At elite Dance & Theatre, fairy tales are always fractured. Tianna Cooney stars in the title role of Cinderella, adapted and directed by company member Cheri Costales. The selection of a suitable princess is turned into a reality show and the lady in question is as real as it gets; elite’s Choreography is as original as Cinderella herself. The show runs March 31-April 10 at elite Dance Studios, 701 Osuna Rd. NE, Suite 1200. Tickets: elitedancetheatre.com
A new-to-ABQ theater company, Actors Studio 66, renders Aaron Posner’s Life Sucks at Black Cat Cultural Center, 3011 Monte Vista Blvd. NE from April 7-24. Based on Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (Posner also wrote Stupid F*cking Bird based on Chekhov’s The Seagull), it’s funny, touching and has great local film and stage actors in it. Directed by Frederick Ponslov. Tickets: actorsstudio66.org
The Vortex Theatre will reopen in-house performances with Trevor by Nick Jones, directed by Pete Parkin. Trevor is a chimpanzee who used to be on TV. His owner, Sandra, loves him. But we know what Trevor’s really thinking, ratcheting up the tension for the audience. The wonderful Angela Littleton plays the hapless woman; Michael Weppler plays Trevor. April 22-May 8, The Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle Blvd. NE. Tickets: vortexabq.org
Adobe Theater will follow up their popular Honky Tonk Hissy Fit with Driving Miss Daisy, a by-now classic show, in which Daisy Werthan and Hoke Colburn navigate racism and anti-Semitism over many years together from behind the wheels of a succession of sedans. From April 29-May 22, The Adobe Theater, 9813 4th St. NW. Tickets: adobetheater.org
If you like your dramas set to music, Popejoy enthusiastically presents short runs of Jersey Boys on April 7-10 and Come From Away on May 11-15. Eclectic offerings for sure: the Four Seasons with Frankie Valli, and a true story about Operation Yellow Ribbon, in which 38 planes were directed to land in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, after the September 11 attacks. The citizens stepped up. Tickets: popejoypresents.com
You can still see Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced through April 3 at Albuquerque Little Theatre, or save your applause for Grease, a perennial favorite opening May 13 and running through June 7. Looks like the latter is double cast, so you can go twice. Tickets: albuquerquelittletheatre.org or at the Box Office 505.242.2750.
Mario Cabrera directs Hay Fever by Noel Coward for West End Productions, May 5-15. Enjoy this period farce at N4th Theatre, about a theatrical family who all but ignores their house guests in order to squabble among themselves. Live piano music by Brad Clement informs the 1930s atmosphere. Tickets (with a limited number of reduced price tickets for opening night): westendproductions.org