start at $25. Go to www.5thavenue.org or call 206-625-1900.
“A Christmas Carol”: Share in a treasured tradition with the Historic Everett Theatre’s performance of “A Christmas Carol.”
In this holiday favorite, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future give the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in the true spirit of Christmas.
During the performance, the narrators turn into characters to put a new spin on the Dickens classic.
You can see the show at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays or 2 p.m. Sundays from Nov. 30 through Dec. 16. If you can’t make it on the weekend, there’s a special Thursday showing at 8 p.m. Dec. 13.
And don’t miss the special opening performance of “A Blessed Life” before each show. It’s written by local actor Asa Sholdez.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, seniors and veterans, available by phone at 425-258-6766, online at www.etix.com or at the theater, 2911 Colby Ave.
For more information, visit www.everetttheatre.org.
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“Fruitcakes”: These are not at the top of everyone’s wish list for Christmas.
But in this case, “Fruitcakes,” a Christmas comedy presented by Whidbey Playhouse, should hit the spot on anyone’s list this holiday season.
Written by Julian Wiles and directed by Anita Rich, this play tells the story of a kid named Jamie who has run away from home and landed in a place where he thinks the people are as nutty as fruitcakes.
That may be, considering that the characters include two Southern spinsters, a lost cat named Tutti Frutti, and Buster the Christmas hog.
Throw in a chicken pox epidemic and there is mayhem to go along with the comedy.
In the end, this story of reconciliation should be what a real fruitcake isn’t: a sweet confection without any calories.
“Fruitcakes” opens at 7:30 Friday at Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 22.
