Setting the stage for holiday season

The Sebastopol Ballet performs the Nutcracker December 21-23. (John Burgess/PD)

As the holidays draw near, the Nutcracker Prince and Ebenezer Scrooge will start taking over local stages. But there are some new spirits in the air, too.

One dramatic departure from the traditional holiday shows this season is a musical stage version of Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” at Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse.

But instead of the elderly would-be angel named Clarence from the movie version, disillusioned good guy George Bailey gets counsel from young Clara, a “little spunky whipper-snapper, mischievous cherub,” said Craig Miller, artistic director at 6th Street.

Like the movie, the play’s story offers George a chance to see what the world would have lacked without him. The show features original songs by Sebastopol composer Janis Dunson Wilson and a new adaptation by Petaluma playwright Larry Williams of the movie’s original story.

“This is a brand-new version. It’s slightly based on what Janis Wilson had done in the past at the Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, which was a children’s version of the show based on the movie,” Miller said.

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” opening Nov. 30 at the 6th Street Playhouse, is one of many choices for live, local holiday shows, including “Seussical, The Musical” at the Cinnabar and “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” in Rio Nido.

The holiday line-up includes:

“The Nutcracker”

North Bay Performing Arts Center and Contessi Ballet. 7 p.m. Nov. 24, 2 p.m. Nov. 25. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $15-$25. 588-3400, rpcity.org.

Petaluma School of Ballet. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 9. Evert B. Person Theatre, Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. $12-$25. 762-3972, petalumaschoolofballet.com.

Susan Lopez School of Ballet, 6 p.m. Dec. 8, 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 9. Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School, 4400 County Day School Place, Santa Rosa. $15-$24. susanlopezballet.com.

Ballet Califia. 8 p.m. Dec. 9, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Dec. 10, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. Ticket prices and information: 588-3400, rpcity.org.

Santa Rosa Dance Theater with Santa Rosa Youth Ballet Company. 7 p.m. Dec. 14, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 15, 2 p.m. Dec. 16. $20-$25. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. 588-3400, rpcity.org.

Sebastopol Ballet School. 7 p.m. Dec. 21-22, 2 p.m. Dec. 22-23. Analy High School Theater. 6950 Analy Ave., Sebastopol. $10-$20. (800) 838-3006, sebastopolballet.com.

Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker.” 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23. $28-$102. Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.

Other dance

“Nightmare Before Christmas,” Classical and Contemporary Dance with Tamara Grose. 7 p.m. Nov. 28-29. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $15-$20. 585-1137, tamcandance@prodigy.net.

“Posada Navideña.” Compañía Mazatlán Bellas Artes de Sacramento. Live music and dance. 7 p.m. Dec. 7. $15-$20. Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.

“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Teresa Lubarsky’s Healdsburg Ballet.Dec. 8-9. Raven Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Show times, ticket prices: 431-7617, healdsburgballet.com.

Live theater

“The Ratcatcher,” The Imaginists Theatre Collective and The Crux. The Pied Piper legend retold. 8 p.m. (5 p.m. Sundays), Nov. 23-Dec. 16. The Imaginists, 461 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa. $15-$18. 528-7554, theimaginists.org

“Seussical, The Musical,” Cinnabar Young Repertory Theater. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7-8 and 14-15; 2 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16. Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $10-$15. 763-8920, cinnabartheater.org.

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Musical Play.” 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 30-Dec. 23. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. $15-$32. 523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com.

“Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.” Pegasus Theater Company, Rio Nido Lodge in Rio Nido. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. $15. 522-9043, pegasustheater.com.

“Do-It-Yourself Dickens,” an interactive, read-along version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” by David Yen, 2 p.m. Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 2-16. Spreckels Performing Arts Center Bette Condiotti Theater, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. For ticket information: 588-3400, spreckelsonline.com.

“The Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris, a one-man show performed by David Yen. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 1-15. Spreckels Performing Arts Center Bette Condiotti Theater, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. For ticket information: 588-3400, spreckelsonline.com.

“A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Tail,” H-Town Youth Theater. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 15-16 and 22-23. Raven Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Ticket prices and information: htownyt.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@ pressdemocrat.com. See his ARTS blog at arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.