Curtain rises on diverse Las Vegas theater season

Shakespeare. Sondheim. Lloyd-Webber. Elvis. Jane Austen. Sophocles. Mommie Queerest. Whales. Bugs. Chicas.

They're all part of the 2009-10 local theater season, starting tonight and running through next August. The diversity of the scripts and the lengthy list of scheduled shows -- in addition to the many that have yet to be scheduled -- suggests to even the foulest skeptic that Vegas really does have a theater scene.

Some playhouses continue their effort to bring irreverent, offbeat material to Sin City. Atlas Theatre opens September with a musical version of the 1936 film cult classic "Reefer Madness" -- not the sort of thing you're likely to find at a distinguished school for drama. Onyx Theatre kicks things off with a Los Angeles favorite, "Mommie Queerest," in which writer Jamie Morris tries to outdo Faye Dunaway in her neurotic portrayal of Joan Crawford. They'll try to top that with a thing called "Chico's Angels No. 2: Love Boat Chicas," about three Latinas trying to solve cases even though they flunked the police academy.

There's plenty on the boards for fans of the traditional.

The College of Southern Nevada will bring the seldom seen Jean Giraudoux classic "The Madwoman Of Chaillot" as well as Peter Barnes' "The Ruling Class" (remember Peter O'Toole "nailing" himself to the cross in the 1972 film version?). And it has been a while since we've seen a mounting of CSN's upcoming 1973 anti-Vietnam drama "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder," so it will be intriguing to see how the script holds up. Signature Productions will bring alive Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I" and Adler/Ross' "Damn Yankees" -- as well as a little seen jukebox musical called "All Shook Up," featuring the songs of Elvis Presley.

We've sat through many versions of "West Side Story" here, but it should be fascinating this season to see a group of professional-level high-school students tackling the musical in a Las Vegas Academy mounting. For that matter, there probably will be high anticipation for the academy's modernized version of Sophocles' "Antigone."

Same with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Vegas has experienced the musical many times, but the question now is, how will Rainbow Company -- a children's theater -- handle it?

One of the major curiosities this season will be the newly formed British National Theatre of America. That's a very high-toned name, and it's only natural for it to arouse expectations.

BNTA begins its season in September with a physical theater piece, "Durty Nelly's Lullaby," that takes place in an Irish pub and is being performed in an Irish pub. The group will get help from a couple of Cirque du Soleil performers on that one. And they've announced a full season, including the Vegas premiere of "A Night at the Dogs," written by the young, highly regarded (in England) playwright Matt Charman.

Las Vegas Little Theatre's mainstage is mixing the old with the new, with a little Neil Simon ("I Ought to Be in Pictures"), a little revisionist Mark Twain ("Is He Dead?" adapted by David Ives), a '70s Broadway hit ("The Shadow Box") and a recent light comedy about gay politics vs. platonic friendships ("Regrets Only" by frequent New Yorker humor writer Paul Rudnick).

LVLT's Fischer Black Box is hosting four major Vegas premieres: "Recent Tragic Events" -- a comedy that takes place on the day of the World Trade Center disaster; David Mamet's "The Shawl"; David Lindsay-Abaire's "Wonder of the World"; and "Bug," by Pulitzer-Prize winner Tracy Letts.

Perhaps the biggest surprise premiere is Nevada Conservatory Theatre's opening its season with a play that was up for a Tony Award earlier this year: Neil LaBute's "Reasons to be Pretty." (Remember the old days when local theaters had to wait years for a Broadway show?) The NCT is rounding out its year with familiar titles such as "Company," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Little Dog Laughed."

The Utah Shakespeare Fest has an unusual fall lineup: They're doing three shows, and not one is written by Shakespeare. You can feel the budget cuts.

But their bill-of-fare next summer includes "Macbeth," "The Merchant of Venice" and "Much Ado About Nothing," as well as a musical version of "Great Expectations," an adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" and a spoof of the thriller "The 39 Steps."

Several playhouses will be offering original works: the Katherine Gianaclis Park for the Arts, Las Vegas Little Theatre, Nevada Conservatory Theatre and Rainbow Company.

A couple of cautions: Every year, a certain number of titles change. The schedule of events is meant only as a general reference guide for what playhouses are planning. Also, most troupes perform only on the weekend, some on selected days during the week. Show times often vary. It's worth your while to contact the theaters just before their announced production dates to get the latest information.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.