Colin Myers

Cabaret. It's 1931 in Germany, a country of unrest. We find ourselves at the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy cabaret, a place of decadence and emotional abandonment. Hanging over the entire scene is the aura of the growth of the Nazi party and the impending reign of terror.

The Washington DC area is truly lucky to get the last leg of the RAGTIME - THE MUSICAL National Tour this toasty weekend. Currently playing at the Wolf Trap Filene Center until Saturday, June 11, RAGTIME's director Marcia Milgrom Dodge has pieced together a powerful show full of emotion, beautiful imagery, and strong voices.

Rhode Island audiences, prepare to be dazzled. RAGTIME is - deservedly - one of the most highly acclaimed musicals of the last two decades and the touring production now playing the Providence Performing Arts Center does the show's rich legacy proud.

At the beginning of Act II of Ragtime, Terrence McNally's masterful musical adaptation of E. L. Doctorow's novel, journeyman pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr., decimated by the murder of his beloved Sarah, sings, 'Say goodbye to music / Say goodbye to light.' This sums up my feelings about Theater League's production of Ragtime, which arrived for a brief four-day stay at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Thursday night. The original 1998 Broadway production won a Tony Award for Best Score, but many patrons who packed the Fred Kavli Theatre on opening night were dismayed to discover that Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's sumptuous, moving songs were being played from pre-recorded synthesized music tracks. Despite superb performances from the entire cast, Theater League's Ragtime suffers greatly from this omission, which was apparently a decision of Phoenix Entertainment, the independent theatrical producing and management enterprise in charge of producing the show.

You haven't seen A Christmas Story until you've seen it live on stage at Cleveland Play House! This hilarious comedy based on the short stories of author Jean Shepherd has been delighting TV audiences for over 30 years. But instead of waiting for the 24-hour TV marathon to start, why not experience the magic of the holiday season live on stage with your loved ones at the Allen Theatre? Cleveland Play House's exuberant production of this beloved holiday classic will have you in stitches as you follow the trials and tribulations of little Ralphie Parker in his quest for the "holy grail" of Christmas gifts. With so many memorable moments and iconic images, it's no wonder that an illuminated leg lamp and pink bunny suit have become synonymous with the holiday season! Experience the magic for yourself November 28 - December 21 in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare.

You haven't seen A Christmas Story until you've seen it live on stage at Cleveland Play House! This hilarious comedy based on the short stories of author Jean Shepherd has been delighting TV audiences for over 30 years. But instead of waiting for the 24-hour TV marathon to start, why not experience the magic of the holiday season live on stage with your loved ones at the Allen Theatre? Cleveland Play House's exuberant production of this beloved holiday classic will have you in stitches as you follow the trials and tribulations of little Ralphie Parker in his quest for the "holy grail" of Christmas gifts. With so many memorable moments and iconic images, it's no wonder that an illuminated leg lamp and pink bunny suit have become synonymous with the holiday season! Experience the magic for yourself November 28 - December 21 in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare.