North Central stages range of holiday music, theatre shows in December

North Central College presents a celebrated and diverse lineup of holiday performances during the Christmas season. Music ranges from swing and celtic to jazz and classical by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Celtic Woman, faculty artists and a full symphony orchestra. Theatre performances feature the infamous holiday characters Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley.

All the holiday shows are staged in North Central College’s Naperville venues. For details visit northcentralcollege.edu/show; for tickets call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit tickets.noctrl.edu.

Here’s a shorthand version of those performances.

On Friday, Dec. 12, North Central College presents its “Jazz Faculty Christmas Concert,” featuring the College’s internationally acclaimed jazz faculty at 8 p.m. in Madden Theatre at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Tickets are $25/adults and $20/students and seniors. 

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the College welcomes Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, one of the most popular swing bands on the road today, for a concert titled “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Christmas” at 8 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets are $50, $45 and $40.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra presents two family-friendly, heartwarming concerts titled “Christmas ’Round the World” at 2 and 4 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $18 and $15/adults, $15 and $12/seniors and $11 and $8/students.

Also on Dec. 14, North Central College presents Theatreworks USA’s “A Christmas Carol,” a musical interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic, at noon and 3 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall. Tickets are $12/adults and $6/children under 12.

On Dec. 18-21, the Organic Theater Company stages five shows of “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” a story of Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley, in the theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18-20 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 20-21. Tickets are $30/adults, $20/students and seniors.

On Dec. 20 and 21, North Central presents the Irish music sensation Celtic Woman in “Home For Christmas—The Symphony Tour” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, in Pfeiffer Hall. Tickets are $95, $85 and $75.

Other holiday community events held in North Central’s Wentz Concert Hall include the Naperville Chorus, performing “Christmas in Song and Brass” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The Naperville Municipal Band will present its Christmas Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.