Opening Nights

A Christmas Carol 2007 Opens at the Actors Cabaret of Eugene Nov. 30.

You like your holidays splendiferous and all Broadway'd out? Right, well, Broadway's on strike right now, so you might as well suck it up and head to the corner of 10th and Willamette, and I don't mean to the snotty, Scrooge-y gym but to the warm and welcoming ACE, where the music of Alan Menken (think Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc.) and the lyrics of Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime) will charm the meanness right out of your heart. Show dates are Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7-9, 14-16 & 21-22. Tix available at www.actorscabaret.orgor 683-4368.

It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Opens Dec. 1 at the Wildish Theatre in Springfield; opens Dec. 6 at the Lord Leebrick Theatre.

Is this your favorite holiday movie? Well, the play's a bit different, according to the PR. Your performing arts editor must admit she's never seen the movie, so the distinctions might be lost. But "live radio play" sounds cool! Directed by the much-honored Carol Horne and starring, among others, Best of Eugene Readers Poll winner and daily paper columnist Bob Welch (oh, and some actors, like Jeff Pierce, Sharon Sless and Bary Shaw), this show should be an interesting addition to the holiday canon. Head to the pretty, pretty Wildish or wait for the show's return to the intimate Leebrick. Show dates are Dec. 1 & 2 in Springfield and Dec. 6-16 in Eugene. For tix, go to www.lordleebrick.comor call 465-1506.

The Wizard of Oz Opens Nov. 30 at Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove.

What? No Ghost of Christmas Past? No little children of war and famine? No angels walking around giving presents to people?

Nope. Just the traditional, familiar scaries — the monkey, the Wicked Witch of the West — and the familiar lovies: Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and, best of all, Toto. It's the movie, adapted and turned into a stage production. Want to feel all warm and fuzzy without getting Xmas-ified? Head south, people. Show dates are Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-2, 6-9 and 13-16. Tix available at www.cottagetheatre.orgor 942-8001.