• Performances continue through Dec. 23 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, for its annual young adult's production of "A Christmas Carol," starring Jeff Award winner Bradley Armacost as Scrooge. Families can have breakfast or dinner with Santa on select performance dates. (630) 530-0111 or drurylane.com.

• For its holiday offering, Citadel Theatre Company presents "From the Heart," inspired by O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" and adapted by Jessica Puller. Performances begin Friday, Nov. 21, at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.

• Step Up Productions hosts its second annual HoliDaze, a showcase comprised of original, holiday-themed one-acts include Joshua Rollins' "Perfect Space," about a boy wizard angry that Daniel Radcliffe has co-opted his identity; Dana Lynn Formby's "Christmas Armaments," about a man trying to cheer up his depressed wife; and Steven Simoncic's "Lunch Box Love," about an ordinary couple who find a bit of glitter in their romance. Performances begin Friday, Nov. 21, at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. (312) 316-8355 or stepupproductions.org.

• Mitchell Fain reprises for the seventh time the role of Crumpet, the snarky Christmas elf immortalized by humorist David Sedaris in "The Santaland Diaries." Theater Wit artistic director Jeremy Wechsler helms the annual production which opens Friday, Nov. 21, at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org.

• Emerald City Theatre and Broadway in Chicago team up for the world premiere of "Hansel & Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat" by composer/lyricist Justin Roberts, with a book by Emerald City artistic director Ernie Nolan. Performances begin Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. Jack Ball plays Hansel and Alissa Walker plays Gretel in this family-friendly production in which the siblings enter the Forbidden Forest to rescue their missing mother and friends. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com. Also, Emerald City hosts its annual Gingerbread Ball fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel ballroom. Activities include children's games and activities, a champagne brunch, live and silent auctions and actor meet-and-greets. Single tickets are $125, a family of four is $450. (773) 529-2690 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.

• Libertyville native Marti Lyons directs Haven Theatre Company's Chicago area premiere of "Hot Georgia Sunday," Catherine Trieschmann's tragicomedy about a family whose dysfunction is fueled by lust, betrayal and alcohol. Previews begin Saturday, Nov. 22, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens Nov. 24. See haventheatrechicago.com.

• Commedia Beauregard hosts a staged reading of "Clue: The Movie" at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at The Glenwood, 6962 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The fundraiser includes a raffle, drinking games and prizes. $10 donation. See cbtheatre.org.

• After a flood destroys the police station, officers set up in a nearby recreation center where they uncover some mysteries and celebrate Christmas in August in "Buddy Cop 2," the first holiday offering from The Pavement Group. Performances begin Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, for the Midwest premiere of the comedy by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org or pavementgroup.org.

• The Hypocrites delve once again into the Gilbert & Sullivan canon for their next production, a playful take on "H.M.S. Pinafore," about a captain's daughter in love with a common sailor. Adapted and directed by Sean Graney, it will run in repertory with Hypocrites' remounts of "The Mikado" and "The Pirates of Penzance." Previews begin Wednesday, Nov. 26, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 1. See the-hypocrites.com.

• Previews begin Wednesday, Nov. 26, for Provision Theater's Midwest premiere of "Christmas on the Air," Lucia Frangione's behind-the-scenes account of a fictional holiday radio show hosted by Yolanda and Percival B. Frank. Artistic director Timothy Gregory directs the family-friendly show, which opens Nov. 29 at 1001 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago. (312) 455-0066 or provisiontheater.org.

• Organizers of the first Elgin Fringe Festival say the success of this year's inaugural event means the fest will return in 2015. Organizers estimated between 1,750 and 2,000 people attended the four-day event showcasing music, theater, dance and the visual arts. Box office sales totaled $10,000, with all of the ticket revenue going to the artists, organizers said. Additionally some restaurants reported a 50 percent increase in business. The festival's success earned recognition from the United States Association of Fringe Festivals, which translates to publicity and support for the 2015 festival scheduled to run Sept. 17 to 20. For more information, see elginfringefestival.com.

• Griffin Theatre Company has added matinee performances of its revival of the musical "Titanic," by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone. The performances are at 3 p. m. Saturday, Nov. 22 and 29 and Dec. 6, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show runs through Dec. 7. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org or griffintheatre.com.

• Emerald City Theatre has extended its production of "Bingo's Birthday," an immersive theater experience for children 5 and younger. Performances run through May 17, 2015, at 2933 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 529-2690 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.

• "Million Dollar Quartet," the jukebox musical inspired by a 1956 Sun Studios jam session between Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, added family discount nights on Jan. 11, Feb. 1 and March 15, 2015. Performances continue through Spring 2015, at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100 or milliondollarquartetlive.com.

• Chicago Dramatists earlier this month announced the addition of five new resident playwrights. They include: poet/activist Kristiana Colon; storyteller MT Cozzola; Chicago playwright Steven Peterson; writer/musician Robert Tenges and Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and redtwist theatre resident playwright Scott Woldman. Playwrights receive a three-year, renewable term during which they can access the theater's resources and development program including weekly readings, workshops and productions.

• Joseph Schupbach has been named the new artistic director of Barrel of Monkeys. Schupbach began his involvement with the ensemble in 2005 and has served as education director since 2011. A teaching artist with Lookingglass Theatre and St. Clement School, he is also co-founder of InGen Productions.

• Erin Gallagher has been named managing director of Idle Muse Theatre Company. The company's resident costume designer since 2013, Gallagher succeeds founding company member Lenny Wahlberg, who will remain an artistic associate with the company.

• The 16th Street Theater recently announced its 8th season devoted to exploring the relationships between parents and children, which is titled "Fathers Daughters Mothers Sons." The season of world premieres begins Jan. 22, 2015, with "The Art of Disappearing," Stephanie Walker's drama about a daughter who receives a brunch invitation from her estranged mother and returns home to find her family much changed. That's followed on March 26, 2015, with Elaine Romero's "Graveyard of Empires" about an engineer who developed software to fly military drones used in the Middle East, and his soldier son whose friend - a drone pilot - is charged with a friendly-fire incident resulting from a drone attack. The season continues Sept. 10, 2015, with "Merchild," by playwright in residence Aline Lathrop. It's about a boy dreaming of being a mermaid and marrying a prince, who retreats into a fairy tale to make his dream come true. The season concludes Oct. 22, 2015, with "Mariposa Nocturna: A Puppet Triptych," a darkly comic work about a child who wishes her dying grandmother "a happy sleep." 16th Street kicks off its season on Dec. 6 with a free preview at Wire, 6815 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. Season subscriptions are $100 for five events, including a one-night-only "Letters from Dad" on March 11, 2015. $50 for three plays (not including "Mariposa Nocturna"). (708) 795-6704 or 16thstreettheater.org.

• Chicago theater veteran and Tony Award nominee Felicia P. Fields received the Theatre School at DePaul University's 2014 award for excellence in the arts earlier this month. The other excellence award recipient was theater school alumnus P.J. Byrne ("The Wolf of Wall Street"). James and Catherine Denny were recognized for their contributions to art and cultural organizations with the leadership award.

• Anthony and Joseph Tomaska, producers of the long-running "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding," announced the acquisition of a Wisconsin theater which they've renamed Palace Theatre. Located at 564 Wisconsin Dells Parkway South, the professional theater inaugurates its first season with a production of "Mary Poppins." Directed and choreographed by Marriott Theatre veteran Marc Robin, the show opens Monday, Nov. 24. (608) 253-4000 or dellspalace.com.

- Barbara Vitello