Descriptions for the shows listed below were provided by the theaters producing them. They have been lightly edited for clarity.
OGDEN
The Ziegfeld Theater, 3934 S. Washington Blvd., Ogden
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and three Tony Awards, this new musical explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. A deeply moving piece of theater, “Next to Normal” redefines musicals for a modern audience.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years, but that’s only the beginning of their problems. “Next to Normal” takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday through Sept. 30; 6:30 p.m. Sundays through Oct.1; 2 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 30
Tickets: $17-19 at zigarts.com or call 855-944-2787
SALT LAKE CITY
‘SATURDAY’S VOYEUR’
Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City
This is the 39th edition of Utah’s most irreverent and hilarious summer party. In the style of a “Mission Impossible” and James Bond spy drama, the three-act musical satire takes place on three momentous days:
Act I: Nov. 9 — the day after the 2016 election
Act II: Jan. 21 — the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration
Act III: Donald’s 110th day in office.
We visit a Utah state liquor store, Jason Chaffetz’s congressional office and Donald’s infamous estate, Mar-a-Lago (voyeurized as “Mar-a-Loco”) in an attempt to figure out what exactly is going on in our crazy world and if there really is a Russian connection.
This year’s cast of characters includes Peggy, the manager of a liquor store in Salt Lake; Sterling, one of her most frequent “customers;” Buddy Holly, the late rock-and-roll heartthrob mysteriously back from the dead; Alexa and Siri, the voices in Amazon Echo Dot and Apple iPhone; Jason Chaffetz; Orrin Hatch; a chorus of Trump supporters and staffers; and Vladimir Putin himself.
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays through Sept. 27
Tickets: $45-55 at tickets.saltlakeactingcompany.org/ or call 801-363-7522
‘THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME’
Pioneer Theatre Company, 300 S. 1400 East, Room 325, Salt Lake City
Based on the bestselling novel by Mark Haddon, part mystery story, part family drama, part young adult adventure tale, this play became the hottest ticket in both London and Broadway, where it enjoyed a two-year sold-out run after winning the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at math, but he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. His determination to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog sends him on a journey of discovery, one that has us rooting for him at every turn.
Performances: 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday through Sept. 28; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 30; 2 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 30.
Tickets: $25-44 at https://tickets.pioneertheatre.org/ or call 801-581-6961
Studio Theatre at Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City
Wasatch Theatre Company presents “God’s Favorite” by Neil Simon. “God’s Favorite” is one of Neil Simon’s rarely done classics about a man, Joe, who is visited by a messenger from God, asking Joe to fulfill a bet between God and the devil. Will Joe participate in fulfilling God’s unusual request, even if it means hardship for his well-to-do family? This hilarious set of misadventures is classic Simon and will have audiences rolling with laughter.
Performances: 8 p.m Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 7; 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 8
Tickets: $20 at arttix.artsaltlake.org or call 801-355-2787
MURRAY
Desert Star Theatre, 4861 S. State St., Murray
What do you get when Lady Gaga drops in on the Wicked Witch of the West? More laughs than a barrel full of flying monkeys! In the year 2025, Lady Gaga has joined the ranks of celebrity has-beens, doomed to a life of hosting game shows, but when a special effects mishap whisks her away to the magical land of Oz, she has a new shot at fame. After a hearty welcome from the Munchkins, Alphabette — the Wicked Witch of the West — arrives on the scene, swearing vengeance on all those responsible for the death of her sister. With that, Gaga and her gang of misfits set off down the yellow brick road to find the Wizard and save Oz from the wrath of the witch!
Performances: 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 2; 6 and 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 4; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 4;
Tickets: $14.95-24.95 at https://tickets.desertstar.biz or call 801-266-2600
