Theater Listings

Opening This Week

ANNIE Orphanages were never more fun than in this peppy musical. Book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin. TORRANCE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, JAMES ARMSTRONG THEATRE, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance; Fri., Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 27, 1 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 28, 2 p.m. (310) 781-7171.

BETTY GARRETT, CLOSET SONGWRITER Musical revue featuring dozens of original songs. THEATRE WEST, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Hlywd.; opens Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (323) 851-7977.

CINDERELLA Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie’s adaptation of the fairy tale. SANTA MONICA PLAYHOUSE, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 6 p.m.; perfs Fri., 6 p.m.; thru Dec. 14. (310) 394-9779.

COME BACK TO THE 5 & DIME JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN Reunion of James Dean fans, by Ed Graczyk. HERMOSA BEACH PLAYHOUSE, Pier Ave. at Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Nov. 4. (310) 372-4477.

DOUBT, A PARABLE Priest denies encounter with student, in John Patrick Shanley’s drama. SOUTH COAST REPERTORY, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; opens Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Wed., 7:30 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 & 7 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (714) 708-5555.

EN UN SOL AMARILLO Teatro de los Ande’s docudrama set after the 1998 Bolivia earthquake. (In Spanish with English supertitles.) KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City; opens Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6 p.m.; thru Nov. 25 (no perfs Nov. 13-16 & 22; added perf Nov. 19). (213) 628-2772.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Based on the Disney TV movie (no nudity!). Book by David Simpatico, music adapted, arranged and produced by Bryan Louiselle. LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; opens Fri., Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.; perfs Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 5 p.m.; thru Nov. 4. (949) 497-2787.

LOYAL WOMEN Gary Mitchell’s look at Protestant paramilitary ladies in modern Belfast. THE BANSHEE, 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank; opens Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 2.

MELANCHOLIA LTC Laboratory’s study of the mental and emotional effects of military combat. LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; opens Thurs., Nov. 1, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Nov. 11 (no perf Nov. 10). (323) 461-3673 or www.thenewlatc.com.

’NAMI Chad Beckim’s tense story about New York neighbors. HAYWORTH THEATER, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; thru Nov. 17. (323) 960-7788 or www.plays411.com/nami.

ONCE UPON A PARK BENCH Nine new short plays. ACTORS WORKOUT STUDIO, 4735 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Nov. 18 (no perf Nov. 11). (818) 506-3903.

PRIVATE THOUGHTS ON CUMMING OUT Black lesbian meditations on sexuality, by Mary Robinson, Thelma Brown and Jakquelyn Sullivan. THE COMPLEX, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sun., Oct. 26-Nov. 4, 8 p.m. (310) 909-7517 or www.privatethoughtstheplay.com.

SCREWBALLS John Edelman’s body-switching takeoff on classic comedies. ODYSSEY THEATRE, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., W.L.A.; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 15. (310) 477-2055.

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS Just like the movie, music by Johnny Mercer, lyrics by Gene DePaul. FRED KAVLI THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Nov. 4 (added perf Oct. 28, 7 p.m.). (805) 449-2787.

STRIP Bikini girls grind the pole in George Damian’s exotic-dancer story. ACTOR'S PLAYPEN, 1514 N. Gardner St., Hlywd.; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (323) 960-4429 or www.plays411.com/strip.

SUCCESS Norman Beim’s play about aspiring thespians. STELLA ADLER THEATRE, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Mon., Oct. 29, 8 p.m.; perfs Mon-Wed., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (323) 465-4446.

SUCKER-PUNCH HUG-A-LUG Sketch comedy by Gas Money. THEATRE ASYLUM, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Tues., Oct. 30, 8 p.m.; perfs Tues., 8 p.m.; thru Nov. 20. (323) 962-0046.

TONIGHT AT EIGHT-THIRTY Noel Coward one-acts. DEAF WEST THEATRE, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; opens Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.; perfs Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun, 3 & 7:30 p.m.; thru De . 23. (866) 811-4111 or www.antaeus.org.

VALET Bradon Breault and Matthew Morgan’s comedy about parking cars. FLIGHT THEATER AT THE COMPLEX, 6472 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Sun., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.; perfs Sun., 7:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 9. (323) 251-6930.

VIRGIN LOVE Tim Groff’s tale of a Caribbean virgin. RICARDO MONTALBAN THEATER, 1615 Vine St., Hlywd.; opens Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m ; schedule varies, call for info; thru Dec. 2. (323) 463-0089.

VOYAGE TO THE CENTER OF HADES Cruise ship to hell mini-musical, created by Ian MacKinnon. HIGHWAYS PERFORMANCE SPACE, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 26-27, 8:30 p.m. (310) 315-1459 or www.highwaysperformance.org.

WAR OF THE WORLDS: RADIO PLAY Written by Howard Koch. LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, Theare 3, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; Fri.-Sat., Oct., 26-27, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 28, 3 p.m. (323) 226-1230.

Larger Theaters

Reviews by Paul Birchall, Lovell Estell III, Mayank Keshaviah, Deborah Klugman, Steven Mikulan, Steven Leigh Morris, Amy Nicholson, Tom Provenzano and Neal Weaver.