10 NAKED MEN
Opening. Ronnie Larsen's appropriately titled comedy about Hollywood prostitution, featuring adult film star "Rocky." Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave, 706-2634. $25-$30. Thurs-Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 7 and 10 pm, Sun at 7 pm. Through June 8.
2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS
Musical theater in the hands of music majors about their lives in music. Written by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 443-2222. $15-$46. Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun matinees at 2 pm. Through June 1.
42nd STREET
Opening. The classic musical about musicals. The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave, 292-2787. $16-$60. Opens Wed May 21 at 7:30 pm. Tues, Wed, Sun at 7:30 pm, Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sat-Sun at 2. Through June 8.
7 STRANGERS
Final week. EXITheatre returns to its unscripted, Real World-based performance piece of a few months back for what's being called the "season finale." EXITheatre, 5611 11th Ave NE, 851-6730. $10. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 17.
FINISHING SCHOOL
In the premiere of Yussef El Guindi's latest satire, a brutal tyrant hires a D.C.-based public relations firm for a makeover in an attempt to win U.S. foreign aid. "At times, the play was wooden, giving the impression that it would've made a better Harper's essay than a piece of live performance. Nevertheless, genuinely compelling moments emerge--and despite its flaws, Finishing School manages to tell an interesting story and pose serious moral questions without being pedantic--a rare achievement among playwrights who wear their contempt for American media on their sleeves." (Brendan Kiley) Theatre Babylon at Union Garage, 1418 10th Ave, 720-1942. $12. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 24.
GIGI
Final week. Lerner and Loewe's classic musical is undertaken by Seattle's Civic Light Opera. Seattle Civic Light Opera at Jane Addams Summit School Auditorium, 11051 34th Ave NE, 363-2809. $20-$30. Fri-Sat at 2 and 8 pm, Sun at 2:30 pm. Through May 17.
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
See review this issue. Bring me the head of the man who introduced David Mamet to the word "fuck." Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 325-6500. $8-$22. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 31.
GOD'S MAN IN TEXAS
Opening. God's people in Greenwood present the Seattle premiere of David Rambo's comic drama about a preacher at odds with his successor. Taproot Theatre, 204 85th St, 781-9707. $16-$26. Opens Fri May 16 at 8 pm. Wed-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2 and 8 pm. Through June 14.
* GO THERE
"Sara Rudinoff's one-person show (directed by her former Hedwig costar, Nick Garrison) is just about the best one-person show I've seen this side of ever. There isn't a moment of this show I'd change, and that's the most I can say for any show. And this is the first time I've ever said it. Viva la Rudinoff! Go see this show." (Adrian Ryan) Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 323-0388. $13. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 31.
JOE SHMOE
Founding Habit member Jeff Schell presents his latest pseudo-surrealist production--a satire of bureaucracy and the madness it inspires. The Habit Productions at Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 696-8430. $11. Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 8 and 11 pm. Through May 31.
* NORA
Final week. "The production is clean, the acting competent, with only one minor mystery/irritation: Who is the sad and silent girl with the teddy bear? What is she doing in this play? Does she represent the three children who are watching their family disintegrate? I have no idea. All in all, the play succeeds by delivering exactly what I want to see: the 19th century, the dilemmas of the rising middle class, and the bleak Scandinavian Weltanschauung." (Charles Mudede) Intiman Theatre, Seattle Center, 269-1900. $27-$42. Tues-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2 and 8 pm, Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm. Through May 18.
ONDINE
Opening. Adapting Jean Giraudoux's original French text, director Sean McEnaney presents this "mythic fantasy" of knights and sirens. Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Ave N, 382-4250. $15. Opens Fri May 16 at 8 pm. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 7 pm. Through June 21.
PIGS! THE ROCK MUSICAL
Final week. Youth theater production of "The Three Little Pigs," set to music. Guaranteed to "blow your house down." Youth Theatre Northwest, 8805 SE 40th St, 232-2202. $11-$15. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, matinees Sat-Sun at 2 pm. Through May 18.
PROJECT X: BEFORE THE COMET COMES
See review this issue. Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. $22-$40. Sun-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. Through May 31.
RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL
Final week. "The show's one bruise lies in falling victim to its own object of scorn--cuteness. Like sweet leading ladies of yore, the sardonic mode has become its own cliché. A line delivered darkly by a drag queen does not a joke make. Not any more, at least. Sitting in the theater, I got the uncomfortable feeling I was watching an actual bloated ingénue's last stand--past her prime, still believing she's cutting-edge." (Brendan Kiley) ArtsWest Playhouse, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0339. $10-$24. Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, 3 pm matinee on May 17. Through May 17.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
"Get a little Wilde!" invites Seattle Public Theater's press release--and with wordplay like that, you know they've just got to do justice to this clever classic. Seattle Public Theater at Bathhouse Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 890-1362. Free. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through May 25.
THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER
Based on the children's novel of the same name, director Rita Giomi presents an Elizabethan tale of friendship and theft. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, 441-3322. $12-$26. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 and 5:30 pm. No shows the weekend of May 23. Through June 15.
THINGS BEING WHAT THEY ARE
"The story is as emotionally engaging as a box of saltines. The acting's good, the direction's fine, the theater craft in general is okay. I just lament that the effort didn't go toward a story that went somewhere or characters I could manage to give a fig about." (Adrian Ryan) Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, 443-2222. $32-$46. Tues-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm. Through May 25.
TWO ROOMS
Final week. A laid-back evening of Shiite terrorism and Western imperialism with Lee Blessing's 1988 drama about Americans taken hostage in Beirut. "Due in large part to the static direction of Eric Schinfeld, this production creates a hostage of its own--the audience. For 90 minutes, the actors stand rigid on Chelsie Hanner's vague set, resolutely failing to engage with their characters and reciting their lines in two manners: falsely reserved or falsely explosive. The actors reveal no progression of motivation that would in any way lead us to care for these people." (Gregory Zura) Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave, 297-3064. $10. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 17.
VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE
See review this issue. The Little Theatre, 610 19th Ave E, 219-3161. $7-$12. Sat at 4 and 11 pm. Through May 31.
WAITING FOR LEFTY
This week only. A dramatic retelling of the 1935 New York City taxi strike--with plenty of raised fists and "yeah!" choruses. Stone Soup Theatre, 4035 Stone Way N, 633-1883. $6-$8. Thurs-Sat May 15-17 at 8 pm.
FESTIVALS, CABARET, & COMEDY
12 MINUTES MAX
This week only. Now in its 24th year, On the Boards' artist-friendly, time-sensitive performance showcase 12 Minutes Max has grown into a veritable rite of passage for up 'n' coming Northwest performers--be they writers, dancers, or wonderfully entertaining freaks. This month's installment offers Burnt Studio Productions, Sally Dean and Yvonne York, and Bret Fetzer. On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $7. Sun-Mon May 18-19 at 7 pm.
THE BIG IDEA
Two weeks filled to the absolute brim with undergraduate theater, featuring the Undergraduate Ten Minute Play Festival, improv, cabaret, faculty discussions, and even some outdoor Shakespeare. Cabaret Theater, Hutchinson Hall 205, UW Campus, and Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3931 Brooklyn Ave NE, 543-6450. $5-$15. Contact uwbigidea@hotmail.com for specific details. Through May 24.
THE CABARET OF DR. CALIGARI
This week only. I'm not too sure what a bunch of parlor magicians have to do with Robert Wiene's macabre German expressionist classic of 1919, but tonight's production features the talents of Brian Ledbetter, Roger Needham, Fredrick Turner, and more. The Jewel Box Theater, 2320 Second Ave, 853-7336. $10. Tues May 20 at 7 pm.
CHINA DOLLS
"Hmmm... you're a middle-aged, middle-class, middlebrow closeted homosexual in town for business, and you'd like to find a revue that indulges your persistent and inexplicable desire to watch strident, self-congratulatory drag queens and drama-school dropouts belt out show tunes without a trace of irony. Well, fasten your seat belt--have I got a show for you!" (Tamara Paris) Wait... what? Productions at Standard Lounge, 527 S Main St, 605-6033. $18-$25. Thurs-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 7:30, 9:30, and midnight. Through May 25.
FRENCH CABARET ON BROADWAY 2003
Final week. Buncha French songs, sung in French by Frenchies. Le Centre Français, 623 Broadway Ave E, 726-4843. $8-$10. Sat at 8:30 pm. Through May 17.
MIKE EPPS
This week only. Best known for his role as Chris Tucker's replacement in the subsequent Friday sequels, Epps no doubt keeps it "real" with an evening of standup. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, 467-5510. $35.50-$44.50. Fri May 16 at 8 pm.
MENU
Final week. "Improv that's made to order." Market Theater, Post Alley, 781-9273. $10. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through May 17.
NEW SCANDINAVIAN FOLLIES
This week only. A celebration of Norwegian and Mexican (?) independence, with "uniquely American" musical accompaniment. Featuring the talents of Emily Cowgill and Toby Hanson. Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St, 866-486-7623. $12-$15. Fri May 16 at 8 pm.
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL
One week only. Culled from a worldwide survey of children's performers, the 17th annual festival offers five days of disparate entertainment for a bunch of ungrateful little monsters. Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St, 684-7338. $12. See www.seattleinternational.org for more details. Through May 17.
THE SNEEZE OF HERCULES
Final week. Opera, as performed by expensive dolls. Northwest Puppet Center, 9123 15th Ave NE, 523-2579. $18-$22. Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. Through May 18.
VACLAV
Czech-born magician Vaclav dazzles over dinner. Bouchee, 3510 Fremont Ave N, 632-5220. Fri at 7 pm. Free. Open engagement.
DANCE
CORNISH JUNIOR DANCE COMPANY SPRING CONCERT
This week only. Cornish's second string perform Pas de Quatre, as well as original works by choreographers Pat Hon, Christine Juarez, Courtney Harris, and more. Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway Ave, 325-6500. $7-$10. Sun May 18 at 2 and 7 pm.
LATE NIGHT
* CARLOTTA'S LATE NIGHT WING-DING
The delightful alter ego of Troy Mink returns with a late-night talk show, featuring a wealth of local talent. Northwest Actors Studio Cabaret Space, 1100 E Pike St, third floor, 625-6500. $8-$10. Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm, bar opens at 10 pm. Through June 7.
FOOLS PLAY IMPROV
This week only. Late-night comedy that is somehow simultaneously "improv" and "sketch." ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0339. $5-$7. Sat May 17 at 10:30 pm.
