We want to wish you a Merry Christmas with the help of musical theatre. For such a popular holiday there are unusually few Christmas songs in the musical theatre canon. Of the sixteen, or thereabouts, I know from actual stage musicals I’ve picked my favorite eight plus three additional classics sound by stars of the stage:
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - Audra McDonald
It's only fair that Audra "Godra" McDonald appear on her list, and her beautiful rendition of this Christmas classic is sublime.
"Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year" from Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is not always effective but this Christmas tune is one of the highlights managing to musically suggest that weird melancholic yet ironically warm feeling that comes with celebrating Christmas away from home. (Even if we may not be fugitives, we can relate.)
"Jingle Bells" - Barbra Streisand
It's not a song from a musical but this was the opening number from Streisand's 1967 Christmas album. It's the zaniest and best version of the song I've ever heard, even though, or maybe because, Barbra sounds significantly demented.
"Be A Santa" from Subways Are For Sleeping
This is an oft forgotten song from an oft-forgotten musical.
"Twelve Days to Christmas" from She Loves Me
This hectic number captures, excellently, the bustle of shopping from Christmas leading up to Christmas Eve and wins point for coming from my favorite show on the list.
"Baby It’s Cold Outside" - Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming
Trust Sally Bowles and the Emcee to sing the best version of this sexy Christmas number. This song gets a bad reputation but only because so few have heard this perfect version which incorporates the change of focus having the female singing lead the refrain in the second part of the verse. The Liza/Alan banter is A+ and Liza wins points for the best reading of the "What's in this drink?" line.
"Pine Cones and Holly Berries / It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" from Here’s Love
I could have chosen another song from this The Miracle on 34th Street adaptation but I love the way the older "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is sung in counterpoint to the newer "Pine Cones and Holly Berries" making for a great Christmas mixture.
"Christmas Bells" from Rent
What if I said this was my favorite song from Rent? Okay, it may not be, but it's near the top. The ad hoc street vendors' choir, the mixture of every character's arc and voices (but for Maureen, although I'm sure I hear Idina's doing back-up work) and a surprisingly legit example of the madness of Christmas. Also, it makes for one of the more memorable character entrances from the last two decades of musical theatre (Joanne, which way to the stage?).
"A Christmas Story" from A Christmas Story
A number of great options from this musical, but the titular song seems like the best option here. And this is a great "radio hit" version performed by the composers at Joe's Pub. (Christmas + humour.)
"Christmas Child" from Irma La Douce
Most likely the least noted song from the ten, which is a shame because it's lovely. Plus, it's only a dollar on Amazon.
"We Need A Little Christmas" from Mame
This is the easiest choice for best way to wish a musical theatre Christmas, though. It's possibly one of the ten best Christmas songs, musical theatre or otherwise, and is just too infectious to ignore.
