From the Saturday, Nov. 30, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee) and The Times (Ottawa) …
The WISCH LIST
By Dave Wischnowsky
When this column greets you on Saturday, my wife and I will be somewhere in the air over the Pacific en route to our honeymoon in Australia.
That is, we will be as long as we’re still married after sitting inches from each other for the duration of our 15-hour, 50-minute flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne.
I’m kidding, of course.
Although, not about the flight time. That’s the truth.
While we couldn’t be more excited about our upcoming adventures in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hobart, Tasmania, our one lament is that we’ll miss most of Christmastime in Chicago, which is always one of the best times in Chicago.
And if we weren’t off mingling with kangaroos and the like “Down Under,” here’s what we would consider doing this month up in the Windy City.
Lincoln Park Zoo Lights
Live ice-carving demonstrations. Visits with Santa Claus. Warm drinks. Cool crafts. Cuddly animals. And some less-than-cuddly ones.
Oh, and more than 2 million beautiful lights.
Through Jan. 5, you can bundle up and take a stroll through Lincoln Park Zoo to enjoy the annual holiday celebration that lights the whole place up like a Christmas tree. Admission is free, and new this year is an ice skating rink that offers the chance to zip past goats and cows at Farm-in-the-Zoo. For hours and full details, visit lpzoo.org.
Holiday Shows
Escape from the cold and with any number of holiday-themed stage shows in Chicago this month. My top recommendation would be to catch a performance of “A Christmas Carol,” now in its 36th year at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St.).
Using its spacious environs to erect a dazzling set, Goodman puts on a truly magical telling of the timeless Charles Dickens tale. For tickets, visit goodmantheatre.org.
If you’re not in the mood for Scrooge, I suggest the “The Christmas Schooner,” a lesser known longtime Chicago tradition at the cozy Mercury Theater (3745 N. Southport Ave.).
Based on the true story of the “Rouse Simmons,” a ship that during the late 19th century battled Lake Michigan’s dangerous gales to transport Christmas trees from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago’s German immigrants, the show is sure to put the wind in your holiday sails. For tickets, visit mercurytheater.org.
Finally, if you’re looking for a holiday experience from another world, the Raven Theatre (6157 N. Clark St.) is staging “A Klingon Christmas Carol,” a spin the classic tale that’s translated into the Klingon language from Star Trek.
In this version, three ghosts help Scrooge gain honor and courage. And if you aren’t fluent in Klingon,? Don’t worry, there are English super-titles. Visit cbtheatre.org for tickets.
Fantasea at Shedd Aquarium
Again making its splash in December is Shedd Aquarium’s annual aquatic show, “A Holiday Fantasea,” during which visitors can see leaping dolphins, singing beluga whales and a dancing sea lion. Santa will also make an appearance, and a handful of audience members will also get to meet a dolphin.
Also showing at Shedd is “The Polar Express 4-D Experience” through which the film has been transformed into an abbreviated 15-minute feature. For more information, visit sheddaquarium.org.
Christkindlmarket
Somewhat tragically, Christkindlmarket – Chicago’s largest open-air Christmas festival – has this year given the boot to the boot.
This week, the annual German event held in Daley Plaza through Dec. 24, revealed that the 2013 souvenir mug that holds hot gluhwein won’t look like a boot as it traditionally does, but instead is flute-shaped. The switch caused an online uproar, but organizers said the new mug holds as much wine as the boot.
That should soothe some spirits. For more about everything else the festival offers, visit christkindlmarket.com.