The week ahead in L.A. theater, Feb. 25-March 4: ‘Allegiance,’ ‘Jackie Unveiled’ and more

Capsule reviews are by Philip Brandes (P.B.), F. Kathleen Foley (F.K.F.), Charles McNulty (C.M.) and Daryl H. Miller (D.H.M.).

Openings

ABBAmania Tribute show celebrates the Swedish pop group. El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. $39-$59. (866) 811-4111.

Spitting in the Face of the Devil Bob Brader’s solo drama; part of SoloFest 2018. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Sun., 7 p.m. $20. (800) 838-3006.

A Story Sampler Three female storytellers perform; appropriate for all ages. Adat Ari El Temple, 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village. Sun., 7:30 p.m. $10. Tickets available at the door.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Staged reading of Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer-winning dysfunctional-family drama. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. Mon., 7 p.m. Free; donations accepted. (626) 355-4318.

Six Characters in Search of a Play Writer-performer Del Shores portrays six eccentric people he has met. This is the West Coast premiere of his solo show. Celebration Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., L.A. Mon.-Tue., 8 p.m.; ends March 27. $25. (323) 957-1884.

Allegiance “Star Trek’s” George Takei heads the cast of the L.A. premiere of this fact-based Broadway musical about Japanese Americans forced from their homes and into internment camps during WWII; co-presented by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. Aratani Theatre at 244 S. San Pedro St., L.A. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends April 1. $25-$130. (213) 625-7000.

Jackie Unveiled Saffron Burrows (“Mozart in the Jungle”) portrays former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Tom Dugan’s solo drama. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m; Sat.-next Sun., 2:30 and 8 p.m.; ends March 11. $60–$75 (310) 746-4000.

WaistWatchers The Musical! Four fortysomething women share their feelings about dieting, exercise and more in this sendup. El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Wed. 3 p.m.; Thu., 3 and 8 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 4. $45-$65. (818) 508-4200.

The Secret Society of the Sisterhood Monthly storytelling event, with special guests. Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thu., 8 p.m. $25, $30. www.ticketfly.com

Chamber Magic Magician Steve Cohen re-creates close-up parlor tricks from the early 20th century. Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, 9850 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Fri.-Sat., 7 and 9:30 p.m. $75-$125. (866) 811-4111.

Grass-Fed, Free-Range Sketch Show Local comedy troupe Held2gether performs. The Studio at Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. $15. (562) 494-1014.

A Man for All Seasons Thomas More finds himself at odds with England’s Henry VIII in Robert Bolt’s Tony-winning historical drama. Actors Co-op, David Schall Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends April 15. $20-$30. (323) 462-8460.

Big Shot Two aspiring writers prepare to take a meeting with a major Hollywood producer in Joe Napoli Jr. and John Scacco’s new comedy. The Dorie Theatre at The Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Sat., 8 p.m.; ends March 17. $25. (800) 838-3006.

King John Long Beach Shakespeare Company stages the Bard’s historical drama. Richard Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 17. $12.50, $22.50. (562) 997-1494.

A Raisin in the Sun An African American family struggles to get by on Chicago’s South Side in Lorraine Hansberry’s classic drama. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends April 8. $25 and up; student rush, $20. (626) 356-3100.

Stomach Contents Three new short plays by writer-director Sharon Yablon; for ages 14 and up. Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Sat., 8:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 25. $15. (818) 202-4120.

The Graduate Melanie Griffith portrays Mrs. Robinson in this stage adaptation of Mike Nichols’ 1967 comedy about a recent college grad who’s having an affair with an older woman. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Next Sun., 5:30 p.m.; ends March 25. $86-$101. (949) 497-2787.

Critics’ Choices

Alright Then Orson Bean and Alley Mills, one of L.A. theater’s most visible couples, thank the heavens for their later-life marriage in a feel-good show about love and gratitude. They share stories from their at-times rocky upbringings to set the scene for the miracle of their meeting, making each other laugh and shedding grateful tears. (D.H.M.) Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice. Sun., next Sun., 3 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends March 25. $25-$34. (310) 822-8392.

The Chosen Learning to see past differences and getting to know the person underneath is a lesson for all time in Chaim Potok’s 1940s-set novel, adapted by Potok and Aaron Posner. The tale of an unexpected friendship between Brooklyn teens from different strains of Judaism is given a poignant staging, with particularly fine performances by Sam Mandel as the youthful narrator and, unforgettably, Alan Blumenfeld as a charismatic rabbi. (D.H.M.) The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Mon., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; ends May 7. $20-$40. (323) 663-1525.

A Delicate Ship Anna Ziegler peels away the layers of her characters to their pulsing human core in this practically perfect memory play, a fateful romantic triangle that commences in the simplest situation and escalates to the dire. Under Andre Barron’s appropriately delicate direction, the cast, which includes Paris Perrault and Philip Orazio, is superb, but it is Josh Zuckerman who dazzles in a tour-de-force turn as a wayward yearner whose cheekiness covers hidden depths of anguish. (F.K.F.) The Road on Magnolia, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends March 24. $17.50, $34. (818) 761-8838.

I Am Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce In this meticulously researched solo biography tracing the life and prosecution of the groundbreaking early 1960s comic provocateur, actor Ronnie Marmo and director Joe Mantegna offer subsequent generations not only a sense of who Bruce was, but, more important, why he mattered. (P.B.) Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Wed., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends March 28. $35. (323) 960-5068.

The King and I This tour of the Tony-winning revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, which recapitulates Bartlett Sher’s stunning original staging, features Laura Michelle Kelly as the elegant but scrappy Anna, Jose Llana as the comically poignant king of Siam, and a mother lode of classic tunes, rendered with brio by an exceptional cast. If you’re at all a fan of classic American musicals, this particular production is a joy — a real gift that proves a bracing pick-me-up in troubled times. (F.K.F.) Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tue.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends March 11. $29 and up. (714) 556-2787.

Pirates of Penzance For those who have dreamed of being part of the merriment of a Gilbert & Sullivan light opera, this semi-immersive staging by the Chicago company the Hypocrites represents the opportunity of a lifetime. The stage, outfitted with kiddie pools, fairy lights and even a tiki bar that serves alcoholic refreshments, is where theatergoers congregate for this jocular, beach party update of a musical entertainment already overtopped with daffy cleverness. (C.M.) Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Ends Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. $25 and up. (626) 356-7529.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Somewhere in Hollywood a Jo-Ann Fabrics and a 99 Cents Only store or two must be seriously depleted. Their stock can be found in a spectacularly dressed Celebration company production of a beloved tale about Australian drag queens on a road trip across the outback, adapted from the 1994 movie. Director Jessica Hanna, set designer Pete Hickok and costume designer Allison Dillard somehow fit this big musical onto a postage stamp of a stage. “Glittery” doesn’t begin to describe the results. (D.H.M.) Celebration Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends April 15. $30-$60. (323) 957-1884.