Going Green

This month, join Brian d’Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia, and Daniel Breaker on a journey through a land of fairytale mash-ups in Shrek The Musical (November 8-December 14), a David Lindsay-Abaire-Jeanine Tesori musical based on the story and characters of William Steig’s book, popularized by the DreamWorks animated film. Also on Broadway, Billy Elliot: The Musical will officially open, November 13, with all the power of one boy’s dream of being a world-class dancer against a sea of adversity to the tune of Elton John’s award-winning score.

Exploring another physical genre, New Victory has a hearty helping of acrobatic spectacle with Cirque Mechanics in Birdhouse Factory (November 14-December 14), a world of physical transformation where a dull widget factory is reborn when an unexpected inspiration flies into their world. For a taste of stage illusion, Aurelia’s Oratorio (November 20-22) will take the stage at NYU’s Skirball Center with a mixture of music hall, variety, and circus created by Victoria Thierée Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin. For bubble lovers large and small, Fan Yang will bring back The Gazillion Bubbles Show Holiday Spectacular (November 26-January 4) with all his record breaking bubbles, including a few effects never before seen in one of his productions.

There are a few choices to start the Christmas spirit early this month with The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (November 7-December 30), the annual New York tradition featuring the legendary “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” “New York at Christmas,” the legendary Rockettes, and much more. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (November 14-January 4) will bring a slice of 1950s holiday spirit to the Marquis Theatre when two performers find their perfect mates while performing at a Vermont inn. Wintuk (WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, October 30-January 4) will also bring the snow falling long before winter really sets in.

Dive into another make-believe story with Literally Alive’s production of Beauty and the Beast (November 9-December 30), an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont’s original book set to open at the Players Theatre. Blue Hill Troupe will mount Into the Woods (November 7-November 15), the Steven Sondheim-James Lapine foray into an adventurous laundry list of classic tales, which is set to open at the Dicapo Opera Theatre. Manhattan Children’s Theatre will present a classic Grimm’s fairy tale, Elves & The Shoemaker (November 15-January 4), the story of a tailor and the elves who sneak into his shop every night to help him make shoes that sell so he can support his family.

For all the budding New Yorkers who always have strong opinions, DR2 Theatre will dole out a helping of advice in Dear Edwina (November 14-January 25), the story of Edwina Spoonapple’s aspirations to garner a spot at the Kalamazoo Advice-apalooza Festival. Also at DR2, find a little courage in The Tales of Custard the Dragon (November 2-December 8) which includes an amalgam of several Ogden Nash characters. Finally, think pink as you head to Bleeker Street Theatre for the Vital Children’s Theatre remount of Pinkalicious, The Musical (beginning November 1), the story of a pink cupcake obsessed girl who has figure out how save herself when her favorite food turns her whole body pink.