Theaters bustling with holiday fare

Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times

Holiday entertainment in local theaters has always been a varied roster of traditional perennials (numerous "Christmas Carols" and "Nutcrackers") and young upstarts (those satirical revues that deck the halls with poison ivy). In recent years, musicals also have made inroads, most notably with John Reeger and Julie Shannon's "The Christmas Schooner," now in its eighth holiday engagement at Bailiwick Repertory.