CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, November 10, 2021

In with the new: Theater lineups throw holiday traditions out the window

Datebook : Forget stale holiday theater traditions. In 2021, companies big and small are embracing novelty — an apt choice at a time when going to the theater itself feels new again: when we take nothing about the experience for granted, from lining up at will call to packing cheek by jowl in rows and watching unmasked actors’ facial expressions indoors.

1 comment:

Kaylie C. said...

I am in total agreement that it is refreshing to see holiday shows other than The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carole in theater’s lineups. I think the post-covid excitement for theater provided the perfect opportunity for this shift. I am hopeful that it sticks around because a lot of these shows sound super interesting! I have always been surprised and confused at the fact that remounting the same production year after year always seemed to pay off for theaters. I would expect ticket sales would decline pretty drastically, but humans love traditions and seeing the Nutcracker in December is a big one for lots of American families. I hope this is not unique to the bay area and becomes a widespread change. Winter time is when I am most free to see shows, but I usually don’t end up seeing much because the same shows are always performing during that time.