A variety of plays and musicals begin their runs on local stages this week.
"CHARLY, A LOVE SONG," Lex de Azevedo and Heather Young's musical version of Jack Weyland's popular novel, will have 16 performances in the Draper Historic Theatre, beginning Thursday. Directed by Kevin McClellan, the cast includes Candice Cook in the title role and Phil Smith as Sam.
Performances are Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with one Saturday matinee on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and students and $6 for children (572-4144 or www.drapertheatre.org).
"THE FARNDALE AVENUE HOUSING ESTATE TOWNSWOMEN'S GUILD DRAMATIC SOCIETY'S PRODUCTION OF MACBETH," brings Shakespeare to the StageRight TheaterCompany stage, from Saturday through Aug. 21. The latest Farndale adventure has members of the British women's club bent on entering a drama competition — and it's probably no coincidence that they choose Shakespeare's legendary "cursed" play, adding a few Murphy's law curses of their own.
Director Daniel Bishop's cast includes Karyn Tucker, Charla Brinkpleter, April Edmunds, Mary Zullo, Ann Jensenk, Aina Holtz-Lagor, Jeff Davis, Mike Law and Dave Sanderson.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. at 5001 S. Highland Drive, just south of Cottonwood Mall. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens (272-3445).
"THE STAR-SPANGLED GIRL," Neil Simon's comedy about two radical young writers living in San Francisco in 1966 who are confronted by a patriotic landlady across the hall is being staged Friday through Aug. 14 by Wasatch Theatre Company. Directed by Jennifer Popple, the cast consists of Jim Martin as Norman, Brian Pilling as Andy and Alyssa Powers as Sophie.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. in the Columbus Center, 2531 S. 500 East. tickets are $7 (446-5657).
"THE MUSIC MAN," Meredith Willson's classic Broadway musical, will be playing in two Wasatch Front amphitheaters through Aug. 4 — a combined Midvale and Taylorsville Arts Council collaboration in the Alder Amphitheater at Salt Lake Community College's Redwood campus and an "Arts in the Park" production at the Murray City Park amphitheater.
— The Midvale/Taylorsville production, which recently played in Midvale, will move to the Alder Amphitheater for five performances — Wednesday-Saturday and Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. The amphitheater is located just west of the student center. Directed by Bruce and Marcia Craven, the cast includes Craven as Prof. Harold Hill, Alisa McNulty as Marian, Stacey Vass as Mrs. Paroo, Brett Huish as Winthrop, Amelia Rose Moore as Amaryllis, Stephanie Johnson as Mrs. Shinn and Wyn L. Howard as Mayor Shinn. Tickets are $5 for general admission or $20 for a family pass, admitting up to six people (597-9789 or 262-4895).
— The Murray Arts Council production, directed and choreographed by Brent Schneider, features Dave Oldroyd as con-man Hill and Bethany Newman as Marion, with Scott Ferrin and Carolee Coleman as the Shinns. Performances are 8 p.m. nightly except Sunday, from Thursday through Aug. 4 in the Murray Park Amphitheater. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children and senior citizens. Group rates are available only in advance (281-8161).
"THE WIZARD OF OZ," directed by Ernie Doose, will be presented Friday through Aug. 7 at the Sandy Amphitheater, 1300 E. 9400 South. The 65-member cast includes Dana Rasmussen as Dorothy, Scott Morgan as the Cowardly Lion, Jared Saunders as the Scarecrow, Eric Richards as the Tin Man, Karen Sharp as Glinda, the Good Witch; Bonnie Wilson as the Wicked Witch, Mark Pulham as the Wizard, Meredith Gibson as Auntie Em and Stan Babb as Uncle Henry.
Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Aug. 2-7. Tickets for adults are $12 for premium seating, $10 for priority seating and $8 on the lawn, with tickets for senior citizens and youths (12 and under) priced at $11, $9 and $5 (568-2787).
"PETER PAN," directed by Carolyn J. Stevens, brings British collaborators John Caird and Trevor Nunn's new adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic story to the Terrace Plaza Playhouse stage in Ogden. In this version, a newly added character — the Storyteller — narrates the plot, giving the audience additional commentary about the Darling family. (The Storyteller is actually portraying author Barrie.)
The cast includes Gershom Mott and Cameron Kapatenov, double-cast in the title role, and Dan Christiansen as Captain Hook.
Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. at the theater, 99 E. 4700 South. Tickets are $8-$10 for adults and $5-$7 for children, with a $1 discount for senior citizens and students (393-0070).
"OKLAHOMA!," Rodgers and Hammerstein's landmark musical, is being staged Thursday through Aug. 7 by Farmington City Leisure Services in the Woodland Park amphitheater. Performances are Thursday-Saturday and Aug. 5-7 at dusk. All tickets are $3 each, at the gate.
"THE CASTLE VALLEY PAGEANT," an outdoor drama relating the history of the area around Castle Dale, will be presented Thursday through Aug. 7 in a 4,000-seat amphitheater on Spartan Boulevard. Now in its 26th year, the pageant also includes a replication of a pioneer village, where patrons can learn about such crafts as blacksmithing, farming with horse-drawn implements, weaving and spinning. The free 90-minute performances, which begin at 8:30 p.m., are Thursday-Saturday and Aug. 3-7.
"WHATSOEVER: THE STORY OF ABRAHAM," a musical written by the late Mark Ogden (and considered to be something of a local classic in St. George), is being added to the St. George Musical Theater company's summer repertory series — "a summer season of biblical proportions." It will alternate through the end of August with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "The Ark." Performances are Friday and Aug. 5, 9, 14, 20 and 26, all at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens and $10 for children (www.sgmt.org or 435-628-8755).
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com