AROUND TOWN: Nevada Conservatory Theatre tickets now on sale

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV closed its 2008-09 season with "The Music Man" just in time to unveil its 2009-10 season. Tickets are on sale for the Main and Second Seasons, which kicks off in September.

The Main Season consists of the following:

"Company" book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, at 8 p.m. on  Oct. 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 4 and 11. The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this landmark "concept" show that inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre. In search of happiness Robert breezes through encounters with April (the stewardess), Kathy (the girl who's going to marry someone else), Marta (the "peculiar" one). In vignette after hilarious vignette, we also meet "those good and crazy people," his married friends. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state weighing the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes "alone is not alive."

"Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol"  By Israel Horovitz, adapted from "Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol" at 8 p.m. Nov. 27, 28, Dec. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13. Ebenezer Scrooge is a penny-pinching miser. He cares nothing for the people around him and mankind exists only for the money that can be made through exploitation and intimidation. Bah Humbug! He particularly detests Christmas which he views as “a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer”. Three spirits, ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, lead Scrooge through time showing him the error of his ways. In the end, will Scrooge become “as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew”? Join us to find out.

"The Women" by Clare Boothe Luce at 8 p.m. Jan. 29, 30, Feb. 4, 5, and 6 and at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 7. One of the sauciest, most stylish American comedies of all time was also a play ahead of its time. Mary Haines’ society girlfriends know a secret about her husband – and between the beauty parlors, the department stores, the hours in psychoanalysis and the dinner parties – something’s sure to slip. These cunning, sexy sophisticates use every weapon in their arsenal to fight for love, happiness, and their personal dignity in this dishy, decadent 1936 classic. Spend an evening with this viciously entertaining group of women and you may discover that while times have changed, people haven’t.

"The Little Dog Laughed" by Douglas Carter Beane at 8 p.m. Feb. 26, 27, March 4, 5 and 6 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 and March 7.
Yes, we love the cinema for its great auteurs, its glorious faces and its daring images. But in this tabloid age where big stars go on Oprah and jump around like heartsick schoolboys, what we really love is all that dish! Mitchell Green could hit big if his agent, Diane, can keep him in the closet. Trying to help him navigate Hollywood's choppy waters, she does all she can to keep Mitchell away from the cute boy who's caught his eye and the boy's girlfriend (wait, the cute boy has a girlfriend?). Will there be a happy ending as the final credits roll? (Adult content)

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare at 8 p.m. on April 23, 24, 29, 30 and May 1 and at 2 p.m. April 25 and May 2.
Four Athenian lovers, mismatched in their desires, seek refuge on a moonlit night in an enchanted forest. They become enmeshed in a domestic dispute between the King and Queen of Fairies, and their lives - and loves - are forever changed. The mischievous Puck and Bottom the Weaver are the midsummer night’s masters of intrigue, weaving tales of love, magic, and mistaken identity. In this topsy-turvy world the natural and the supernatural collide for uproarious knock-about comedy. The Bard at his best!

The Second Season, which is suggested for mature audiences, will feature "Reasons to Be Pretty" by Neil LaBute at 8 p.m. on Sept. 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 20 and 27. A love story about the impossibility of love from one of the most important new voices in the American theatre. Greg really, truly, adores his girlfriend, Steph. Unfortunately, he also thinks she has a few physical imperfections, and when he casually mentions them, all hell breaks loose. A hopelessly romantic drama about the hopelessness of romance.

"The Musical of Musicals" by Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell at 8 p.m. on March 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 and at 2 p.m. on March 14 and 21. In this hilarious satire of musical theatre, one story becomes five delightful musicals, each written in the distinctive style of a different master of the form, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. June is an ingenue who can't pay the rent and is threatened by her evil landlord. Will the handsome leading man come to the rescue? A comic valentine to musical theatre.

Season tickets start at $95 for the main season's five shows and an additional $25 for the second season's two shows. To download an order form, visit http://nct.unlv.edu/tickets.html. For information, call 895-3663 or long on to http://nct.unlv.edu.

— Lauren Romano