Top holiday shows to see in New York on Broadway and beyond

Check out our list of Broadway and Off-Broadway holiday shows to get you in the festive spirit.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, because holiday theatre is back for the season. As festive decorations start to line the streets of New York, many marquees will light up with the names of Christmas shows and holiday spectaculars that are only playing for a few months. Get yourself and your family in the festive spirit with these shows, many of which give fresh twists to beloved tales you know and love, like The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol.

Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes

One of New York's most iconic holiday shows, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular has been celebrating the season for nearly 90 years. The Rockettes perform in their signature precision dancing style as reindeer, Santa Clauses, tourists, and, in perhaps the most famous number, toy soldiers. Classic Christmas tunes come together with modern elements, like a 3D-simulated sleigh flight through the city with Santa and a tale of two young boys trying to find the perfect gift for their sister. Whether you've never seen the Spectacular or go every year, this New York holiday tradition is sure to get you in the spirit.

Check back for information on The Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets.

Julianne Hough in Concert

Emmy Award-winning actress and Dancing with the Stars pro makes her New York concert debut this December. For two weekends only, she will perform a holiday-themed love letter to New York featuring singing, dancing, and storytelling. The concert is part of TodayTix's Broadway Speakeasy series at the Paradise Club, and audiences will get to enjoy food and drinks during the concert at this intimate venue.

Get Julianne Hough in Concert tickets now.

A Christmas Carol

It wouldn't be the holiday season without a few productions of A Christmas Carol, and this year, one is on Broadway starring Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays. In this adaptation, Mays plays every character in the classic tale, from Scrooge to the ghosts to everyone in between, bringing theatre magic and holiday magic together in one performance.

Get A Christmas Carol tickets now.

A Sherlock Carol

A fresh twist on a Christmas classic, A Sherlock Carol, back in New York for another year, combines the worlds of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes into one holiday mystery. A now-adult Tiny Tim enlists Holmes to investigate the mysterious death of Ebenezer Scrooge. Having had little to do since his nemesis, Moriarty, died, Holmes agrees. On Christmas Eve, as Holmes is working the case, the ghosts of past, present, and future visit Holmes as they once visited Scrooge.

Get A Sherlock Carol tickets now.

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol

Everyone knows about the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, but some forget about A Christmas Carol's fourth ghost: Jacob Marley, Scrooge's deceased business partner who berates Scrooge for being miserly before the other ghosts arrive. Marley is the main character of this adaptation, and if Scrooge doesn't turn his life around, Marley will suffer eternal damnation. With the help of an imp, can Marley help Scrooge get redemption, and also redeem himself?

Get Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol tickets now.

Nutcracker Rouge

This is one holiday special that's just for the adults. Nutcracker Rouge is a sexy take on the classic tale of The Nutcracker, performed by Company XIV. The company has performed Nutcracker Rouge to acclaim since 2013, and the show includes a mix of burlesque, opera, and circus entertainment in its reimagining of Clara, the Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and more. Audiences are immersed into the sensual side of the Land of Sweets, and the experience includes cocktails, champagne, and treats.

Get Nutcracker Rouge tickets now.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

The classic TV special comes to life at the Palladium Times Square for three nights only. The Peanuts gang discovers the true meaning of the holiday by putting on a Christmas play, singing carols, and in Charlie Brown's case, sprucing up a tiny little Christmas tree with beautiful decorations. The audience even gets to sing holiday tunes with the cast at the end of the show.

Get A Charlie Brown Christmas tickets now.

The Magic Flute

The Magic Flute returns as The Metropolitan Opera's special holiday presentation for families. See the story of a noble prince, equipped with a flute that can charm anyone, as he goes on a quest to save a princess. At just an hour long, performed in English, and filled with plenty of whimsical stagecraft, this musical fairytale will charm anyone of any age.

Get The Magic Flute tickets now.

Lightscape

Take a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for Lightscape, a spectacular holiday display featuring more than a million dazzling lights. Walk along a festive trail filled with plenty of photo ops, and enjoy food and drink onsite, too. Lightscape is sure to brighten the whole family's holiday.

Get Lightscape tickets now.

An Axemas Story

Love Christmas trees? An Axemas Story won't leave you pining. Everyone's excited for Christmastime in Tree Town, but everyone's on edge because trees keep disappearing, and they suspect Farmer Todd has something to do with it. Can a tiny tree and the mayor's daughter solve the mystery before the annual Christmas pageant?

Get An Axemas Story tickets now.

My First Nutcracker

This hit dance show returns to New York for another season. The classic Nutcracker ballet is transformed into a whimsical, interactive show designed for young children. Kids and their parents get to go along with Clara-Marie and the Prince on an adventure from their holiday party to a magical land of sweets.

Get My First Nutcracker tickets now.

Wow Wee! Adventures of a Little Girl Killbot Christmas Special!

This improvised Christmas show mashes up 80s sitcom tropes with the end of the world. Watch Andie the Android, a robot working for a perfect sitcom family, discover the true meaning of Christmas as she and the Trumans face down the apocalypse. The show is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Get Wow Wee! Adventures of a Little Girl Killbot Christmas Special! tickets now.

Christmas Comedy: The Stand-Up Comedy Night for the Holiday Season

A rotating lineup of comedians from the Northeast headlines Christmas Comedy, a series of holiday-themed comedy shows. Get ready to "ho-ho-ho" like Santa while hearing jokes from comedians who have performed on America's Got Talent, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and more.

Get Christmas Comedy tickets now.

A Christmas Carol the Musical

Ever wanted to hear Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future sing? Then see A Christmas Carol the Musical, back in New York for its 14th year. The story of how the miser Ebenezer Scrooge changes his ways on Christmas Eve remains the same, but it's now set to festive original music.

Get A Christmas Carol the Musical tickets now.