High-end Hallmark - Chicago Reader

Griffin Theatre’s world premiere of this one-act Christmas musical is a high-end Hallmark movie, and I mean that as a compliment. I’ll preface it with the “content warning” that you must be looking for a heartwarming holiday story, but if that’s your jam, The House Without a Christmas Tree is elevating the art form this season. Based on the 1972 TV movie (novelized by Gail Rock in 1974), this theatrical adaptation includes music and lyrics by George Howe and a book by Griffin artistic director William Massolia. Under Dorothy Milne’s direction and with a capable cast, what starts as a truly low-stakes story evolves into a full-bodied production that you can’t help warming to. Yes, it’s about a literal Christmas tree, but it’s also a dramedy about loss, family dynamics, and creating new traditions.

The House Without a Christmas Tree
Through 12/29: Thu–Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; also Sat 12/21 and 12/28 3 PM; Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark, 872-529-0657, griffintheatre.com, $43 (seniors $38, students with ID $35, limited number of $15 access tickets at each performance)

Set in a 1946 rural Nebraska town with no traffic light, the story centers around young Addie Mills (an endearing and charismatic Julia Limoncelli). Early scenes concern daily life with her friends, school crushes, and other quotidian topics, but the songs pop with the cast’s high-quality harmonies and energetic, physical use of a small space. Addie’s gripes about not having a Christmas tree initially feel juvenile but evolve into a more mature understanding of her father’s long-term grief over the loss of her mother. Grandma Mills (a grounding Darrelyn Marx) is her guide on this emotional journey, bringing a quirky, no-nonsense confidence to her role as family matriarch. While a bit of a non sequitur, the musical closes with a very fun Christmas pageant parody, perhaps the biggest wink during a show of mostly earnest “awwws.”