Theater Listings

Opening This Week

ATLANTA Marcus Hummon and Adrian Pasdar’s Civil War-era musical romance. GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Wstwd.; opens Wed., Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 4 & 8:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Jan. 6 (no perf Dec. 22). (310) 208-5454 or www.geffenplayhouse.com.

BENEDICTUS America plans to bomb Iran, in Motti Lerner’s political drama, translated from the Hebrew by Anthony Berris. LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; opens Thurs., Nov. 29, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 9. (323) 461-3673.

BOB’S HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY Small-town insurance agent throws his annual Christmas bash, in Joe Keyes and Rob Elk's comedy. LOUNGE THEATRE, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Thurs., Nov. 29, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 22 (323) 960-7714 or www.bobsofficeparty.com.

CUCKOO CROW Butoh-inspired physical theater with avant-garde music, by Degenerate Art Ensemble. REDCAT, W. Second & Hope sts., dwntwn.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 8:30 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 2, 7 p.m. (213) 237-2800.

DESK SET William Marchant’s 1956 romantic comedy about a TV network research staff and an efficiency expert. LONNY CHAPMAN GROUP REPERTORY THEATRE, 10900 Burbank Blvd., N. Hlywd.; opens Fri., Nov. 23, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 28 (Dec. 2 perf, 7 p.m.). (818) 700-4878 or www.lcgrt.com.

DOMINICANISH Josephina Baez’s solo show, incorporating  poetry, dance, music and spoken-word. (In Theatre 4.) LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 2, 3 p.m. (323) 461-3673.

DYNAMITE KABLAMMO! HOLIDAY SPECIAL Zombie Joe presents “an hour of your all-time favorite sketches.” ZJU THEATER GROUP, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 23-24, 8:30 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 25, 2 p.m. (818) 202-4120.

GIRL’S NIGHT: THE MUSICAL Five female friends hang out, reminisce, bitch and sing. CORONET THEATRE, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., W. Hlywd.; opens Thurs., Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.; call for schedule; thru Dec. 28. (310) 657-7377.

GOSPELS OF CHILDHOOD Poland’s Teatr Zar collective interprets Christian texts through acting, chanting and movement. UCLA FREUD PLAYHOUSE, Macgowan Hall, Wstwd.; Tues.-Fri., Nov. 27-30, 8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 1, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 2, 2 & 7 p.m. (310) 825-2101.

HOLIDAY MEMORIES OF BING Bing Crosby’s widow, Kathryn, remembers the crooner with stories and songs. EL PORTAL THEATRE, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 23-24, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 25, 3 p.m. (818) 508-0281.

LETTERS TO THE PRESIDENT Selections from the more than 130 letters M.S. Garvey has written to President Bush. ELECTRIC LODGE, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 9. (866) 793-5727 or www.letterstotheprez.com.

MONNA VANNA Maurice Maeterlinck’s 15th-century Italian drama. STELLA ADLER THEATRE, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Thurs., Nov. 29, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 16. (323) 465-4446.

NARNIA Musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy tales, book by Jules Tasca, lyrics by Ted Drachman, music by Thomas Tierney. SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; opens Fri., Nov. 23,8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 23 (call for added perfs). (626) 256-3809.

OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN ALL THE WORLD: THE AMERICAS Performance installation starring 33,000 pounds of rice. SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; opens Nov. 29; thru Dec. 30. (310) 440-4500.

SANTASIA: A HOLIDAY COMEDY Holiday sketch comedy, film parodies and musical farces. WHITEFIRE THEATRE, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; opens Thurs., Nov. 29, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 22 (aded perfs Dec. 9 &16, 3 p.m.; Dec. 24-25, 8 p.m.). (818) 990-2324.

A VERY GRAND GUIGNOL CHRISTMAS Featuring The Laboratory of Hallucinations by André de Lorde and These Cornfields by Georges Courteline. “Due to violence, this show is inappropriate for children.” (Part of the Physical Theatre Arts Festival with comedy troupe Ten West; call for schedule.) ART/WORKS THEATRE, 6569 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Sat., Nov. 24, 8:30 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 22 (added perf Nov. 25, 7 p.m.). (323) 960-4418 or www.grandguignolers.com.

WINTER WONDERETTES Sixties holiday party, written and directed by Roger Bean, choreography by Janet Miller, musical direction by Brian Baker. EL PORTAL THEATRE, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; opens Sat., Nov. 24, 8 p.m.; perfs Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 31. (818) 508-0281.

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.

BETTY GARRETT, CLOSET SONGWRITER With a supporting ensemble, the 88-year-old Betty Garrett sings and dances through a musical revue. Garrett, who’s been writing songs her entire life, penned all of the lyrics. (The 28 very short songs are credited to numerous composers.) Many of her introductions from the sidelines make passing reference to key events in her life: childhood in the Depression, her husband Larry Parks’ persecution by HUAC during the Red Scare. While choreographer Devra Korwin has tailored the dance numbers to Garrett’s age, Garrett is still able to pull off a mean soft-shoe number. THEATRE WEST, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 2. (323) 851-7977. (Sandra Ross)

CRY-BABY Based on the movie by John Waters, book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, songs by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger. LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla; Tues.-Wed., 7:30 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 16. (858) 550-1010.