Crowded Kitchen Players presents a hilarious, manic production of "Pints, Pounds & Pilgrims" an original comedy written and directed by Ara Barlieb, at the Charles A. Brown IceHouse, Bethlehem through June 18.

The wacky comedy is a play within in a play, or rather two plays within a play, as the story follows two competing theater companies who go to an arts festival on the Irish Island of Inishbofin off the coast of Connemara, County Galway to perform.

The excellent Trish Cipoletti is imperious as British director Simone Wexler, who deludes herself that her original Irish tragedy, "A Bad Year for Potatoes," is high art.

Cipoletti is outrageously funny as she blusters, fumes and storms while she delivers arch directions to her clueless cast.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival opened its 2023 season with William Shakespeares "Henry IV, Part 2" through June 11 in the Schubert Theater, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, Center Valley.

"Henry IV, Part 2" is being presented in the festivals "Extreme Shakespeare" style, with actors rehearsing the way it is believed Shakespeare's company would have. Actors arrive with their lines learned, rehearse on their own without a director, raid the costume shop and open in a matter of a few days. As a result, the production has a bit of a flying-by-the-seat-of-the-pants feel but contains strong performances and many powerful moments.

The Pines Dinner Theater takes audiences on a rollicking road trip through 1950s and 1960s music with its tune-filled revue "Route 66" through June 24 at the theater at 448 N 17th Street, Allentown.

A cast of 4 performers dressed as auto mechanics sings and plays their own instruments on an astonishing string of 30 road and car-related songs from Jan and Deans ""Dead Man's Curve" to Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again."

A radio broadcast complete with vintage car commercials periodically sets the stage along the historic Route 66 from Chicago to Oklahoma City to Amarillo to Flagstaff to Los Angeles.

Civic Theatres lush, smart and totally delightful production of Stephen Sondheims "A Little Night Music" is very well sung and crisply directed by Civic artistic director Williams Sanders.

The musical is through May 21 at Civics 19th Street Theatre, 527 N. 19th Street, Allentown.

One of Sondheims less commonly done musicals, "A Little Night Music" features counterpoint, some of Sondheims more complex musical lines and an almost operatic score; however, Civic is up for the challenge with this outstanding production.