4 PRODUCTIONS OPENING ON UTAH STAGES

In addition to the five variations on "A Christmas Carol" opening this week, these productions are also opening on stages in the region:

- THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS, the Promised Valley Playhouse's annual holiday production, opens a monthlong run on Friday, Nov. 25, and continues through Friday, Dec. 23.Now in its fourth year, the show is a kaleidoscopic view of the Christmas season, with vignettes ranging from skaters in Salt Lake City to Santa's workshop, a scene from "The Nutcracker" ballet, an abbreviated "A Christmas Carol" and an inspirational Nativity sequence.

Overall, the production has the look and feel of a pared-down Radio City Music Hall Christmas extravaganza, without the Rockettes. One big thing in it's favor, however, is that with the many and varied scenes, it never becomes boring for small fries. Plus the scenery is first-rate, the costumes are colorful and the music - an original score by Randy Boothe and Michael McLean - is consistently enjoyable.

Performances will be Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. Admission ranges from $7 to $14, depending on seat location. There will also be a discount of $1 for all matinees, as well as for groups, senior citizens and students. All seats are reserved. For reservations, call the box office at 364-5696.

- THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, a national touring edition of the splashy Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, opens an eight-performance run on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the Capitol Theatre, under the auspices of the Theater League of Utah.

Performances are Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 22, 23, at 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25, 26, at both 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 27, at 2 and 7 p.m. There will be no performances on Thanksgiving Day.

While most of the run is nearly sold out, there are a few hundred seats still available (spread over all eight performances). Many of these are isolated "singles," but there are also some excellent "house seats" available - those previously assigned to the touring company itself and later released to the public.

One front-row seat, however, is taken every performance by the actor portraying Wiley Post, who interrupts the production periodically by yelling, "Let's go flying, Will!"

This eventually leads up to the finale, when Rogers and Post do, indeed, take off on their ill-fated flight to Alaska.

The production is packed with upbeat Broadway-style tunes and glamorous Florenz Ziegfeld-inspired costuming, with choreography adapted from Tommy Tune's award-winning routines.