4233QuickTix returns with top theater picks, fresh from the TIC. Columbia’s top 4 these days are…

4. XMAS

3. Bhangra In the Heights

2. KafkaFest

1. The Secret Garden

Bhangra and Garden may be over, but tickets are still available for XMAS and KafkaFest, and they’re FREE. What on earth is KafkaFest, you ask? A collection of six Kafka-inspired plays written, directed and produced by grad students in Drama. They run on different nights, in the Schapiro Theater. Also recommended, and with a nearly-as-cool title, the Columbia Black Theater Ensemble presents Purlie Victorious on 12/11 and 12/12 for $4 with CUID, $5 without. And the Met Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, under $30 from the TIC, is always a good bet. Where else can you find gingerbread houses and edible children just in time for the holidays?