OPENINGS & PREVIEWS

1941 Christmas From Home
Every year, Christmas from Home brings a nostalgic, live staging of a 1941 radio show to Portland. Think of suburban children congregating around the radio for big-band numbers, swooning songbirds, comedy sketches and all the joy of a WWII-era holiday. While PCS, and Bag & Baggage's KBNB Kristmas Karol especially, twist the classics—this one is true to life, based on interviews that local writer Pat Kruis Tellinghusen did with veterans. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 238-5588. 7:30 pm Friday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, Dec. 2-13. $20.
The Dissenter's Handbook
Dario Fo's irreverent redos of Italian folklore make for a show that's more comedy than pure theater. It's like bawdy story time and traditional clowning with a side of slapstick. Matthew Kerrigan stars again, following up this summer's staging at CoHo. Shaking the Tree's main name, director Samantha Van Der Merwe (who just finished staging Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play all around town), is adding an extra Fo kicker to this show: The Tale of a Tiger. It's a short story about a tiger nursing a Chinese revolutionary back to health after he gets gangrene. It's rare to hear a show promise to be subversive, hilarious and spiritual…and actually believe it. Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St., 235-0635. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 5 pm Sunday, through Dec. 25. $25.
The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical
Winning for both longest name and Winnebagos, this two-year-old version adds Keg Nog to the longtime running, regular old Trailer Park Musical. When a Scroogey resident of North Florida's Armadillo Acres starts tripping about amnesia, Betty and someone named Pickles decide that the best cure for forgetfulness is more holiday cheer, and chair throwin'. Brunish Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, 248-4335. 7:30 Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, through Dec. 27. $25-$40.
The Miracle Worker
Artists Repertory Theatre is taking a different approach to the holiday season, with Artistic Director Dámaso Rodriguez's production of William Gibson's Tony-winning mainstay play. Val Landrum, a Drammy winner with big name credits like ER, What the Bleep Do We Know !? and Leverage, plays Annie Sullivan. And young Agatha Olson, a middle school finalist for Oregon Children's Theatre's playwriting competition, who already has a significant history at Artists Rep, is Helen. How to win at Christmas? Helen Keller. No show Wednesday, Dec. 15. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1516 SW Alder St., 7:30 pm Tuesday-Sunday and 2 pm Sunday, through Jan. 3. $25-$48.
Twist Your Dickens
The Second City is back for more than the second time, doing Dickens improv that combines sketch comedy and audience input. Last year, WW pointed out that the show "left an aftertaste worse than that of spoiled eggnog," and we're not holding out for a Christmas miracle this year. Special show 2 pm Thursday, Dec. 24. US Bank Main Stage at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 7:30 pm Tuesday-Sunday, 2 pm Saturday-Sunday and noon Thursday, through Dec. 31. $25-$53.
ZooZoo
First went Frogz, now goes ZooZoo. Imago is good at having final shows of childrens' theater…many times. But really, this truly is the very last time ever in the entire existence of the world that you can watch insomniac hippos, bitchy anteaters and sneaky penguins in mask. Imago Theatre, 17 SE 8th Ave., 231-9581. 7 pm Friday, 12 and 3 pm Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, through Jan. 3. $34.50.
NEW REVIEW
The Book of Merman
Triangle Production's latest play begins with a ringing doorbell and two bickering Mormons, Elder Shumway (Collin Carver) and Elder Braithwaite (William Schindler), who are six months into their mission and aren't having much luck saving souls. Until they meet Ethel (Amy Jo Halliday), an older, dramatic woman who likes to drink, swear and write hefty checks to people who come to her door selling magazine subscriptions. That's Ethel Merman, a diamond-clad songstress with a booming voice, whom The New York Times called "the Queen of Musicals" in the 1930s. Through a series of jaunty show tunes and slowly revealed secrets—like Shumway's secret love for musical theater—the show unfolds in Ethel's living room, as the former starlet teaches the Mormons the value of being true to themselves. Occasional awkward blocking and lackluster dancing is saved by impressive three-part harmonies and an entertaining cast—Halliday amusingly hams up her over-the-top character; Carver brings dry wit and shy vulnerability; and Shindler deftly alternates between being giddy and on the brink of tears. Like any Triangle show, the audience gets involved, so beware if you're shy. KAITIE TODD. Triangle Productions!, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd., 239-5919. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, through Dec. 19. $15-$35.
ALSO PLAYING

A K.B.N.B. Kristmas Karol
Slapstick antics and pratfalls are second only to boob grabs in Bag & Baggage's holiday offering. It's a theater show about radio actors and their studio's final night before it's destroyed to make way for a greedy media tycoon's new TV sound stage. As the cast struggles to produce a passable adaptation of what they call "Dickles Charleston," using a single microphone in a near-empty studio, they are forced to contend with the agenda of the zealous television producer, his austere German sound designer and two bickering show-biz sisters. The Hillsboro cast of eight tempers the verbose, extremely fast-paced farce with nonstop visual interplay and innuendo. They constantly collide (usually hand-to-breast) and fill the stage with raunchy sight gags in a Karol that boasts dropped pants aplenty, a three-girl nipple-twisting routine and at least six pelvic thrusts in the first act. They manage to sing a few Christmas songs, too! MIKE GALLUCCI. The Venetian Theatre, 253 E Main St., Hillsboro, 693-3953. 7:30 Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, Nov. 27 -Dec. 23. $27-$32.
Bite Me a Little
Sometimes a show needs a few years in the cellar fermenting to bring out the pungent qualities that make it an acquired taste, loved all the more for its quirks. That's almost the case for the self-aware vampire musical Bite Me a Little. First introduced as a staged reading at the Fertile Ground Festival in 2012, Arlie Conner's Bite Me is now enjoying a fully produced theatrical run at Post 5 Theatre. This time, it's a little dirtier, a lot louder and still appreciably rough around the edges. Looking for a venue to host his high-school reunion, the lovable dweeb Ben Davies (Brian Burger) books Dr. Hurt's Palace of Fun, unaware that it's actually a vampire night club and sex dungeon. Initially keen to win back his high-school sweetheart, Jenny (Chrissy Kelly-Pettit), Davies immediately becomes enamored with the club's sultry singer Raven (Sydney Weir, the only original cast member), and renounces Jenny as a tease in the show's catchiest musical number, "Fuck Jenny." Meanwhile, a parallel plot line follows detective Joe Brookhyser (Jim Vadala) on the case of a serial killer, leading him to the Palace of Fun, too. There's plenty going on, but the runtime ends up feeling about 20 minutes too long. In fact, Bite Me a Little might even benefit from eschewing the little decorum that it maintains. All it needs is some gratuitous nudity and a little financial backing for a few hundred gallons of spewing blood, and it could be the next cult classic. PENELOPE BASS. Post5 Theatre, 1666 SE Lambert St., 971-258-8584. 7:30 pm Thursday-Sunday, through Dec 12. Shows on Friday Dec. 4 and 11 are at 10 pm. $20.
The Santaland Diaries
Like the immortal Kris Kringle, Portland Center Stage's Crumpet the elf seems destined to revisit us year after year. This stage adaptation of David Sedaris' beloved/despised diary of working as a Macy's holiday elf is far beyond cult classic at this point. Reprising his role as the jaded and self-deprecating elf, local stage and screen mainstay Darius Pierce dons his crushed velvet suit again, for the stalwarts who are comparing annual notes. Newbies, spike your nog. EGerding Theater, Ellen Bye Studio, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 7:30 pm Tuesday-Sunday and 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, through Dec. 27. Extra show 2 pm Thursday, Dec. 24, no show Friday, Dec. 25. $35-$55.
COMEDY & VARIETY

The 3rd Floor XXXIII: The Final Chapter
After 20 years of comedy shows and racking up an alumni list of more than 55 actors, Portland's longest-running sketch troupe is calling it quits. The send off is a night of quick-turn sketches with plenty of Easter eggs for longtime groupies, alternating from physical skits about personal trainers to a Mary Poppins parody, an obnoxious commercial for the Cot Lot and a recurring PBS documentary about the hunt for Benji the movie star dog. Milagro Theatre, 525 SE Stark St., 236-7253. 8 pm Friday-Saturday. Through Dec. 19. $16-$19.
Earthquake Hurricane
Portland's four-headed comedy powerhouse is back, and bringing another crop of out-of-town comics to Rose City's comedy faithful. This week, Anthony Lopez, Alex Falcone, Bri Pruett and Curtis Cook welcome to the bike shop Allison Stevenson and Megan Koester from Los Angeles, and Christan Leonard from Seattle. It will be more fun than doing a wheelie with no hands. Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd Ave., 922-2012. 9 pm Wednesday, Dec. 9. Free ($5 suggested donation). 21+.
Full House Christmas in Hecklevision
Heckling with your friends is probably the best way to enjoy a terrible movie. Throw in a handful of hilarious comics, and you've got yourself an event. This month, Hecklevision takes on a few holiday-themed episodes of the beloved classic sitcom Full House. Special guest comedian Ryan Alexander-Tanner of The Real Full House Reviewed blog joins Amy Miller, Carolyn Main, Julia Ramos, Sean Jordan and Bill Conway to share text-based commentary, heckles and jokes that are projected onscreen along with the hilarious contributions of the theater audience. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 493-1128. 9:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 12. $8.
Late Night Action with Alex Falcone
Alex Falcone, freshly minted into Willamette Week's Funniest Five Club, is the host of one of the city's most-popular late-night talk shows. Late Night Action has welcomed the stars of TV's Grimm, and has its own flavor at Salt & Straw. This month, Alex and co-host Bri Pruett welcome Tres Shannon, founder of Voodoo Doughnut and Steve Novick, Portland city commissioner. The show will also feature music from Moody Little Sister, as well as comedy from fellow WW Funniest Fiver Sean Jordan. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 7 pm Saturday, Dec. 12. $10-$15. 21+.
Nathan Brannon
Nathan Brannon is one of Portland's hottest comics. Winner of Helium's 2012 Portland's Funniest Person Competition and the 2014 Seattle International Comedy Competition, Brannon has opened for top headliners included Maria Bamford, Damon Wayans and Dave Chappelle. Brannon takes to the Helium stage for a special one-night show. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Thursday, Dec. 10. $10-$18. 21+.
Orny Adams
Some comedy fans might know Orny Adams as "the other guy," in Jerry Seinfeld's iconic documentary Comedian, but he's much more than that. A veteran of the standup touring circuit, Adams has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and can currently be seen playing the role of Coach Finstock on the hit MTV show Teen Wolf. Adams comes to Portland for a special three-night, four-show engagement that promises to be something special. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Wednesday, Dec 9, 7:30 and 10 pm Friday-Saturday, Dec. 11-12. $15-$31. 21+.
DANCE
The Nutcracker
If you don't already have a visceral reaction to sugar plum fairies and a gingerbread woman with hordes of children under her petticoat, you are a unicorn. The most-watched ballet, and the largest-grossing all year for most dance companies, sweeps young Clara away to a fantastical wonderland where toys duke it out with rats. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 222-5538. 7:30 pm Thursday-Sunday and 2 pm Friday-Sunday, through Dec. 26. $29-$146.
The Spin
Bodyvox might be the most well-balanced Portland company right now, with a crew of experienced dancers but enough quirkiness to keep it interesting. Artistic directors Ashley Roland and Jamey Hampton aren't new to this game, but every year their holiday show is completely different and unpredictable. With a game show-style premise, they prepare 20 dances for this one program, but what actually gets staged is up to the audience. Their first performance of the season—the company is finally back after losing its space and then touring places like Orcas Island—has a lot of potential. It's a bit like Wheel of Fortune, fingers crossed that the reward will live up to the risk. No 2 pm show Saturday, Dec 5. Bodyvox, 1201 NW 17th Ave., 229-0627. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Saturday, through Dec. 19. $25-$64.
Toy Box
The littlest A-Wolers, aerial dance students in the company's youth program, put on a holiday showcase. Meanwhile, their mentors are doing a carnival Christmas at the Alberta Rose. A-wol Dance Collective, 513 NE Schuyler St., 351-5182. 7 pm Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 12-13 and 2 pm Sunday-Monday, Dec. 13-14. $20.
White Album Christmas
Say what you want about the crustiness of circus arts and the Beatles in Portland, but Wanderlust Circus' eighth annual musical holiday offering is a trip down the rabbit hole you probably haven't taken before—unless expired eggnog tripped you into a world of circus performers juggling cups, dancing with fire or contorting around aerial hoops in a dystopian future. A-wol dancers and some visiting San Franciscans act out a radiation-plagued Free Cascadi, where water is scarce but there's a full string section and the Nowhere Band performing every note of the White Album. Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., 719-6055. 8 pm Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 9-12. $30-$50.
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