10 Broadway Christmas songs to brighten your holiday season
Elf The Musical (Photo: Mirvish Productions)
Are you tired of Christmas music yet? ‘Tis the season where you can hear holiday tunes on virtually every radio station, playing in every store, and in the background of basically every TV commercial. At this point, these songs seem pretty much permanently stuck in my head. And honestly, since we’ve been listening to the same songs over and over again since before Thanksgiving, I’m getting a little tired of the classics.
But I don’t want to lose my holiday cheer! I’ve decided to turn to musical theatre to get that extra dose of holiday spirit without having to listen to the same old songs over and over again. Here are my favorite musical theatre songs (in no particular order) to keep you in the Christmas spirit this year.
And no, I did not include anything from the new Grinch musical with Matthew Morrison because I could never subject you to that horror.
“We Need a Little Christmas” from Mame
Okay, let’s start with an easy one: a Christmas classic! How could I not include “We Need a Little Christmas” from Mame? Even though I still hear this one on the radio throughout the season, I still love knowing that it comes from a musical and letting it give me that extra dose of Christmas cheer. And of course, it makes me laugh to know that at this point in the show, it hasn’t even hit Thanksgiving yet. It’s a Christmas song without really being a Christmas song!
“White Christmas” from White Christmas and Holiday Inn
One more classic! We can’t get our fill of Christmas on Broadway without a little bit of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” featured both in the musical Holiday Inn and in White Christmas. Have I ever actually experienced a white Christmas? Not one that I actually remember. But I love imagining a snow-covered Christmas and enjoying the beautiful imagery that this nostalgic melody inspires. Plus it’s interesting to note just how many Christmas music staples were actually written by Jewish composers.
“Snow” from White Christmas
And to top off the Christmas classics, I have to throw in one more song from White Christmas. I love the song “Snow”! It’s upbeat, it’s completely carefree, and it just puts a smile on my face. It may not be as famous as the titular song from the show, but I might actually enjoy this one even more.
“Sparklejollytwinklejingly” from Elf The Musical
Let’s get into the newer stuff. Elf! I love Elf The Musical so much. It’s cheesy, it’s silly, and it’s weirdly full of super catchy songs, so entertaining that I actually listen to them year-round. My first pick is “Sparklejollytwinklejingly”. Does it annoy people? Probably. Do I still love it? Without a doubt. This is the song you need to listen to while you decorate. And it’s so much fun to sing along once you’ve gotten past that tongue twister of a title!
“A Christmas Song” from Elf The Musical
I could’ve just made this entire list the soundtrack of Elf The Musical but I forced myself to hold back. “A Christmas Song” is adorable and absolutely sums up the spirit of the show! The melody will absolutely stick in your head in the best way and it’s the perfect song to get you excited about the holiday season.
“Twelve Days to Christmas” from She Loves Me
I had to include some silly ones. “Twelve Days to Christmas” from She Loves Me completely epitomizes the frenetic energy of the holiday season. Have you ever worked retail during the lead-up to Christmas? This song will speak directly to you.
“Christmas Bells” from Rent
Yes, this may not be the happiest choice, but sometimes we need a little angst at Christmas. Why not spice up the holiday season with some drugs, poverty, and relationship problems? In all seriousness, I love that this song takes the cheery holiday sound and adds something real to it. Christmas isn’t happy and shiny for everyone and sometimes we want that reminder.
“A Kid at Christmas” from A Christmas Story
In my opinion, it’s not really Christmas if I don’t watch the original movie version of A Christmas Story. So how could I not love a musical version? This song is cute and silly and it reminds us to remember what it felt like to be children, counting down the days to Christmas and trying to stay up all night to hear Santa sneak his way down the chimney. The show is nostalgic and so is this song.
“Merry Almost Christmas” from A Year with Frog and Toad
This is a new one for me! In fact, I actually hadn’t heard it until this year. And I don’t even have anything to say to add this one other than: Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve ever heard? This musical may be geared towards children, but it just fills me with so much joy.
I hope you enjoy these Christmas songs and have a wonderful holiday season! And I encourage you to share your favorite musical theatre Christmas suggestions so that I can keep on building my holiday playlist!