BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Opening. A foxy bookworm finds love in the arms of a hideous monster who once tried to kill her father in this Disney-fried musical. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, 467-5510. $20-$60. Tues-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm, with matinee performances Sat at 2 pm and Thurs Oct 3 at 1 pm. Through Oct 13.

COPENHAGEN

Opening. Seattle Rep presents Michael Frayn's Tony-winning Copenhagen, a fictionalized account of two atomic physicists, Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, former colleagues who meet as opponents during World War II, then talk about a whole bunch of stuff for a long time. Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, 443-2222. $15-$40. Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun matinees at 2 pm. Through Oct 26.

COWBOYS ARE MY WEAKNESS

Book-It Repertory gallops toward cowboy romance with a remount of its adaptation of Pam Houston's short stories "For Bo," "Selway," and "How to Talk to a Hunter." Book-It Repertory at Seattle Center House Theatre, 305 Harrison St, 325-6500. $15-$22. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun matinee at 2 pm. Through Oct 13.

AN EVENING WITH JOHN MORAN & EVA MÜLLER

Closing. Celebrated experimental composer and Philip Glass protégé John Moran teams with German actress/dancer Eva Müller for an intimate evening of excerpts from some of Moran's more famous pastiche compositions. On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $18. Thurs-Sun at 8 pm, with additional performances Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm. Through Sept 29.

FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF

Closing. Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates directs Ntozake Shange's evergreen tribute to the power of poetry in the face of oppression and stuff. Bathhouse Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 524-1300. $10-$18. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun matinee at 3 pm. Through Sept 29.

FUDDY MEERS

An amnesiac stumbles to regain some semblance of memory upon awaking to a crazed cast of characters (who may or may not be her relatives) in this frantic comedy. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $32.50-$44. Sun-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, matinees at 2 pm Sept 26, 29, and Oct 5, 6, 12, 13. Through Oct 13.

FULLY COMMITTED

Solo show about an unemployed actor taking reservations for an ultra-chic restaurant. Now with Daniel J. Chercover. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $24.50-$29.50. Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Open run.

* MANSLAUGHTER

This week only. Exploiting sex, drugs, and violence to entice theatergoers may be old hat, but the folks at Vital 5 gallery have upped the ante a bit with this one--all the world truly is a stage as this experimental production hits the streets of downtown Seattle for a different interpretation of street theater. Vital 5, 2200 Westlake Ave, 254-0475. $10. Fri Sept 27 and Sat Sept 28 at 8 pm. See Stranger Suggests.

MATCHSTALK MAN

New City Theater gets back in the game with this "punk hoodlum" comedy made famous by London-based theater ensemble Tenth Planet Productions. New City Theater Zero & Strike Anywhere Productions at South End Warehouse, 2110 S Airport Way, 328-4683. $8. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through Oct 26.

OIL CITY SYMPHONY

"Maybe I'm too young to feel nostalgic about concerts in high-school gyms, maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but all the energy and musical wizardry that went into Symphony should, by my lights, have had a worthier object. Heavy on faded '80s ambiance and light on story, revelation, or thought-provoking material, Symphony is charmingly lighthearted, sometimes funny, and sometimes musically interesting, in a novelty-show kind of way." (Brendan Kiley) Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. $18-$26. Wed-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, with additional Sat matinee at 2 pm. Through Oct 5.

OKLAHOMA!

"Where the corn's as high as an elephant's eye... " Village Theatre, 303 Front St N, Issaquah, 425-392-2202. $25-$42. Wed-Sat at 8 pm, Sun matinees at 2 pm. Through Oct 27.

OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA

Based on the works of Jennifer L. Holm, Our Only May Amelia is the tale of an outspoken young girl finding her way in the wilderness of 19th-century Oregon Territory. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, 441-3322. $12-$26. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm and 5:30 pm. Through Oct 26.

SCAPIN

Molière's comic tale of love and vengeance--in song form. Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St, 269-1900. $27-$42. Tues-Thurs & Sun at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, matinees Sat-Sun at 2 pm. Through Oct 19.

SEASCAPE

Closing. "Characteristically Albee-ish, Seascape finds an aging, long-suffering married couple miscommunicating with each other for the first act, then miscommunicating with a pair of talking reptiles for the second. Occasionally funny, Seascape's problem isn't opacity or the amateurish production (that's part of the charm), but that it's a dated old thing, and has aged as gracelessly as its main characters." (Brendan Kiley) Steeplechase at Liberty Deli, 2722 Alki Avenue SW, 935-8420. $29 with meal, $15 show only. Fri-Sat at 6:30 pm, with Thurs shows at 7:30 pm. Through Sept 28.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD

Jason Robert Brown's acclaimed "musical journey" of loosely related songs and scenes--all of which gained resonance after 9/11, the press release reports. Raggedy Z productions at Crêpe de Paris, 1333 Fifth Ave, second floor, 623-4111. $21-$48. Wed-Thurs at 8 pm, Fri-Sat at 8:30 pm. Through Oct 12.

* STAGE DOOR

See Stranger Suggests. In the tradition of The Women and Mae West's Sex, Annex Theatre director Ed Hawkins attempts a campy resuscitation of Ferber & Kaufman's 60-year-old stage production concerning the hopes and dreams of a "boarding house for ladies of the stage": Stage Door. The Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 728-0933. $14. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Oct 13.

TEATRO ZINZANNI: DINNER & DREAMS

The most expensive dinner theater of all time--three hours of gluttony, lust, and eye candy. Featuring the effervescent yet earthy Kevin Kent. "Dinner & Dreams isn't a disaster. The food is great, and a handful of the performers are dazzling. But for every bit that dazzles, a half-dozen fall flat." (David Schmader) Teatro ZinZanni, Sixth & Battery, 805-0015. $89 Wed-Fri & Sun, $99 Sat (includes dinner, but not beverages or gratuity). Wed-Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 5:30 pm. Open run.

FESTIVALS, CABARET, & COMEDY

* 12TH ANNUAL SEATTLE FRINGE FESTIVAL

Closing. See reviews this issue. "By rearranging both its priorities and its scheduling, the Seattle Fringe Festival looks to be transforming itself from the deeply hit-or-miss affair of yesteryear--when the fest's all-are-equal ideology frequently made for happy novice theater-makers and miserable audience members--into a big, bustling theater-bash worth leaving the house for. This year's Fringe Fest boasts 97 productions in nine Capitol Hill venues over 11 days." (David Schmader) Broadway Performance Hall, Central Box Office, 1625 Broadway Ave, 322-2018. $5-$17 per show. For specific shows, venues, and performance times, see seattlefringe.org. Through Sept 29.

CAMPFIRE

Long-form improvisation, based on audience experiences with unexplained--i.e., spooooooky!--phenomena. Unexpected Productions at Market Theatre, Post Alley, 781-9273. $10. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through Oct 26.

DAVE CHAPPELLE

One night only. Sponsored by Diet Coke with Lemon! Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 215-4800. $27.50-$32.50. Fri Sept 27 at 9 pm.

KAFTAN!

A charmingly ramshackle kitsch cabaret with It's Mark Mitchell, Kurt B. Reighley, Paula!, and guests. "A nice-enough dose of free entertainment." (Josh Feit) Swedish Housewife at ING, 1530 Bellevue Ave, 329-5388. Free. Sun at 9 pm. Ongoing.

DANCE

BATTLE OF SEATTLE REMIX

This week only. A modified repackage of Daniel Cruz's recent hiphop dance opus Battle of Seattle, which got "mad love" at its last performance over the summer. Cruz Control at Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, 15343 25th Ave NE, 621-7378. Fri-Sat Sept 27-28 at 8 pm, Sat matinee at 2 pm.

THE MERRY WIDOW

Opening. Pacific Northwest Ballet inaugurates its latest season with a story of passion and political intrigue: the fictional tale of a wealthy beauty and the suitor who must woo her for the good of his country. Pacific Northwest Ballet at Mercer Arts Arena, Seattle Center, 389-7676. $16-$110. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm. Through Oct 5.

LATE NIGHT

NEITHER/NOR #4

One night only. The fourth and final installment of Bald Faced Lie's Neither/Nor series, tonight's hodgepodge (or mishmash, if you will) is a consortium of oddball performances, featuring such adept performers as Tim Sanders, Imogen Love, and Branden Romans--plus Kevin Mesher and Evan Mosher, whose names sound suspiciously similar. Bald Faced Lie at Li'l Red Shack Gallery, 1028 First Ave S, 856-6555. $10. Fri Sept 27 at 11 pm.