Linda Billington

"William, Inc." incorporates aspects of Inupiaq culture, Freudian psychology, antic humor and an intriguingly off-center view of the warring forces within.

Spenard's most notorious and long-lived satirical musical revue is back for the summer.

Sackett's is an excellent stopping point about halfway to Homer or home, with tasty, well-prepared and imaginative dishes at reasonable prices and the sensibility of a Cordon Bleu-trained Alaska chef behind the menu.

The commercialization of black R&B and soul performers into acts that would attract broader, white audiences -- and the tale of one such group that bears a certain resemblance to the Supremes -- is the core of the Tony Award-winning 1981 musical "Dreamgirls."

"Rent" is not an easy play to get right. That's why kudos must go to first-time director John Fraser and the others who are staging the local production at the performing arts center. Their "Rent" isn't perfect, but it's perfectly enjoyable.

The transformative power of love can overcome adversity, prejudice and even a midwinter snowstorm. Example: the packed Atwood Concert Hall on Thursday, opening night of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast."

We Alaskans are probably ahead of the game when it comes to being prepared for "The Lion King." After all, many of us are outdoor types. We're often perched somewhere in the pucker brush, scanning for moose or caribou or wolves or bears or whatever. Which means most of us are already well stocked with binoculars.

At the start of "The Black Cockerel," Angolan rebel Jonas Savimbi is a man full of anti-communist conviction and pro-Savimbi ambition.

"Spamalot" is the Camelot tale seen through a cracked mirror, with music, fireworks and tap dancing, all from those wacky folks who brought you 'Monty Python's Flying Circus."

In this decidedly unfunny time of financial meltdowns and an ever-growing ditch between poor and rich, "Annie" seems to carry a lot more weight than it did when it first came to Broadway in 1977.

A mainstay of the D.C.-based comedy troupe Capitol Steps is twisting the lyrics of well-known songs into acidic commentaries on current events. They're equal-opportunity gorers: When they take the stage, oxen run for cover.