David Scott Morgan brings to life David Sedaris' retelling of his experience as an elf at Macy's in The Santaland Diaries, produced by New Edgecliff Theatre at the Performance Gallery in December.

Yes, even CityBeat gets to jump the gun with a holiday issue published before Thanksgiving, God bless our little entrepreneurial hearts. But now is the time to plan your holiday outings -- there are more choices than days between now and the end of the year, so here are 10 categories to help you with your decision making.

1. WHAT THE DICKENS? Charles Dickens would be amazed that his 1843 Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge's attitude-adjustment has become the holiday mainstay of many American theaters, bolstering budgets for more adventurous fare. At the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, A Christmas Carol (this adaptation is by Howard Dallin) is onstage in the Marx Theatre Dec. 3-30. It's a great piece of eye-candy -- revolving stage, trapdoors that reveal ghosts and presents and dinner at the Cratchits -- and fine talent, surely one of the best holiday entertainments in town. (Tickets: 513-421-3888)

If one Christmas Carol isn't enough, you have more choices: A musicalized version is the seasonal production at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts (4990 Glenway Ave., 513-241-6550). It runs Dec. 4-23; order tickets before Dec. 4 for a half-price deal.

Ken Jones, who teaches theater at Northern Kentucky University, has created his own one-act rendition of Scrooge's night out using traditional holiday music and humor. This Christmas Carol, directed by Isaac B. Turner, will be presented at Newport's Monmouth Theatre (636 Monmouth St., tickets: 859-655-9140) Nov. 26-Dec. 7.

2. THE ANTI-SCROOGE: Perhaps you've seen one too many treacly Tiny Tims but maybe you've wondered about spooky old Jacob Marley, the guy who first visits Ebenezer and begins his scared-straight experience. Scrooge's former business partner has a story all his own, which is the subject of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol by Tom Mula (Dec. 4-28). This is its third year at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival (719 Race St., Downtown) with CSF veteran Nick Rose in the title role. The small cast also features three of CSF's best talents -- Brian Isaac Phillips as Scrooge, Corinne Mohlenhoff as the Bogle (a kind of devious Tinkerbell) and Chris Guthrie as everyone else. (Tickets: 513-381-2273)

3. CINCINNATI'S OWN: An original musical for families based on a fairytale has been the holiday tradition at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati (1172 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine) for many years. This year from Dec. 3-28 they're reprising one of the best, Alice in Wonderland by the local creative team of David Kisor and Joe McDonough. Eleven-year old actress Bonnie Emmer plays Alice, and other familiar ETC performers will be around, too, including wry Deb Girdler as the Queen of Hearts, comical Michael Bath as the Rabbit, a. Beth Harris as the Cheshire Cat, Annie Fitzpatrick as the Caterpillar and Shannon Rae Lutz as the Mad Hatter. (Tickets: 513-421-3555)

4. SOME NEW SASS: Sometimes it's therapeutic to poke fun at holiday traditions, and this year a new poke is available: Ovation Theatre Company is offering The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (Nov. 28-Dec. 6). You'll meet the Herdman kids -- who lie, steal and smoke cigars -- as they crash Sunday School and bully their way into leading roles in the annual pageant. Their unorthodox interpretation of the Christmas story will be presented at the Aronoff's Fifth Third Bank Theater. (Tickets: 513-241-7469)

5. CYNICAL CLAUS: Continuing in the vein of poking fun, David Sedaris' hilarious recollection of his stint as an elf at Macy's, The Santaland Diaries, will be back for its third presentation by New Edgecliff Theatre (Dec. 11-28), this time at the Performance Gallery (3900 Eastern Ave., Columbia-Tusculum). David Scott Morgan, nominated for a 2002 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for the role, is back at his sardonic best. The evening also includes more Sedaris amusement in Season's Greetings, a pathological housewife who presents her annual Christmas letter from suburbia. Tickets: 888-588-0137.

If sarcasm is your thing, you'll also want to catch The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, which The Know Theatre Tribe will present at the courtyard at Arnold's Bar & Grill (210 E. Eighth St., Downtown). It's the revelation of a big sex scandal at the North Pole, with allegations and innuendoes galore. Performances are Sunday-Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m., Dec. 7-23. (Tickets at the door)

6. BIG VOICES: OK, everyone can't be hip and cynical all the time, so you might want to make note of the May Festival's traditional Carolfest '03, now in its 29th year at Music Hall. It's only one day, Dec. 6, at 1 and 4 p.m., with the May Festival Chorus and a host of others -- plus you. It's a sing-a-long, so everyone takes part. (Tickets: 513-381-3300) An equally popular event is the same weekend: The Feast of Carols at UC's College-Conservatory of Music on Dec. 6 (5 p.m.) and Dec. 7 (2 and 5 p.m.). In addition to full orchestra and chorus performances, there's a special tuba ensemble and guest choirs from area churches and high schools. (Tickets: 513-556-4183)

7. SMALLER VOICES: Also not to be missed are holiday concerts by the Vocal Arts Ensemble (Dec. 12, 8 p.m., St. Boniface Church, Northside; Dec. 13, 8 p.m., Athenaeum of Ohio, Mount Washington; and Dec. 14, 2 p.m., St. Barnabas Church, Montgomery). And the Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral (Eighth and Plum, Downtown) is another program of glorious, serious seasonal music in a great space on Nov. 30 at 3 p.m.

8. NOSTALGIA AND PATRIOTISM: It's the entertainment of another generation, but if nostalgia is your thing you'll certainly enjoy Taking Christmas to the Troops presented by The Rising Phoenix Theatre Company in Middletown Dec. 11-21. The show pairs wartime emotions and Christmas in the spirit of USO shows from World War II. (Tickets: 513-705-4131)

9. IMPORTS: Perhaps you want to be diverted from the holidays altogether. You have several fine choices: The Cincinnati Playhouse offers up Always, Patsy Cline (513-421-3888) through Jan. 18 (see review on page 41), while Broadway in Cincinnati is presenting this year's big Tony winning musical, Hairspray, Dec. 2-14, at the Aronoff Center. Although it seems like an odd choice this time of year, Broadway in Cincinnati is also offering The Graduate (Dec. 16-28, Tickets: 513-241-SHOW)

10. CHESTNUTS FOR THE OPEN FIRE: The Cincinnati Ballet's annual presentation of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker happens at Music Hall (Dec. 19-27, Tickets: 513-621-5282), while the Cincinnati Symphony's Home for the Holidays, a very family-friendly concert program, returns to the Taft Theatre (Dec. 19-21, tickets: 513-562-4949). ©