“Next to Normal” by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey is a musical that won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It plays through Jan. 16 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex. Alice Ripley, winner of the 2009 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical, will reprise her performance in Denver. Performances: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets start at $20.303-893-4100, www.denvercenter.org.

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by William Finn and Rachel Scheinkin plays through Jan. 30 at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Robert Wells directs. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays ; 2 p.m. Sundays. 303-794-2787, ext. 5.

“Don’t Dress for Dinner” by Marc Camoletti plays through Feb. 27 at Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. Farce directed by Robert Kramer. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays (2 p.m. Feb. 27. Tickets: $19 to $26.50. 303-935-3044, www.minersalley.com.

“Bedroom Farce” by Alan Ayckbourn plays through Feb. 6 at Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave., Denver. Linda Williams directs. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and Tuesday, Jan. 18 (Industry Night); 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $20/$25 Fridays and Saturdays; $15/$20 Sundays (lesser amount in advance). 303-839-1361, www.vintagetheatre.com.

“Extremities” by William Mastrosimone plays Jan. 21 to Feb. 20, the first production by the new Edge Theatre Company (owned by the Yaconis family of Highlands Ranch), at the E-vents Center, 9797 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood. Laura Lounge directs. Performances: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays (dark Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6). Tickets: $17, 303-521-8041, theeproject.org.

“reasons to be pretty” by Neil LaBute plays Jan. 29 to Feb. 26 at Paragon Theatre, at Kim Robards Dance, 1387 S. Santa Fe Dr., Denver, 303-866-7619.

“An Evening With Nina” is presented by Shadow Theatre Company at the Aurora Fox Black Box Theater, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, through Jan. 30. Directed by Hugo Jon Sayles. Music of Nina Simone. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays; 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $25. (Thursdays 2 for 1). shadowtheatre.com.

“The Irish… and how they got that way” tells the story of the Irish experience through song, from early Ireland to U2, through Feb. 12 at Denver Victorian Playhouse, 4201 Hooker St., Denver. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $19. 303-433-4343, www.denvervic.com.

“Mekong Joe” is written and conceived for stage by Steve Stajich, about Joseph Hai Tran Than Wandell, a Vietnamese boy who was airlifted out of Saigon and adopted by a midwestern couple. It plays at the Avenue Theater Jan. 13-16, with Joe Wandell. He became an actor and recalled himself as the Amerasian boy who never quite belonged. Writer Stajich grew up in Denver. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13, 14, 15; 2 p.m. Jan. 16. Tickets: $15 to $20. The Avenue Theater is at 417 E. 17th Ave., Denver. 303-321-5925, www.avenuetheater.com.

“Art” by Yasmina Reza will be presented by Firehouse Theater Jan. 14 to Feb. 12 at the John Hand Theater/Colorado Free University, 7653 East First Place, Denver (Visit website for map). Luke Terry directs this award-winning comedy. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $17/$15. 303-562-3232, www.firehousetheatercompany.com.

“Waiting to Be Invited” by S. M. Shephard-Massat will play Jan. 14-30 at Crossroads Theater at Five Points, 2590 Washington St., Denver. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets: $27.50 online; $32.50 at the door, cash only. www.afterthoughttheatre.com.

The Diviners” by Jim Leonard Jr., will be presented Jan. 13-30 by PHAMALy, the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora. Christy Montour -Larson directs. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $26/$24 ($12 preview Jan. 12, 13).303-739-1970, www.phamaly.org. Encore performance Feb. 24 to 27 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada.

“Paul Sill’s Story Theatre” by Paul Sills, a co-founder of Second City, presented by Evergreen Players, plays Jan. 14-30 at Center/Stage, 27608 Fireweed Dr., Evergreen. Stories, Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $18/$14, 303-674-4934, www.evergreenplayers.org. myths, folk tales, legends.

“Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker plays Jan. 22 through Feb. 26 at Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. Christopher Leo directs this 2009 off-Broadway comedy hit about participants in an acting class in Shirley, VT. Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays (Jan 18 starts at 7:30 for Girls Night Out; no show Jan. 23) Previews Jan. 20 and 21. Special performance: OUT @ Curious, 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2. Tickets: $18 to $42, 303-623-0524, curioustheatre.org

“Kafka on Ice,” originally produced by Buntport in 2004, will be remounted Jan. 28 through Feb. 19, with Josh Hartwell in the role created by Gary Culig. It is part of Czech Point Denver, a metro Czech arts festival that includes the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Symphony, Opera Colorado. (No performances Feb. 11, 12 because Buntport will be taking part in the Denver Center Theatre’s New Play Summit). Buntport is located at 717 Lipan St., Denver. Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $16/$13, $20 opening night. 720-946-1388, www.buntport.com.”Loud: This is It” plays Jan. 28 through Feb. 27 at Heritage Square Music Hall, 18301 W. Colfax Ave., Golden. Performances: 7 p.m. selected Wednesdays and Thursdays ; 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, preceded by dinner. Tic

“Hello Dolly” plays through Feb. 26 at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, 5501 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, with Alicia Dunfee as Dolly Levi and Wayne Kennedy as half-millionaire Horace Vandergelder. Directed by Michael Duran. Tickets start at $35, including dinner. For schedule and tickets, 303-449-6000, www.bouldersdinnertheatre.com.