Pulitzer-winner ‘Crimes’ staged on Whidbey

“Crimes of the Heart”: There are a lot of good reasons this play won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982.

This comedy by Beth Henley is a slice of Southern life that’s smothered in witty dialogue and served by a set of female characters who are captivating, tough and dysfunctional.

Henley has brought us the MaGrath sisters of Hazlehurst, Miss., who manage to bring themselves up from a dark family history.

“Each character seems to have created her own hell, made worse by complex and often humorous interactions with the others,” director Rose Woods said. “However, a deeper, more focused perspective reveals a resilient and loving endurance.”

The sisters are Lenny, whose horse is dead; Meg, whose singing career is just about sunk; and daffy Babe, whose husband is almost dead, seeing as how she just shot him.

But these women rise above this diversity with Southern grit and charm.

“Crimes of the Heart” opens at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Ave., Langley. Shows run at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 23.

Tickets range from $15 to $22. Go to www.wicaonline.com or call 360-221-8268 or 800-638-7631.

“The Music Man”: The 5th Avenue Theatre is boasting a new production for this classic story about con-man Harold Hill that opens Feb. 7.

With book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, this production features a full house with a 20-piece orchestra and a cast of 29 adults and 16 children.

“The 5th is proud to bring this joyous iconic show back to our stage for the first time since 1995 in a fully realized production as you have never seen it before,” said executive producer and artistic director David Armstrong in a prepared statement.

Seattle native Noah Racey returns from Broadway to play Professor Harold Hill, accompanied by Laura Griffith as Marian the librarian.

The story revolves around Hill, a charismatic traveling salesman who is trying to con the folks of small-town River City, Iowa, out of a bunch of money. But Hill finds himself torn at the end of his scheme between making a bundle and keeping his true love.

The musical has a timeless score that includes, “Til There Was You,” “76 Trombones” and “Trouble.”

“The Music Man” opens at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave, Seattle. Shows are at various times through March 10.

Tickets start at $31. Go to www.5thavenue.org or call 206-625-1900.

“Jeeves in Bloom”: Taproot Theatre’s 2013 season opens with this comedy where the peace and tranquility of an English countryside is broken when Bertie Wooster comes to town.

Good thing Bertie has his trusted valet, Jeeves, to help him out as Bertie tries to flee a cleaver-wielding chef, an unwanted romance and the burgling of his uncle.

You may remember Jeeves from P.G. Wodehouse’s series or the BBC comedy “Jeeves and Wooster.”

“Jeeves in Bloom” opens at 8 tonight at Taproot Theatre, 204 N. 85th St., Seattle. Shows are at various times through March 2.

Tickets range from $20 to $40. Go to www.taproottheatre.org/ or call 206-781-9707.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.