Why should kids have all the fun at the holidays?

The holiday season often centers on making magic for the youngest revelers. There’s elves on shelves and visits to Santa Claus. But grown-ups should get to do more than mingle with the bosses at holiday parties. Even the good Cratchits might have enjoyed a date night without their children.

“A lot of parents, and adults in general, are really tightly wound,” said Emily Zack, who goes by MZ and is a co-director of the annual holiday burlesque by Vivid Motion Dance. “The way that they let loose at a burlesque show feels like a much-needed release. It’s OK for you to be whimsical and silly and a little bit wild around the holiday season. That same kind of energy that you create for your children, come and do that here.”

For those who might be on the naughty list this year, here are three adults-only events to help you enjoy the season.

‘Who’s Holiday’ at Theater at Monmouth

Cindy Lou Who is all grown up, and she’s throwing a Christmas party.

“She’s changed quite a lot from the Cindy Lou of her youth,” Jennifer Fox said.

Fox is playing the character we might think we know from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” in this one-woman show at Theater at Monmouth. She remembered waiting for the animated movie to come on TV when she was a kid, but Cindy Lou Who was just 2 years old in that story. She’s 45 in “Who’s Holiday,” and her life has not been an easy one.

“She’s throwing this party to reconnect with the fun and the joy of Christmas that she had in her youth,” Fox said. “I think a lot of adults can really relate to that, especially empty nesters like me. I think it’s exciting to do a show that is geared toward adults and give them a little bit of Christmas magic.”

The story has plenty of familiar elements from the Dr. Seuss original (It’s mostly in rhyme, for one). For Adam P. Blais, both are redemption stories.

“The Grinch makes all these mistakes, and yet, they invite him to their feast,” Blais, the production manager, said. “That’s what this show does so beautifully. It asks, how do we continue to bring people to the table?”

It might even feel like reconnecting with a childhood friend.

Through Dec. 7; $25 to $40; theateratmonmouth.org; 207-933-9999

‘Holly Jolly Follies’ by Vivid Motion at The Hill Arts in Portland

Santa gets all the credit this time of year, but the real heroes for many are the delivery drivers who get packages where they need to be. Vivid Motion Dance celebrates those hardworking heroes in a holiday burlesque show called “Holly Jolly Follies.”

The story follows a delivery truck as they encounter hijinks on their route before the holidays. There’s a naughty nor’easter, exotic birds, a chiropractic office, a gas station and more.

The delivery truck doubles as an onstage DJ booth, and the soundtrack for “Holly Jolly Follies” ranges from the classic “Waltz of the Snowflakes” from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder to “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee. Roughly 30 dancers will be part of the show.

For years, Vivid Motion presented a burlesque version of “The Nutcracker.” But this story, which debuted last year, is built on more gender neutral roles and is more flexible. The arc stays the same, but the stops along the delivery route can change from year to year. Some pieces in this year’s show are similar to last year, but many are new.

“The holidays are really about traditions,” co-director Jessica Jane Means said. “We wanted to create a show that could be a new tradition.”

Dec. 12-14 and 18-20. $25. vividmotiondance.org; 207-232-2070

YES&Co. Holiday Improv at Footlights Theatre in Falmouth

Samuel Kuykendall describes YES&Co. shows as “half ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ and half TED talk.”

The Southern Maine improv group invites a local guest to join them on stage to tell personal stories, and then the comedians use those stories as fodder for their scenes. They’ve always invited a real person, never a fictional character. So when Michael Tobin of Footlights Theatre in Falmouth suggested inviting Santa Claus to the stage, their knee-jerk reaction was, “That’s not what we do.”

But they thought about it and decided to say yes anyway.

“The ethos of the group and of improv is we say ‘yes’ when somebody makes you an offer,” Kuykendall said.

Kuykendall said the holidays are great inspiration for improv in part because many traditions have an element of absurdity. Their special guest for this one-night-only show is the man in the red suit.

“Santa is going to have a little twinkle in his eye,” Tobin said.

YES&Co. presents shows for all ages on the second Saturday of every month at the Portland Media Center. The next one is Dec. 13. The venue is also alcohol and substance free, perhaps a welcome option for those who don’t drink or want to start Dry January sooner rather than later.

Dec. 9; $20; thefootlightstheatre.com; 207-747-5434

MORE GROWNUP FUN

Ragtime Rebellion and the Sexy Circus will present ” ‘Twas the Night Before Fascism” at The Hill Arts in Portland on Dec. 5 and 6. The 18-plus variety show will feature music, vaudeville, circus and burlesque. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. For more information, visit thehillarts.me.

Mayo Street Arts in Portland presents an irreverent and heartfelt “Grumbo’s Lonely Christmas” on Dec. 17. Despite recent heartbreak, the green misfit is determine to host his Christmas party. Tickets are available for $20 in advance, $23 at the door, and $30 for preferred seating, with pay-what-you-can options. For more information, visit mayostreetarts.org.

Footlights Theatre in Falmouth will stage “Holidazed!” on Dec. 20 for those adults who are just trying to make it through the season. Tickets are $25. For more details, visit thefootlightstheatre.com.