With the holiday season upon us and Christmas just over a month away, it’s the perfect time to start getting into the holiday spirit with family-friendly fare.

A Christmas Story, the Musical is playing now through December 8 at the Wang Theatre. This fun, hilarious musical depicts young Ralphie Parker who is determined to get one perfect gift for Christmas: an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Actions 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle. Nominated for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original score in the 2013 Tony Awards, it's sure to be a festive hit. 

Swing back to the 1940s with In the Mood, running this week only at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Between the 13-piece Big Band and six talented singers, over 40 songs with fun choreography and flashy costumes will capture the spirit of the swing era. In the midst of World War II, this play shows just how swing music boosted the morale and patriotism of the country at a difficult time. 

Who says chivalry is dead? Camelot takes place in the age of chivalry, damsels in distress and knights in shining armor. Opening November 23 at the New Repertory Theatre, this Tony Award-winning musical version tells the story of a complicated love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot. With its story of unrequited love and the characters’ search for a better future, this musical is a classic.

Dragons, gold treasure, a magical ring, and a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins come to the stage of the Wheelock Family Theatre in an adaptation of the beloved novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. With its final performance on November 24, the cast of The Hobbit completes a successful run of the show. This 1937 novel led to the popular series, The Lord of the Rings, which later turned into a pop culture phenomenon.

One of Oscar Wilde’s most famous comedies, The Importance of Being Earnest, brings the Victorian era to life on stage this week at the Plaza Theatre. Opening November 22, this twisted love story includes mistaken identities, countless lies, and societal pressure in a daring satire about the Victorian era. As an audience member, you’ll be the only one who truly knows what’s going on amidst the deception of these ridiculous characters.

Taken from the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical Monty Python’s Spamalot comes to a close on November 23 after a three-week run at the Footlight Club. Its absurd and hilarious cast tells the story of King Arthur and his knights of the round table with a few unusual twists.

Based on the 1905 children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess tells the multicultural tale of young Sara Crewe who goes from living with her father, The Captain, to being shipped off to a boarding school with a cruel headmistress when her father is on a mission in Africa. As cultures collide, this musical, set in Victorian London, embraces the power of magic and imagination. The show opens at the historic Strand Theatre on November 21.

Set at the Gibson Museum and the Taylor House Bed and Breakfast, an adaptation of Henry James' gothic thriller, The Turn of the Screw, has a real enough setting to convince you that you’re in the same haunted estate as the characters. When a young woman takes the position of a governess for two orphans, she quickly begins to see ghosts and other weird events at the huge Victorian mansion. Just two actors take on the various roles in this play, adding to the suspense and psychological confusion. This play will be closing on November 23.