SPOTLIGHT : ALL THE TRIMMINGS : The Holiday Entertainment Larder Is Laden With Staples, and a Few Exotic Treats Add Spice

For most people, holidays equal tradition--and that holds just as true for public events as it does for private rituals.

So if it’s Yuletide in Orange County, that must mean boat parades and choral con certs, another round of “The Glory of Christmas” at the Crystal Cathedral and more productions of the “Nutcracker” than you can shake a toe shoe at.

There are a few new choices this time around, however, most notably on the theater scene. So, not only is there the perennial “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory, with the wonderful Hal Landon Jr. returning as Scrooge, but there is also “Inspecting Carol” at Laguna Playhouse, in which a small theater’s production of the Dickens classic devolves into a living illustration of chaos theory.

Here’s a sampling of holiday treats around the county, with selections to satisfy the tastes of both the tradition-minded and those in search of something new. A broader list of upcoming shows can be found in the Holiday Events section of the 11-Day Calendar, beginning on page 32.

Stage

Daniel Sullivan, head of the respected Seattle Repertory Theatre and chief author of “Inspecting Carol,” claims he loves “A Christmas Carol”--but there’s no denying that his play pokes some fun at the venerable holiday chestnut, at least as performed by the fictitious Soapbox Theatre.

The struggling company is hoping its 13th offering of the play will bring back some of its dwindling audience, and is also counting on a sizable government grant. The plot thickens when a neophyte actor who auditions for the production is mistaken for an undercover NEA official come to check out the company.

Andy Hedden plays the neophyte, Wayne Wellacre, in the Laguna Playhouse production of the play, which Times reviewer Jan Herman called “hands down the funniest show I’ve seen all year.”

Hedden’s experience with a variety of local theater groups helps him relate to the disastrous goings-on in “Inspecting Carol.” “Some of the characters in the play are not too far from people I have worked with over the years,” Hedden said. He recalls one children’s theater group in particular “that was very, very similar to the Soapbox . . . (with) a lot of weird, demented people who make you wonder how they all got there at the same time. It’s like a bad Fellini movie.”

The play operates on several levels, he said, with sharply written farce that works for a general audience and lots of in-humor that works “if you’re a theater person or have any theater involvement.” It has been a big hit, he said: “Every night is just a rip, a sterling audience.”

If anyone wants the real thing, there is, of course, SCR’s “Carol,” a fixture that may trail only the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters as an Orange County performance tradition. This year, “Carol” (first produced at SCR in 1980) will be joined by something new, a musical play by Octavio Solis called “La Posada Magica” that will begin previews on the theater’s Second Stage on Friday. The regular run is Wednesday through Dec. 24.

The world premiere--which received $120,000 in grants from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund--is the second play by Solis to be produced on SCR’s Second Stage. The first, “Man of the Flesh,” was developed through the company’s Hispanic Playwrights Project. His “Scrappers” has toured local schools as part of an SCR outreach program.

“La Posada Magica,” which includes a dozen songs by Marcos Loya, tells the story of a rebellious teen-age girl who no longer feels the Christmas spirit but finds a surprising renewal of hope. The play is based loosely on the posada , a traditional Latin American neighborhood procession that re-creates the story of Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn.

Solis told The Times that the play is “for people who feel they’ve been left behind by Christmas. . . . ‘La Posada Magica’ requires a childlike imagination to buy into it.” SCR spokesman Cris Gross said that, in addition to the Second Stage production, the play will be performed at three locations in Orange County for community audiences. He said the plan is to make “La Posada” a perennial addition to the holiday slate.

One longtime holiday stage tradition was lost when GroveShakespeare bit the dust last year. However, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” has been resurrected in more modest form as “A Welsh Christmas,” staged readings of the Dylan Thomas story along with songs, poems and stories, on Sunday and Monday. Many of the cast members from the GroveShakespeare production will take part, including Gary Bell, Marnie Crosson and Danny Oberbeck.

In a similar vein is a Shakespeare Orange County production called “A Shakespearean Christmas,” with sonnets and songs. It plays Dec. 15 through 22.

And, of course, there’s “The Glory of Christmas,” Crystal Cathedral’s high-tech pageant spectacle, which retells the story of Christ’s birth with flying angels and live animals--horses, camels and sheep, to be specific. It plays through Dec. 30.

* “Inspecting Carol” through Dec. 18 at Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. $17 to $22. (714) 497-9244.

* “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 24 at South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $22 to $29. (714) 957-4033.

* “La Posada Magica” opens previews Friday with a regular run Wednesday through Dec. 24 on the Second Stage at South Coast Repertory. $10 to $22. (714) 957-4033.

* “A Welsh Christmas” Sunday and Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Garden Grove Historical Society, 12174 Euclid Ave., Garden Grove. Free. (714) 530-8871.

* “A Shakespearean Christmas” Dec. 15 to 22 at Chapman University’s Waltmar Theatre, 301 E. Palm St., Orange. $16 to $20. (714) 744-7016.

* “The Glory of Christmas” through Dec. 30 at the Crystal Cathedral, 12141 Lewis St., Garden Grove. $18 to $30. (714) 544-5679.

Among other productions on tap for the local stage scene are three more takes on the “Christmas Carol” legacy.

* “Scrooge” through Dec. 18 at the Yorba Linda Forum Theatre, 4175 Fairmont Ave., Yorba Linda. $12 to $14. (714) 779-1932.

* A musical version of “A Christmas Carol” by the Nebraska Theatre Caravan on Dec. 17 at 4 and 8 p.m. in the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. $12 to $20. (714) 432-5880.

* “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 19 at the Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. $5 to $10. (714) 489-8082.

* “Christmas With Sal and Amanda Gecko,” a Vegas-themed satire, through Sunday at the Gem Theatre, 12582 Main St., Garden Grove. $15 to $18. (714) 636-7213.

* “A Christmas Memory,” by Truman Capote, through Dec. 24 at Alternative Repertory Theatre, 1636 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana. $16 ($13.50 with food or new toy donation). (714) 836-7929.

* “Greetings,” a family drama through Dec. 18 at the Way Off Broadway Playhouse, 1058 E. 1st St., Santa Ana. $13.50 ($12.50 with canned food donation). (714) 547-8997.

* “Christmas at the Depot,” a musical revue through Dec. 23 at La Habra Depot Theatre, 311 S. Euclid, La Habra. $7.50-$10. (310) 905-9625.

And for the children:

* “Babes in Toyland” through Dec. 18 at Newport Theatre Arts Center, 2501 Cliff Drive, Newport Beach. $8-$10. (714) 631-0288.

Events

Holiday parades in Orange County often have an aquatic nature, as in the Newport Harbor Boat Parade--now in its 86th year. The 2 1/2-hour parade features about 200 boats, from canoes to luxury yachts, festooned with lights and often elaborately decorated. This year, the parade (beginning nightly at 6:30 p.m.) runs Dec. 17 through 23.

The parade is visible from many points on the harbor, but grandstand seating is available. Tickets are $5 to $7.

Other boat parades are set in Dana Point, Huntington Harbour and even in Yorba Linda’s East Lake Village. On land, there’s the Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade with gymnast Peter Vidmar as grand marshal.

The Laguna Niguel parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and travels Crown Valley Parkway from Nueva Vista to Crown Valley Community Park. Featured will be drill teams, equestrian units and more than 15 marching bands. A festival with game and food booths and entertainment runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the park, 29751 Crown Valley Parkway. Admission is free. For information, call (714) 550-4636, Ext. 426.

The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art will offer its version of La Posada on Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m., with music and storytelling. The museum is at 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, and admission to the event is free. Information: (714) 567-3600.

Music

What’s Christmas without some old-fashioned choral concerts--and at least one rendition of Handel’s “Messiah”? The Orange County Performing Arts Center has a variety of offerings in the coming weeks.

First up, on Saturday at 8 p.m., is “Reflections of Christmas” with the Master Chorale, a children’s chorus and the Master Chorale Brass Ensemble. The event features an audience sing-along, and there will be carolers in the lobby. Tickets are $15 to $40.

The holiday tradition celebrated in the second center offering is a Mexican one. Fiesta Navidad, on Sunday at 3 p.m., features Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Ballet Folklorico Olin and Ballet Folklorico de UCLA. $13 to $30.

The Pacific Symphony has several center events on Dec. 17. First, at 10 and 11:30 a.m., is a holiday concert for young listeners, “Tinseltown: A Holiday at the Movies,” which will include works celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah. $8 to $10. At 3:30 p.m., the Pacific Symphony presents the “Messiah,” with conductor Richard Westerfield, guest soloists and the Pacific Chorale. $14 to $63.

The Pacific Chorale presents its holiday concert Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m., with a preconcert lecture at 6:30 p.m. The program includes selections from around the world. $20 to $100.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center is at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For information on center events, call (714) 556-2787.

Choral concerts and other musical events will be offered through the season at dozens of local churches (check the 11-Day Calendar for details). Other holiday musical events cover the spectrum, from classical to jazz:

* The UCI Chamber Singers present their annual Madrigal Dinner Friday through Dec. 18 on the Fine Arts Village Theatre stage at UC Irvine. $29.50-$41. (714) 854-6616.

* Shirley Jones will sing a holiday program Saturday at 8 p.m. at Plummer Auditorium, 218 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. $20-$30. (714) 879-1732.

* Tony Guerrero will headline a jazzy Christmas program on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cafe Concerto Restaurant, Coffee Bar & Concert House, 2675 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa. $10 (plus one canned food item, or new toys or clothing). (714) 222-1616.

Dance

As in seasons past, there are “Nutcrackers” galore, so it’s possible for the diligent to make enough trips to Candyland to rack up frequent flyer miles. But there are no major touring companies in the county this season, as there have been in the past (American Ballet Theatre was last year’s representative in Segerstrom Hall).

Among the top local offerings, Ballet Pacifica has done the holiday favorite for 28 years but has come up with a new production for this run, Dec. 16 through 24 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive. $13-$16. (714) 824-5000.

Coast Ballet Theatre presents its “Nutcracker” Dec. 15 through 18 in the McKinney Theatre at Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. $9-$11. (714) 582-4656.