Opening
“The Christmas Tree Play” — Bookmans, 6230 E. Speedway. Norm Foster’s one-act comedy about two strangers vying for the lone Christmas tree left for sale on Christmas Eve takes over Bookmans East. Sean Jeralds and Joanne Robertson star. E-mail eastevents@bookmans.com to reserve a seat. 6-7 p.m. Dec. 21. Free. 748-9555. bookmans.com.
Last chance
“Jingle Bell Rockin’ Revue” — The Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley. Need to get revved up for the holidays? Maybe a little rock ’n’ roll geared toward this time of year will do the trick. And you get to sing along. Final performances are 6-8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21; 1-3 p.m. Dec. 24. $21.95. 529-1000. Gaslightmusichall.com.
“Inspecting Carol” — Roadrunner Theatre, 8892 E. Tanque Verde Road. Daniel J. Sullivan’s comedy about a man who wants to audition at a small theater and is mistaken for an informer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Final performances are 7-9 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22; and 2 p.m. Dec. 23. $20. 207-2491. Roadrunnertheatrecompany.org.
“Constellations” — Community Playhouse, 1881 N. Oracle Road. Boy meets girl again and again and again in this two-person Nick Payne drama staged by Something Something Theatre Company. The principles of string theory, relativity and quantum mechanics inform the play. But you don’t really need to know about those to get it. It begins as Roland (Damian Garcia), meets Marianne (Bailey Renee) at a party. He’s a beekeeper; she is a physicist specializing in “theoretical early universe cosmology.” They don’t click. But the situation changes over the next vignette, and then the next, until finally they are in a relationship. But that changes from vignette to vignette, too, each repeating a scene with varying emotions, a little more information added. There are infinite possibilities in the world of parallel universes that Payne has created. Here’s the thing: The play is fascinating. It may take a few scenes to figure out what’s happening, but it’s worth it to stick with it. Joan O’Dwyer directed with an eye toward pacing and clarity. Final performances are 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22; 2-4 p.m. Dec. 23. $25. 468-6111. somethingsomethingtheatre.com.
“Snoopy!!!” — Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway. The Live Theatre musical is a series of vignettes about Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” gang. It is a bit like “Laugh In,” that old TV show that was made up of characters who pop in, do a quick bit for a laugh, and then disappear. What makes this show so gleeful is the cast. These guys are having way too much fun. Final performances are 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 20-22, 27-29; 3-5 p.m. Dec. 23. $10. 327-4242. livetheatreworkshop.org.
Continuing
“Scrooge” — The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway. Gaslight brings the Dickens-inspired curmudgeon back in an effort to make us laugh and get in the holiday spirit. No doubt it will. Especially good news for Gaslight fans: Joe Cooper is back. Brace yourself. Various times through Jan. 5, $22.95. 886-9428, thegaslighttheatre.com.
“The Music Man” — Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Arizona Theatre Company gives an exuberant production of the Meredith Willson musical about a flimflam man who tries to con the good folks in River City, Iowa. David Ivers directs and the large cast includes Bill English, Manna Nichols and Nate Wiley. 7:30-10 p.m. Dec. 20-22, 26-29; 2-4:30 p.m. Dec. 20, 22, 26, 28-30. $25. 622-2823. Arizonatheatre.org.
