Christmas comes but once a year, and so does A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Charlie Brown-iest of seasonal theatrical spectacles. Based on the Emmy- and Peabody-winning 1965 animated television special inspired by artist Charles M. Schulz's classic Peanuts comic strip, which ran from 1950 to 2000, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been an evergreen holiday event since 2013.

Set amid the wintry delights of Schulz's Minnesota childhood, A Charlie Brown Christmas finds the Peanuts gang working out the true meaning of Christmas for themselves in a world devoid of adult supervision. And if, like the musical's title character, you suffer from unfulfilled seasonal expectations, you'll find a natural palliative in composer Vince Guaraldi's jazzy score, which has sold more than four million copies since its initial release thanks to the irrepressible swing of songs like "Linus and Lucy," "Skating" and "Christmas Time Is Here."

About A Charlie Brown Christmas

Commissioned by the Coca-Cola company, A Charlie Brown Christmas was pitched, written and produced on a tiny budget for television in a flash in 1965. It became an unexpected hit and a holiday perennial on the strength of its delightful translation of the comic strip's iconic child cast to the small screen. The stage adaptation, authorized by the Schulz family and producer Lee Mendelson, retains everything delightful about the TV special, which was written by veteran TV director Bill Melendez.

As his friends skate and cavort in their winter wonderland, a depressed Charlie Brown gets out of his seasonal funk with the help of Lucy, who suggests he direct a Christmas play. Against all obstacles, a truly Charlie Brown Christmas tree — puny and bereft of glitz and glory — inspires a moving message about the true meaning of Christmas. Jazz composer Vince Guaraldi's lively songs alternate with classic Christmas carols, and productions often conclude with an audience sing-along.