With Christmas nearly upon us here are some suggestions to make your Christmas Party playlist that little bit more stagey. These are my top 10 stagey Christmas songs.

10. Christmas Bells- Rent

In at number 10 is Christmas Bells from Rent. Whilst it may not be the most traditional of Christmas songs but it isn’t afraid to shy away from the realities of Christmas for many. The song comes towards the end of act 1 just before Maureen’s performance starts.

9. The Schmuel Song- The Last 5 Years

This song comes as Jamie and Cathy celebrate their second Christmas. Jamie writes Cathy a song about a tailor called Schmuel as he gives her a watch a promises to support her as she follows her dreams of becoming an actress.

8. Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher – Billy Elliot

This song opens Act 2 and takes place at the miner’s Christmas dinner after they have been on strike for some time. It clearly shows that there is no love lost between the miners and Maggie Thatcher. The contrast between the normal cheery nature of the holiday and the darker political themes just serves to emphasise this difference.

7.Counting Down To Christmas – A Christmas Story

This show and therefore song is probably one of the lesser know shows on this list. This musical is based on the 1983 film of the same name. This song comes at the start of the show when the lead transports the audience to his childhood who convinces his parents to get him his dream Christmas present.

6.Christmas Is My Favourite Time of Year – Catch Me If You Can

If for no other reason that the singers of this song include both Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit, ‘Christmas Is My Favourite Time Of Year’ makes the cut. In reality its also a fun Christmas number. It comes near the end of act 1 when our leading man discovers that he and the Agent hunting him down have more in common than they care to admit.

5.Surabaya Santa – Songs For A New World

This song, from the Song Cycle, Songs For A New World, is included for the sheer humour and it is only a short while into the song that you realise it is a Christmas song at all. Mrs Claus laments about being left at home all the time and how her husband prefers to spend time with the reindeers over her.

4.Sparkle and Shine – Nativity! The Musical

I can’t have a Musical Theatre Christmas song list and not include a song from Nativity! Whilst this song is very cheesy you can’t help but smile and it is one of the songs that made it from the movie into the musical.

3.Sparklejollytwinklejingley – Elf

There are so many of the songs from Elf, in fact the top 10 could be made up of this show alone however I decided to limit myself to just the one and Sparklejollytwinklejingley was the chosen one. This song happens as Buddy arrives at Macy’s Department Store and all of the staff there are won over by his Christmas spirit.

2.Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Meet Me In St Louis

Just pipped to the top spot is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me In St Louis and sung by none other than Judy Garland. This song ends the show and of course saves the family from having to move to New York.

1.White Christmas – Holiday Inn

You can’t get much more of a classic than White Christmas. This song was originally written for Holiday Inn but did so well that it not only won an Academy Award but it spawned a further musical, bearing the same name as the song was written.

So these are my top 10 stagey Christmas songs. Do let me know if any of your favourites are missing!

If you liked this article you might also like my 2023 Stagey Round Up, my top 10 underappreciated musical theatre songs and my top 10 musical theatre feel good songs.