SHOWTIME

The biggest theatrical weekend of the season is upon us. Five new shows are opening, beginning tonight with the national touring version of the Gershwin musical “Crazy for You” at the Spokane Opera House (previewed in Sunday’s IN Life section). The other four premieres are all homegrown, from four of the region’s major theatrical institutions: The Actor’s Repertory Theatre (ARt), the Spokane Civic Theatre, CenterStage and the Lake City Playhouse. Here’s an advance look at each:

‘The Drawer Boy’

Since this is a Northwest premiere, the title of ARt’s new play may be unfamiliar to local theatergoers.

However, the rest of the theater nation – and Canada, too – appears to be crazy about “The Drawer Boy.”

Time magazine called it one of the 10 best plays of 2001. It won the Canadian Governor-General’s Literary Award for Best English drama. Michael Healey, the Canadian actor-playwright who wrote it, won the Helen Hayes Award for Achievement in Theatre at the Kennedy Center.

It’s about a young, self-absorbed Toronto actor who shows up at the door of two quiet, middle-aged farmers in 1972. He tells them he is there to research a play about “country life.” They are less than thrilled.

What begins as a culture-clash comedy turns into something far deeper when the young actor stumbles upon the truth about their past.

ARt says the play is filled with “warmth, humor and unconditional friendship.” It is based loosely on actual events in 1972 when a group of Toronto actors went to live with Ontario farm families to collect stories for a theatrical production called “The Farm Show.”

This production is directed by Tralen Doler, known to ARt audiences as the piano player in this season’s “Dirty Blonde.” Andy Greenfield plays Miles, the young actor. Reed McColm and Michael Weaver, the ARt artistic director, play the two farmers.

“The Drawer Boy” opens Friday and continues through Jan. 30. Friday showtimes are at 8 p.m.; Saturday showtimes are at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.; and Wednesday and Thursday performances are at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $18 on Fridays and Saturday nights, $16 for matinees and $14 on Wednesday and Thursday nights ($2 discount for seniors). Student tickets are $10 for all shows. Call 838-4013 for reservations.

ARt is the professional theater in residence at the Spartan Theatre at Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive.

‘What’s Wrong With This Picture?’

The Spokane Civic Theatre turns to one of the best American contemporary playwrights, Donald Margulies, for a comedy that has been described as a “Jewish ‘Blithe Spirit.’ “

“What’s Wrong With This Picture” tells the story of a middle-aged dry cleaner named Mort whose wife, Shirley, has recently died after choking on a hunk of moo shu pork. His grief is compounded by the fact that Shirley was in the middle of redecorating the house when she died.

The rest of the family, including a teenage son, try to help him move on with his life, with mixed results.

“Margulies skillfully tosses us back and forth between hilarity and sentiment, all the while never leaving gaps of logic in this most illogical situation,” wrote the L.A. Weekly.

A number of Margulies’ other works have been seen on Spokane stages, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Dinner With Friends” as well as “Sight Unseen” and “Collected Stories.”

“What’s Wrong With This Picture” was originally developed for the Jewish Repertory Theatre and had a short Broadway run in 1994 starring Faith Prince and Jerry Stiller.

The Civic’s production features Maynard Villers as Mort and Evelyn Renshaw as Shirley. The rest of the cast includes Cody Wymore, Phyllis Silver, Nik Adams and Toni Cummins. Kim Roberts directs.

The show opens on the Civic’s Main Stage on Friday at 8 p.m. and continues through Feb. 5. Curtain times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 2 p.m. for Sunday matinees.

Tickets are $17 for adults, $14 for seniors and $12 for students, by calling the box office at 325-1413 or through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

The Spokane Civic Theatre is Spokane’s community theater at 1020 N. Howard St.

‘Romance Romance’

CenterStage, the region’s professional dinner-theater venue, will deliver two courses of musical comedy with “Romance Romance.”

This show, which was a Tony-nominated Broadway hit in 1988, is actually two distinct one-act musicals, related by theme.

The first is subtitled “The Little Comedy,” based on a short story by Arthur Schnitzler. It tells the story of two upper-crust 19th century Viennese friends, Alfred and Josephine, who tell each other they are bored with their love lives. To spice things up, they separately decide to masquerade as lower-class in order to find someone who will love them for who they are. They end up meeting each other.

The second act is subtitled “Summer Share,” based on “Pain de Menage” by Jules Renard. It tells the story of two contemporary Manhattan couples who share a beach house in the Hamptons. They must confront the intensity of their feelings for each other, the allure of romance – and the possible consequences of unfaithfulness.

The show was a popular and critical success on Broadway, starring Scott Bakula. Each act contains more than a dozen songs.

The CenterStage cast includes Tony Caprile, Jamie Andrea Rae Mathis, Jadd Davis and Selena Schopfer. Jessica McLaughlin is the director and Leslie Ann Grove is the musical director.

“Romance Romance” opens Friday and runs through Feb. 5. Cocktail service begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 and curtain at 7:30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There also will be a Sunday matinee on Jan. 30, with lunch at 1 p.m. and show at 2.

Tickets for dinner and show are $39 on Thursdays and Sundays, $45 for Friday and Saturday nights. Show only tickets (including dessert and beverage) are $22 for any performance. Student show-only tickets are $15.

Call 747-8243 for tickets and reservations. Tickets also are available through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

CenterStage is at 1017 W. First Ave.

‘Something’s Afoot’

The Lake City Playhouse, Coeur d’Alene’s community theater, will poke some musical fun at the mystery genre in “Something’s Afoot.”

The story is set up like an Agatha Christie-style mystery, with 10 people stranded in a remote English country mansion during a thunderstorm. They begin to die, one by one, in increasingly bizarre ways.

The survivors, including Miss Tweed, need to find the culprit – and soon.

This 1976 Broadway show is more than a whodunit. It is also a comedy, spoofing the British mystery conventions, and a song-and-dance show.

The cast includes Vince Aurora, Tom Nash, Julie Nash, Bruce Martinek, Garrett McDonald, Jessie Bradford, Shayla Keating, Steve Hammond and Aimee Hanaan. Todd Jasmin directs, and Noel Barbuto is the musical director.

“Something’s Afoot” opens Friday and continues through Jan. 29. Curtain times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. on Thursdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and $8 for children. Thursdays are discounted, $10 for adults and $5 for all others. Call (208) 667-1323.

The Lake City Playhouse is at 1320 E. Garden in Coeur d’Alene.