Melonie Magruder
LookOut News Staff

December 14, 2010 -- If you have shopped till you’re ready to drop and need a breather to remind you of the joys of the season, Santa Monica has a lot of live holiday performance events to enjoy.

For family fun, it’s never too early to introduce the kids to the magic of theatre and the Santa Monica Playhouse is running a high energy, interactive re-telling of Dicken’s Christmas Carol – from the viewpoint of a very spoiled MRS. Scrooge. Snowball-throwing angels join grumpy ghosts to lighten the holiday spirit for kids of all ages. Final performances are December 14 and 15 at 4:00 p.m. and December 18 and 19 at 3:00 p.m.

And if you’re looking for something different this New Year’s Eve, the Playhouse is offering “The Annual One-Time-Only New Year’s Eve Revue!” From 40s jazz to country rock, Jewish patter songs to romantic ballads, you can celebrate the New Year with great music, a buffet supper, champagne, party hats and prizes with the whole family. Performances at 6:00 and 9:30 p.m. Reservations can be made at the box office: (310) 394-9779.

And if the weather is as fine as this past weekend, stroll Ocean Park and the Pier to take in the 14 life-size Nativity scenes displaying the birth of Christ along Ocean Avenue between Arizona and Santa Monica Blvd.

Head down to Pacific Park’s roller coaster and have a photo taken with Santa. He’ll be riding with guests from noon till closing every day December10-25, with curtains of snow falling each time Santa departs the coaster station.

The Pier will also host a Heartfelt Holiday Open House December 18 from 6:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. on the east parking deck an around the carousel building. Free to the public, there will be activities, arts and crafts, visits with Santa Claus and free carousel rides from 11:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m.

Kids on Stage will present “Mary Poppins” at the Morgan Wixson Theatre till December 16, with each class bringing its own unique flavor to the story of chimney sweeps, Jane and Michael Banks, and the magical English nanny. Times vary, so call the box office at (310) 314-0035 for details.

The National Children’s Chorus is presenting “Nuestra Musica” at The Broad Stage December 18 at 7:00 p.m., featuring Conrad Susa’s carols and lullabies scored for harp, guitar and marimba. The acclaimed ensemble will also perform the U.S. premier of composer Sage Lewis’ multimedia project “Far Away,” commissioned by the Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles. Tickets and more information may be found at the website nationalchildrenschorus@gmail.com.

For some grown up theatre, check out the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s production of Christopher Hampton’s comedy, “Tales from Hollywood,” the story of how talented writers fleeing Hitler’s Third Reich were scooped up by movie studios and put to work grinding out hack screenplays. Playing through December 19. Also at the Odyssey is “Diva on the Verge,” with world-renown soprano Julia Migenes knocking it down on opera’s most illustrious heroines. Tickets and information may be found at www.odysseytheatre.com.

And if you like a little music with your therapy, check out Powerhouse Theatre’s “Group: A Musical.” Group therapy with lyrics! Take advantage of preview ticket prices ($10) till December 18. Ticket info at www.powerhousetheatre.com

And if you like your holiday shows a little on the edge, try “Dickens Unscripted” at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center’s Edye Second Stage. This ensemble gives a droll, in-the-know ribbing of Dicken’s masterpieces, with a hysterically different take each performance. Running through December 19. Call (310) 434-3200 for more information.

M.i.’s Westside Comedy Theatre, Santa Monica’s premier improv theatre, is riffing with “Christmas Improvable” on December 17 at 10:00 p.m. Start your holiday weekend with a barrel of Christmas-themed laughs. Call (310) 451-0850 for more details.

The Edgemar Center for the Arts is running the Le Tick Tock Cabaret, a world premier musical, this Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Call (310) 392-7327 for tickets.

And, finally, the second annual Santa Monica Pub Crawl takes place this Saturday, December 18, starting at 5:00 p.m. Revelers will visit the city’s best restaurants and bars to help raise money and food for the needy through a partnership with the Westside Food Bank.

Participating locations will offer dining and drinking specials to crawlers who bring non-perishable food donations to drop in the collection barrels placed along the pub crawl route. You can choose your route by visiting the website www.santamonicapubcrawl.com and signing up.