Las Vegas Little Theatre board members are apparently breathing a little easier.

The controversial "Take Me Out," which ends a three-week engagement Sunday, has been doing sell-out business, says president Walter Niejadlik. There was plenty of concern that the Tony-winning baseball drama, which contains several scenes of male nudity, would offend much of LVLT's senior-citizen subscription base.

Niejadlik says a warning is given before each performance about the show's nudity. He said there have been about six walk-outs in two weeks. One person complained on the way out that she thought nudity meant the actors would be wearing underwear. One letter writer complained that the show was not "family fare." Niejadlik agrees. But he argues that LVLT shouldn't be obligated to do only family fare. "We're not Super Summer Theatre," he said. "We should do a variety of things."

But the general word of mouth on "Take Me Out" seems to be good. "We've been pleasantly surprised," Niejadlik said. "I don't think some people give our senior citizens enough credit. They're not as (narrow-minded) as some think." He's hoping that the success of the show will encourage the LVLT board to take chances on interesting scripts in the future.

"There are some who would be happy if we did six Neil Simon plays a year," he noted. "This play has brought in a lot younger crowd than we're used to, and we've been trying to appeal to a young crowd for a long time." ...

People regularly ask why some actors are mentioned in reviews and others not. There are a variety of possible reasons, but frequently it comes down to a matter of space. A critic is often forced to pick four or six major points to talk about. This past week, for example, I regretted not being able to salute more of the cast in Signature Productions' "Into the Woods," now at the Summerlin Performing Arts Center through April 22. Brandon Albright is humorously and wholesomely conniving as a prince who, gulp, cheats on Cinderella. Nancy Denton is magnetic in a variety of roles, most notably as the voice of the murderous giant. And Kelli Andino is a beguiling Rapunzel, even when her character is bored out of her mind. Keith Dotson's choreography is playfully effective. Philip Shelburne's take on Stephen Sondheim's 1987 musical is the best we've seen locally. ...

And speaking of shows that did not get praised enough, director Douglas Baker's "Parade," now through Sunday at the Community College of Southern Nevada (about the real-life murder trial of Leo Frank in 1913 Georgia), contains many people in small parts who look as if they have the charisma and talent for lead roles. Kevin Sanders is a standout as the teenager who almost gets to woo the young Mary Phagan before her murder; Lisa Smith sings her small role of Lola (a flighty young girl who falsely testifies against the defendant) so powerfully that you want to know more about her; Chris Saseun, as murder suspect Newt Lee, is an intriguing presence; and David Tapper as a newspaper reporter who sometimes gets a tad too enthusiastic, is a major comic presence. This is a Vegas premiere worth celebrating.

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.