Theater: New and Noteworthy

Broadway Then & Now

(Bristol Riverside Theatre). A midsummer big band show-tune review. Thursday through next Sunday and Aug. 16-19.

The Fifth Folio: An Improvised Shakespeare Performance (PHIT, 2030 Sansom St.). Wednesday nights throughout August are dedicated to improv Bard, by (it says here) "the best actors in the world." Wednesday.

The Gin Game (Cape May Stage). The enduringly popular 1978 Pulitzer Prize winner, about a friendship at a nursing home. Wednesday through Sept. 22.

Heathers: The Musical (Avenue Theatre Company/Christ Church Neighborhood House). The R-rated pop-rock musical version of the cult film. Thursday through next Sunday.

Reviewed by Hugh Hunter (H.H.), Julia M. Klein (J.M.K.), Jim Rutter (J.R.), and John Timpane (J.T.).

Ah, Wilderness! (East Lynne Theatre Company, Cape May). Eugene O'Neill in a comic vein. A charming production, with good actors who evince a familiar world now much in the past. Through Sept. 2. - H.H.

Around the World in 80 Days (Hedgerow Theatre, Rose Valley). Hedgerow specializes in affectionate farcical renditions of epic adventures - with tiny (in this case, five-person) casts. Through next Sunday.

As You Like It (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa.). The perennially popular comedy of love in the woods - in director Matt Pfeiffer's hands, deft, often dark, unexpectedly moving. Ends Sunday.- J.M.K.

Guys and Dolls (Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope). The Frank Loesser sparkler based on the tales of Damon Runyon. An absolutely fabulous, Broadway-level show, worth the drive. Really exceptional. Ends Saturday. - J.T.

Moon Over Buffalo (People's Light, Malvern). Ken Ludwig's look back at showbiz and marriage as of 1953. Despite great moments by the lead actors, this production, alas, seems corny and dated. Ends next Sunday. - J.R.

My Fair Lady (Bucks County Center for Performing Arts, Doylestown). Eliza Doolittle drives her teacher nuts. Ends next Sunday.

New Jersey Fringe Festival (Eagle Theatre, Hammonton, N.J.). Productions include School Play by Tribe of Fools, The Best of Me by J. Hernandez and Amanda Schoonover, The Confession of Jeffrey Dahmer by Going Dark Theatre, other plays, and lots of cabaret. Ends Sunday. Information: jerseyfringe.com.

Newsies (Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven, N.J.). Read all about it! The Disney musical about the newsboy strike of 1899. Ends next Sunday.

Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival (Caplan Studio Theatre, UArts). This year's headliner is Hear Me War by Sarah Galante and Jaime Jarrett. Also a staged reading of Out of the Wake by Megan Diehl. Ends Sunday. Information: phillywomenstheatrefest.org.

The Three Musketeers (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa.). Ken Ludwig's madcap adaptation of the Dumas swashbuckler. A funny, sparkling rendition - and the two stars are the choreography and the set. Ends Sunday. - H.H.

Tommy and Me (Theater Exile/FringeArts). The wildly popular true-life tale of Ray Didinger and Eagles wide receiver Tommy McDonald. Likely to sell out quickly. Thursday through Aug. 20.

Troilus and Cressida (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa.). A doomed love affair set against the Trojan War. A very problematic play, not the Bard's best, but this energetic, cabaret-style revival injects a lot of life into it. Ends Sunday. - H.H.

Wreck of the Spanish Armada (Aerodrome, 251 Ranger Rd., Cape May Airport). Bill Sterritt's rollicksome love story/adventure. Monday-Thursday until Labor Day; then Friday-Sunday through mid-October.