Daisy Eagan Shares a Santa Scandal, Duncan Sheik Heads to Winn Dixie & More Cross-Country Highlights

The holiday season is in full swing, and there's no better way to celebrate than with a night of great theater! This week’s Countrywide Guide highlights Daisy Eagan's adult-themed, laugh-filled Reindeer play, a new Hood in the woods with the goods, the world premiere of Because of Winn Dixie and more. 


LOS ANGELES, CA
Santa's Reindeer Have a Very Naughty Christmas
Looking for something different for Christmas this year? Well, Jeff Goode's The Eight: Reindeer Monologues is the comedy for you. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa’s eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the media descends, the other reindeer threaten to reveal their stories, too. Starring Tony winner Daisy Eagan, this down-and-dirty comedy takes a look at the seedy side of Santa and Mrs. Claus when a sex scandal rocks the North Pole. Catch Alliance Repertory Company's The Eight: Reindeer Monologues through December 21.


LITTLE ROCK, AR
An Old Dixie Dog Learns New Musical Tricks
A world premiere musical brings a Tony-honored creative team to Arkansas Repertory Theatre this holiday season. Because of Winn Dixie is based on the sweet, award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo about a young girl and a dog she finds at a Winn Dixie supermarket. Featuring music by Tony winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), lyrics and book by Tony nominee Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and direction by Tony nominee John Tartaglia (Avenue Q), Winn Dixie is set to melt hearts through December 29.


HOUSTON, TX
Buddy the Cowboy Elf Looks for Santa in the Lone Star State
With spirit and gusto, the story of Buddy the Elf unfolds on Theatre Under the Stars' Hobby Center Stage. This delightful musical adaptation of the 2003 holiday movie centers on a childlike "elf" who journeys from the North Pole to Manhattan in search of his father. When Buddy learns his financier dad is on Santa’s naughty list, his commitment to spreading Christmas cheer deepens. Starring original Broadway cast member (and Houston native) Mark Jacoby and Jersey Boys vet Jessica Rush, with Tommy J. Dose as Buddy, Elf is set to run through December 22.


WASHINGTON, DC
Malcolm-Jamal Warner Makes a Dinner Debut
Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show) takes on a role created by Sidney Poitier in Todd Kreidler’s stage adaptation of the 1967 Oscar-winning drama Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. The play, which runs at Arena Stage through January 5, tells the story of a young white woman who brings her accomplished African-American fiance home to meet her supposedly liberal parents. Directed by David Esbjornson, this Dinner is as provocative today as it was almost 50 years ago. 


CAMBRIDGE, MA
Robin Hood Gets an Adventurous Reboot
The Bard never wrote about Robin Hood, but if he had, it might have been something like how David Farr imagines the tale in The Heart of Robin Hood, playing A.R.T.'s Loeb Drama Center through January 19. Our hero has learned to steal from the rich...but he's having trouble with the other part. Luckily, a sword-wielding Marion swings by and shows Robin and his men that there can be honor among thieves. Starring Broadway vets Jordan Dean (in the title role) and Christopher Sieber, Robin Hood will surprise you with a new spin on a story you think you know.