Cathy, I understand your pain. Driving 80 miles can feel like an odyssey, especially in SoCal. Thankfully, there are loads of fun places where your family can meet in the middle (or close to it). I've rounded up some solid options. By the way, the driving times mentioned here are a rough estimate for a weekend day without traffic, but as you probably know, your actual time may vary.
The holiday season is to Broadway and Off-Broadway what Black Friday is to retail: the moment when audiences flood in, families plan outings en masse, and producers hope that box-office receipts can single-handedly balance the year's budget. Shows built around nostalgia, spectacle, or the holidays themselves (i.e. A Christmas Carol, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, The Nutcracker) tend to dominate.