Maybe it's not all that bad. There certainly is a bounteous potpourri of entertainment to enjoy amid the hustle and hubbub. Start with three, count 'em, three productions of "The Nutcracker," and at least three different takes on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Hawaii's musicians, singers, dancers and theater companies are offering more of everything at the time of year most island residents seem to have the least free time and money available to spend on the arts and entertainment.

"It's tough. In the last four or five years this has been our hardest time slot to sell. Even plays that were well known often did poorly," says Dwight Martin, producing director of Manoa Valley Theatre.

MVT got a jump on the 1996 Christmas season with a Thanksgiving Eve opening for its Christmas offering, "Inspecting Carol."

The show offers a hilarious look at contemporary theater in general and traditional Christmas season entertainment in particular. It's the first time that MVT has presented a Christmas-themed show during the holidays.

"We decided to bite the bullet and find something with a holiday theme. A broad comedy poking fun at the perennial holiday entertainment seemed appealing. Everything is moving at such a pace that we do tend to lose the underlying meaning of Christmas and we thought in part because other groups are doing the traditional things it would be more unique to do something that would be in counterpoint."

Diamond Head Theatre artistic director John Rampage admits "it's risky," but he's overseen some creative some tinkering with DHT's perennially popular production of "Scrooge."

Among the changes: Dion Donahue, surprise hit of DHT's recent production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," has replaced Jim Seibel as the Christmas ghosts; Marcelo Pacleb has rechoreographed the dance numbers; the Bob Cratchit/Glenn Miyashiro family has been replaced by the Kawainui ohana.

And, Rampage confirms, this is absolutely the last hurrah for "Scrooge" at DHT.

"Originally it was scheduled for five seasons. We extended it again, but it was felt by everybody that if we were going to present for a final season it needed a little bit of a face lift.

We've rewritten some of the characters to suit Dion a little more. We have so many great kids audition and the Hawaiian calabash family opens it up a little bit more for (kids of) different races, and the character of Tiny Tim this year is actually a pair of 6-foot twins - Tiny and Tim."

Producer Dustin Sparks has likewise made some judicious changes in putting a new spin on "Santa's Light Parade" at Ala Moana Center. Chris Luke (Kawika in Sparks' center production of "Imagination" ) and returnee Roslyn Freitas co-host the colorful fast-moving '96 Parade.

Mahia'i Kekumu, Jade Anguay and Christy Rumbaugh are other familiar faces. Five-and-1/2-year old John Suzuki is a quick audience favorite as a mini Santa.

"There's so much going on this time of year that you have to keep (a show) fresh for your audience. We've made changes every year including this one - new arrangements and different songs. I don't know how we're going to top this one (for next year) but Santa's train is always popular," Sparks says.

Another performer getting into the Christmas mode is ASATAD principal Gary Anderson who appears as Scrooge in the Honolulu Dance Theatre post-Christmas production of "A Christmas Carol."

"It's (been) a lifelong dream to do Scrooge, but it's (also) one of the most challenging roles of my career because I can't dance or verbalize what the character is feeling. Working with a great choreographer like Matthew Wright and all these wonderful dances has been the thrill of a lifetime."

Christmas entertainment from a nontraditional perspective is the order of the day as the Iona Pear Dance Theatre stages its annual production of "The Mythology of Angels" at the Hawaii Theatre tonight.

The show offers a variety of perspectives on angels - with and without wings - and includes a topical piece that draws parallels between angels fallen from heaven and homosexuals dying of AIDS.

"You'll certainly get a holiday spirit from it, but it's not your typical Nutcracker-Christmas Carol program by any stretch of the imagination," company Executive Director Tom Kelley notes.

"The phone rings pretty regularly around this time each year so there are a lot of people who look forward to it.

"Every year we consider not doing it, but the audiences keep asking for it. It's the company's most recognized piece and when you have a winner you don't want to let it go."

"A Christmas Carol," presented by Honolulu Dance Theatre; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 27-29; Leeward Community College Theatre. Admission: $16. Call 988-3202

"A Musical Christmas," presented by the Honolulu Academy of Arts; 2 p.m. Dec. 17; Honolulu Academy of Arts. Admission: $5. Call 532-8726

Aloha Tower Marketplace Holiday Music Festival; noon-2 p.m. Dec. 20. Admission: Free. Call: 528-5700.

Brothers Cazimero; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 4 p.m. Dec. 15; Blaisdell Concert Hall. Admission: $15-$45. Call: 591-2211.

Handel's "Messiah," presented by the Oahu Choral Society; 8 p.m. Dec. 14; Blaisdell Concert Hall. Admission: $10-$35. Call: 591-2211.

Handel's "Messiah," presented by Cathedral Music Associates; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18; St. Andrew's Cathedral. Admission: Free. Call: 524-2822.

"Hodie! Hodie! The Joy of Christmas," presented by the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday; St. Andrew's Cathedral. Admission: $15. Call: 955-8821.

"Honolulu Brass Holiday Celebration!" presented by Chamber Music Hawaii; 7:30 p.m. Monday; Christ Church, 1300 Kailua Road. Admission: $15. Call: 947-1947.

"Hunky Santa," 10 p.m., Christmas Eve; Hula's Bar & Lei Stand, 2109 Kuhio Ave. Admission: No cover. Call: 923-0669.

"Inspecting Carol," presented by Manoa Valley Theatre; through Dec. 22; Manoa Valley Theatre. Admission: $25 Fridays and Saturdays; $23 for other performances. Call: 988-6131.

"The Magical Voices of Christmas," presented by Stelley's School Musical Theater Students; 1 p.m. Dec. 14; Kapolei Recreation Center. Admission: Free.

Makaha Sons Christmas Concert; Dec. 22, dinner show seats at 4:30 p.m. Cocktails-only late show seats at 9 p.m.; Pagoda Hotel, 1525 Rycroft. Admission: $35 dinner show includes prime rib and snow crab buffet, $18 cocktails-only late show includes one drink. Call: 941-6611.

"The Mythology of Angels," presented by the Iona Pear Dance Theatre; 8 p.m. today; Hawaii Theatre. Admission: $20-$30. Call: 528-0506.

"The Nutcracker," presented by Hawaii Ballet Theatre; Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22; 8 p.m. Dec. 7, 14, and 21; 2 p.m. Dec. 8, 14-15 and 21-22; Leeward Community College Theatre. Admission: $18 ($2 discount for seniors, children and military). Call: 422-9772.

"The Nutcracker," presented by Hawaii State Ballet; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 13-15, 20-22; Mamiya Theatre, St. Louis Center for the Arts. Admission: $14-$22. Call: 947-2755.

"The Nutcracker," presented by Ballet Hawaii; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21, 2 p.m. Dec. 21-22; Blaisdell Concert Hall. Admission: $23-$39 for the Dec. 21 matinee, $18-$34 for all other performances.Call: 591-2211.

"Santa's Circus Revue;" 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday through Dec. 24; Kahala Mall Center Stage. Admission: Free. Call: 732-7736.

"Santa's Light Parade;" 6:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday through Dec. 22, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 23, 5 p.m. Dec. 24. Ala Moana Center Court, mall level. Admission: Free. Call: 946-2811.

"Scrooge," presented by Diamond Head Theatre; 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 8, 10-13, 15, 17-20, 22; Diamond Head Theatre. Admission: $10-$40. Call: 734-0274. Preview also at 6:30 p.m. today at DHT to benefit the Waikiki Health Center's Youth Outreach Project. Tickets $25. Call 922-4787.

"The Shepherds' Play," presented by the Honolulu Waldorf School; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13. 350 Ulua St. Admission: Free. Call: 377-5471.

"Twelve Days of Christmas;" 5 p.m. Dec. 13-24; Banyan Court, Sheraton Moana Surfrider. Admission: No cover, one-drink minimum. Call: 922-3111.