FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Sept. 19-Oct. 19
Everyone loves a good story about changing things up — bucking tradition for a fresh, new way of life, especially if a few sentimental love stories and some catchy tunes are involved. Maybe that's why Fiddler on the Roof won nine Tony Awards and was the first musical in history to surpass 3,000 performances. The classic tale about a Jewish family in 1905 Imperial Russia will spend a month at the Civic under the direction of Troy Nickerson and Heather McHenry-Kroetch. (JM) Spokane Civic Theatre, $22-$30, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm
LES MISERABLES
Oct. 2-18
It looks like the Inland Northwest can't get enough Victor Hugo. Last year, the Spokane Civic Theatre's production of Les Misérables was a huge hit for the theater, to the point that they revived the musical for a couple of performances at the Fox with the symphony. Now Coeur d'Alene gets a taste of one of the most classic musicals of all time with a production from Lake City Playhouse. George Green, LCP executive artistic director who has helmed a number of hits for the theater in recent years, directs a cast of LCP regulars. The theater's music director, Zach Baker, is behind the tunes, which hard-core fans likely will be humming along to. (MB) Lake City Playhouse, $17-$25, Through Oct. 12. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Nov. 7-22
Sometimes good intentions don't have the best results. The Glass Menagerie is Tennessee Williams' magnum opus about a fatherless young man playing matchmaker for his physically disabled, introverted older sister. Struggling writer Tom Wingfield brings home a coworker to meet his sister at the urging of his mother, who pines for better days. Meanwhile, her daughter Laura struggles with self-image amongst her family of glass statues. Gentleman caller Jim O'Connor is just along for the ride. Again, watch the Inlander for details on this show. (CV) Interplayers Theatre, $12-$40, Wed-Sun, show times vary
WITHIN THE SILENCE
Nov. 13
Since time machines don't exist, the next best alternative to explore the past is on stage and screen. That's the mission of Living Voices, a NYC-based, nationally touring nonprofit that seeks to bring history to life through live theater. Washington State University is host to Living Voice's historically accurate portrayal of a Japanese American family from Seattle who are forced out of their home to a remote Idaho internment camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Told mainly from the perspective of teenage girl Emiko Yamada, Within the Silence sheds light on a unfavorable period of American history when our own citizens were swept away and silenced out of intolerance and ignorance. (CS) Jones Theatre at Daggy Hall, WSU, $5-$10, 7:30 pm
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL
Nov. 21-Dec. 20
Don't be a Scrooge. Instead, celebrate the holiday season with a Christmas trademark. Whether you've already visited the Ghost of Christmas Past, or are simply wondering what all the humbug is about, give a nod to Charles Dickens with the Civic's performance of a musical version of this winter classic. Directed by new Civic Artistic Director Keith Dixon, the timeless tale reminds us all to maintain a selfless outlook on life, especially during the giving season. (MS) Spokane Civic Theatre, $22-$30, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm
RENT
Dec. 26-27
Presented by the Lake City Playhouse and the Friends of the Bing, Rent is a remarkable rock musical that upon its 1996 opening was almost instantly considered a modern classic. The high-energy, Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the story of a group of struggling New York artists striving to find their creative voices under the specter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Rent ran for 12 years on Broadway, making it the 10th longest-running production in history at the time it shut down in 2008. (DN) Bing Crosby Theater, $25, 8 pm
