Opening
“The Secret Garden”— Arts Express. See story.
“The Illusionists” — UA Presents and Broadway in Tucson. See story.
“Breakdown/Breakthrough” — The Carport Theater, 3614 E. Presidio Road. The scrappy company uses theater, dance and improv to explore how breakdown can lead to breakthrough. This is the eighth annual community theater event for Carport. 7:30-9 p.m. March 22 and 23. Free. 409-3473.
“Menopause the Musical” — The Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley. You may think there isn’t much that is funny or musical about menopause. This show will likely change your mind. Four women of a certain age go through 25 songs to discuss chocolate cravings, hot flashes, memory loss and more. The songs are parodies of such tunes as “Puff the Magic Dragon” (“Puff, My God, I’m Draggin’ ”), “Staying Alive” (“Stayin’ Awake/Night Sweatin’ ”) and “Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad About My Baby” (“Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad About My Body”). It’s 6-8 p.m. March 21-22, 24-29; 2-4 p.m. March 24. $30-$40. 529-1000.
Last chance
“Calendar Girls” — St. Francis Performing Arts Center, 4625 E. River Road. As one gets older, the idea of nudity loses its appeal. Yet it’s off with their clothes for the group of women in Tim Firth’s “Calendar Girls,” now at St. Francis Theatre. Based on the 2003 film of the same name, the story centers on a group of older woman who decide to strip down for a calendar they’ll sell to raise money for a charity. Samantha Cormier directed this cast of 12, most of whom showed plenty of courage in their willingness to undress for a photographer — with props in strategic places, of course. Colleen Zandbergen plays Chris, the instigator behind the calendar, with bossy sass, and Sue Bishop is impressive as the shy, hesitant Ruth, who will do what she must in order to please. 7:30-9:30 p.m. March 22 and 23; 3-5 p.m. March 24. $25. 329-2910.
“Death and the Maiden” — Bisbee Royale, 94 Main Street, Bisbee. Last Minute Productions and Holy Buddha Productions stage this chilling drama by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman. A lawyer gets a flat tire and a good samaritan doctor helps him with a lift home. The lawyer thinks the doctor is a nice guy, his wife thinks he is the man who beat and raped her while she was a political prisoner. Final performances are 6-9 p.m. March 22 and 23. $15. 432-5546.
“The Brave Knight, Sir Lancelot” — Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway. Join Lancelot on his quest to find action, adventure, dragons, and damsels in distress, in hopes of becoming a brave knight. Final performance is 12:30-1:30 p.m. March 24. $10. 327-4242.
Continuing
Arizona Theatre Company’s “American Mariachi.”
“American Mariachi” — Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Arizona Theatre Company stages a a joyous production of this José Cruz González play. Set in the 1970s, it is about a teen girl who wants to learn mariachi music so she can play it for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. That music is the only thing that reaches her mother. Christopher Acebo directs and the cast is made up of Christen Celaya, Satya Jnani Chavez, Diana Burbano, Danny Bolero, Alicia Coca , Eduardo Enrikez, Osiris Cuen, Marlene Montes and Sol Castillo. 7:30 p.m. March 21-23, 27-29; 2 p.m. March 23, 24, 27 and 28. Continues through March 30. It runs about 100 minutes with no intermission. $25-$90. 622-2823, arizonatheatre.org.
Connor Griffin, left, plays King Richard and Dylan Cotter is Richmond in Arizona Repertory Theatre’s production of “Richard III.”
“Richard III” — Marroney Theatre-UA Campus, 1025 N. Olive Road. Arizona Repertory Theatre does justice to Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” Richard, one of the Bard’s most vile villains, lies, manipulates and murders to get the crown on his head. Brent Gibbs directs and Connor McKinley Griffin embraces Richard’s evilness in a can’t-forget performance. It runs about 2 ½ hours. 1:30 p.m. March 23 and 24; 7:30 p.m. March 21-23 and 29. Through March 31. $17-$28. 621-1162.
The Gaslight Theatre continues the production of “The Belle of Tombstone” through March 31.
“The Belle of Tombstone” — The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway. Go back to the days of bar room brawls, stagecoach robberies and high-stepping saloon girls. Call for show dates and times. Through March 31. $22.95. 886-9428.
Carley Preston as Sarah in “Time Stands Still.”
“Time Stands Still” — Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway. This Donald Margulies play about a photographer recouping from a war injury and her internal and external struggles gets a bang-up staging by Live Theatre. Carley Elizabeth Preston and Christopher Younggren give performances that are honest and moving. Eva Tessler directs. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through March 30. There is an additional 3 p.m. matinee March 30. $20. 327-4242.
