Variety of new shows opening

A variety of productions — ranging from controversial to "squeaky clean" — are opening this week on local stages.

• "ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA," which is Part Two of Tony Kushner's Tony Award-winning drama, plays Wednesday through March 11 in the Babcock Theatre in the lower level of the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre building on the University of Utah campus.

Larry West, who directed last season's production of Part One, "Millennium Approaches," is directing this one as well. His cast includes Thomas Marcus as Prior Walter, Kristen Bailey as Harper Pitt, Aaron Anderson as Joe Pitt, Sarah Shippobotham as Hannah Pitt and Ethel Rosenberg, Jonah B. Taylor as Belize and Aaron Adams as Roy Cohn.

Performances are Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $6 for all students (581-7100 or www.kingtix.com).

• "THE SLEEPING BEAUTY OF LORELAND" has opened a four-week run in the Draper Historic Theater, 12366 S. 900 East, where it continues through March 18 at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. There will also be one Saturday matinee on March 11 at 2 p.m.

The plot revolves around a royal family where the Queen squares off against the Black Fairy, who casts a deadly spell on Beauty, which is countered — more or less — by the Sunlight Fairy.

Directed by Lenni Lou Oakes, the cast includes Loren Petersen as Beauty, Amy Evans as the Queen, Jim Schroeder as the King, Ray Jensen as King Tuffy, Jennifer Kershaw as Nanny, Garrett Barney as Prince Delmar and Jordan Ledesma as Prince Rupert.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and students and $6 for children 12 and under (572-4144 or www.drapertheatre.org).

• A TOURING PRODUCTION of a non-Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast" will feature a cast and crew from Cleveland, Ohio-based Signstage on Tour for three performances on Friday and Saturday in Brigham Young University's Pardoe Theatre.

Dramatized by William Morgan, who is part of the touring company, the beloved fable of sacrifice and love will be presented simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken in English by a combined cast of deaf and hearing actors. A cultural twist has hearing audiences introduced to deaf culture, and deaf audiences are treated to a rare sign-language production.