Holiday Entertainment in New York: Music, Ballet, and Theater for Christmas

The Christmas season in New York City isn't just about garlands and the Rockefeller Center tree. The city offers dozens of large-scale live performances. 6sqft tells about Christmas musicals, ballet, opera, jazz concerts and family shows in the city.

Below is a selection of the most notable ones activities season.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Deadlines: until January 5th.

Place: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan.

Annual Christmas show, which has been held since 1933. This season it is dedicated to the centenary of the Rockettes troupe.

Duration: 90 minutes.

Over 140 dancers perform on stage, featuring original music, complex sets, and video effects. A new immersive sound format featuring 3D audio is being introduced for the first time.

More details can be seen here.

A Christmas Carol

Deadlines: until January 4th.

Place: Perelman Performing Arts Center, 251 Fulton Street, Manhattan.

A special stage version of Charles Dickens' classic story.

The authors are playwright Jack Thorne and director Matthew Workus.

The show features 12 Christmas songs, including "Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."

Tickets from $58.

More details can be seen here.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage

date: November 28, 18:00.

Place: Kings Theatre, 1027 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn.

A Broadway version of the show based on the Peanuts series.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and other characters take to the stage, featuring large-scale sets, lighting, choreography, and vibrant costumes.

The ticket price for one person is $62,70.

More details can be seen here.

The Nutcracker by New York City Ballet

Deadlines: from November 28 to January 4.

Place: Lincoln Center, David H. Koch Theater, Manhattan.

Directed by George Balanchine to music by Tchaikovsky.

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The cast includes 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands, and more than 125 children from the School of American Ballet.

On stage, the tree grows from 3,66 meters to 12,5 meters. The Mother Ginger costume, which requires three people to perform, weighs approximately 38,5 kilograms and is 2,7 meters wide.

More details can be seen here.

"Twas the Night Before" by Cirque du Soleil

date: December 4, 18:00.

Place: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan.

Cirque du Soleil's first Christmas show.

Based on Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," the story follows a young girl named Isabella and her Christmas spirit. The show features acrobatics, sets, and special effects.

Tickets start at $55. More details are available. here.

The Brooklyn Nutcracker

Deadlines: from December 6 to 14.

Place: The Theater at City Tech, 275 Jay Street, Brooklyn.

Inspired by Brooklyn culture, the Nutcracker version incorporates hip-hop elements, local motifs, and borough imagery.

The action takes place from the houses of Flatbush to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Tickets start at $37. More details are available. here.

A Very Merry New York

date: December 7, 17:00.

Place: Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall, Manhattan.

The New York City Children's Choir's Christmas concert features over 600 young performers.

The choir is directed by Francisco J. Nunez. The program includes Christmas classics in new arrangements. More details are available. here.

A Goyishe Christmas To You!

date: December 10, 21:00.

Place: Kaufman Music Center, Merkin Hall, 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan.

This musical show has been running for the 16th year in a row.

Christmas carols written by Jewish composers will be performed. Songs will include "White Christmas," Yiddish versions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

Tickets cost $45. More details are available. here.

Mozart's opera The Magic Flute

Deadlines: from December 11 to January 3.

Place: Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, Manhattan.

Abridged version in English.

Directed by Julie Taymor.

Puppets, large-scale sets, and theatrical costumes are used. Face painting is performed before the matinee performances on December 27, 29, 30, and January 3.

Tickets start at $35. More details are available. here.

iHeart Radio Jingle Ball

date: December 12th.

Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan.

A big pop concert with the participation of world stars.

The lineup includes Alex Warren, BigXthaPlug, Conan Gray, Ed Sheeran, Jessie Murph, Laufey, Monsta X, Myles Smith, Nelly, Ravyn Lenae, Reneé Rapp, Zara Larsson and others.

More details can be seen here.

Sounds of the Season by the New York Philharmonic

Dates: December 13 and 14, 14:00.

Place: Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, Manhattan.

The program includes: "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, excerpts from "The Nutcracker", music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "The Four Seasons" by Astor Piazzolla.

More details can be seen here.

Christmas Concerts by Candlelight

Deadlines: from December 13 to 21.

Attractions: locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Concerts are held by candlelight in churches and concert halls.

The program includes music from The Nutcracker, works by Tchaikovsky and Debussy, and Hanukkah melodies. More details are available. here.

Big Band Holidays, Jazz at Lincoln Center

Deadlines: from December 16 to 21.

Place: Frederick P. Rose Hall, Lincoln Center, Manhattan.

An annual swing concert. Musical director: Krist Crenshaw. Featuring vocalists Shenelle Jones and Kate Kortum.

On December 21 at 14:00 PM, a special, quiet performance will be held for people with autism spectrum disorders and sensory disabilities.

Tickets start at $42. More details are available. here.

Winter Concert at the Museum at Eldridge Street

date: December 25, 14:00.

Place: 12 Eldridge Street, Manhattan.

Despite the closure of most establishments, the museum is holding its traditional klezmer music concert.

Yale Strom performs with the band Hot Pstromi. The program includes classic Yiddish songs and original compositions.

Online ticket - $25.

On-site ticket - $30.

More details can be seen here.

A Christmas Carol at Merchant's House

Deadlines: until December 27.

Place: 29 East 4th Street, Manhattan.

An interactive performance set in the historical museum's interiors. Viewers find themselves in a 19th-century setting.

Duration: 70 minutes.

Tickets start at $110. More details are available. here.