This is part one of the December guide. Part two will publish on Friday, Dec. 5. 

Memphis theaters are tuning up for the holidays with campy humor, a hit Broadway musical and a re-telling of a classic Christmas story.

‘A Tuna Christmas’ at Circuit Playhouse:

“A Tuna Christmas” is a hilarious comedy set in the fictional, delightfully eccentric town of Tuna, Texas — billed as the “third-smallest town” in the state. The play is about Tuna’s fiercely competitive annual Christmas Yard Display Contest, which Vera Carp has consecutively won for fourteen years, until a mischievous “Christmas Phantom” begins sabotaging the yard displays, injecting chaos into the competition. 

All 20 or more oddball residents are portrayed by just two actors, making for a fast-paced, costume-laden spectacle. At once affectionate and satirical, “A Tuna Christmas” captures the heart of small-town life with humor and community spirit.

Von Trapp bringing ‘The Sound of Music’ and more to BPACC

“These characters are all people that we all know, or have been, or are, and they’re still lovable despite all of their faults. So, you’re kind of rooting for them to have a good Christmas,” said director Dave Landis, who directed the show years ago. 

“I would say there’s a little edginess to it every now and then, but it doesn’t live there. It just pokes fun at some of the things that some people might hold sacred. But then it comes back, and there’s still the whole idea of goodwill towards men, peace on earth.”

“A Tuna Christmas” runs Nov. 21-Dec. 21 at Circuit Playhouse in Midtown Memphis. Tickets and more information are available here. 

‘& Juliet’ at the Orpheum Theatre:

From the mind of the Emmy-award-winning “Schitt’s Creek” writer, “& Juliet” is a witty jukebox musical that reimagines Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” through a modern feminist lens. It was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 2022, including Best Musical.

The story begins when Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, questions the tragic ending of the original play, suggesting that Juliet’s life shouldn’t have to end with Romeo’s death. An adventure follows as Juliet takes control of her destiny. 

Arts Beat: How can Memphians write a script? Start with a seed

The pop-infused score of hits written by Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin includes songs made famous by Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Backstreet Boys, including “Since U Been Gone‚” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life‚” “That’s The Way It Is,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”

“& Juliet” runs Nov. 25-30 at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Memphis. Tickets and more information are available here. 

‘If Scrooge Was a Brother’ at Hattiloo Theatre:

Twelve years ago, Hattiloo’s founder and CEO Ekundayo Bandele wrote “If Scrooge Was a Brother,” a reinterpretation of the classic tale “A Christmas Carol.” The play reimagines the classic tale of redemption, community and the true spirit of Christmas with the lead character Eb Scroo demanding repayment of all debts owed to him by nightfall on Christmas Eve. This is the ninth time Hattiloo has staged the show.

Scroo has excluded himself from the Black community, and through the visits of the ghosts, he comes “to the self-realization that he is a brother, meaning he is a Black man and that there is a place for him within the Black community,” Bandele said.

Hattiloo leader graduates from Morehouse

While he has rewritten the play multiple times, this version shows Scroo as more vulnerable and reveals the deep relationship he has with Cratchit, his overworked and underpaid employee.

Bandele returned to college in 2022 and lived on campus at Morehouse College for two years. He credits the intellectual conversations with the young men there as influences on the evolution of his playwriting.

“The last time I wrote Scroo, I was around 42, and now I’m 54. And that breadth of time, especially getting into your 50s, your worldview begins to shift a little bit,” Bandele said. “I did not write this for people to laugh, but I did write it for them to leave the play with a sense of uplift, a sense of optimism and almost a responsibility to find joy in their lives however they can.”

“If Scrooge Was a Brother” runs Nov. 28-Dec. 21 at Hattiloo Theatre in Midtown Memphis. Tickets and more information are available here.