Theater

Sunshine

Actress Ginger Dayle's young company, New City Stage, devotes its first full season to New Jersey playwright William Mastrosimone, starting with his gritty peepshow-dancer-meets-paramedic romance Sunshine, and continuing in the spring with hits Extremities and The Woolgatherer.

Sept. 18-Oct. 7, New City Stage Co., Walnut Street Theatre, Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., 215-563-7500, www.newcitystage.org.

The long-running Broadway musical by the authors of Les Misérables receives a new production from Artistic Director Jesse Cline. Don't go expecting high-priced special effects — enjoy the beautiful singing Media always features.

Sept. 19-Oct. 14, Media Theatre, 104 E. State St., Media, 610-891-0100, www.mediatheatre.org.

Amadeus (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Expect pyrotechnics in the Wilma Theater's large-scale revival of Peter Shaffer's masterpiece about Mozart, Salieri and their inscrutable God.

Sept. 19-Oct. 27, Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., 215-564-7824, www.wilmatheater.org.

Jennifer Childs brings her unique style to Jane Wagner's wildly successful monologue menagerie, originally written for Lily Tomlin.

Sept. 21-Oct. 28, 1812 Productions, Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St., 215-592-9560, www.1812productions.org.

Tony Braithwaite — the male Jennifer Childs? — channels the late, great comedian George Burns in Rupert Holmes' one-man tribute. Braithwaite's delighted many with his Burns imitation before, and will finally embody his hero for an entire evening.

Sept. 25-Oct. 21, Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-654-0200, www.act2.org.

The Arden's mainstage Assassins is splashier, but I'm keen to see director Whit MacLaughlin's (Batch) revival of Michael Hollinger's first play — a 1994 Arden première — soon after last season's Barrymore Award-winner Opus, which recently closed a successful Off-Broadway run.

Oct. 11-Dec. 9, Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. Second St., 215-922-1122, www.ardentheatre.org.

InterAct's 20th season begins with Steven Dietz' (Lonely Planet) new drama about Vietnam vets that speaks volumes about a more recent quagmire.

Oct. 19-Nov. 18, InterAct Theatre Co., 2030 Sansom St., 215-568-8077, www.interacttheatre.org.

The story's not so much Philadelphia Theatre Co.'s import of Billy Porter's acclaimed Stephen Sondheim/Shakespeare/black-musical-idioms (really!) revue — replacing Terrence McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion, due to star Kathy Bates' poor health — but the grand opening of their sparkling new Avenue of the Arts home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, anchoring the spiffy condo tower Symphony House.

Oct. 24-Dec. 2, Philadelphia Theatre Co., 480 S. Broad St., 215-985-0420, www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

Revivals of Stephen Sondheim's hits are always welcome — note also the Arden's Assassins — and this darkly comic fairy tale about what happens after happy endings should get superb large-scale treatment from Temple's Peter Reynolds, who provided a fine staging of Ragtime last season.

Oct. 25-Nov. 4, Temple University, Tomlinson Theatre, 13th and Norris streets, 800-298-4200, www.liacourascenter.com.

Mimi Kenney Smith leads the In-dependence Starts Here Festival of Disability Arts & Culture Oct. 18-Nov. 20, and among the many events is her Amaryllis Theatre's production (directed by Tom Reing) of Brian Friel's powerful play about a blind woman facing an operation that might restore her sight. For the first time, the role will be played by a blind actress, Pamela Sabaugh.

Nov. 1-18, Amaryllis Theatre Co., 2030 Sansom St., 215-564-2431, www.independencestartshere.org.

Flashpoint Theatre Co. grew immensely through its first three seasons, and their three 2007-08 productions should continue the trend, starting with Bridget Carpenter's 2003 Humana Festival hit about burned-out, bitter teachers and the students who love and/or want to kill them.

Nov. 7-Dec. 1, Flashpoint Theatre Co. at Second Stage @ the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-563-4330, www.flashpointtheatre.org.

People's Light bravely created a new holiday tradition four years ago — shelving a terrific adaptation of A Christmas Carol that could have run forever — with their now-huge annual "panto." Expect audience interaction, slapstick adventure, and Mark Lazar in a dress from creators Kathryn Petersen (book) and Michael Ogborn (music and lyrics).

Nov. 14-Dec. 30, People's Light & Theatre Co., 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, 610-644-3500, www.peopleslight.org.

(m_cofta@citypaper.net)