"Cats" and "Bitsy and Boots"

Hey, it's always great to see theatre stories getting some ink in the pages of the Herald-Dispatch - and there were a couple of stories in there today.

Even better, it made the front cover!



This awesome photo is by Toril Lavender , and you can see more photos of the cast of Cats right here.

And the Artists Series is just getting warmed up!:

A sold-out crowd experienced one of Broadway's longest-running musicals, Cats, on Monday night at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

The popular show is just one of the many Marshall Artists Series events coming up. Here are what's next in the upcoming shows at the Keith-Albee:

8 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 23: Lucille Ball: Thank You for Asking is a celebration of the first lady of television performed by actress and renowned impressionist, Suzanne LaRusch, and written by LaRusch in association with Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill.

MARCH 5 TO 7: The Spring International Film Festival will feature films from around the world, including Departures (Japan); The Girl From Monaco (France); Burma VJ: Reporting From a Close Country (Belgium); Lake Tahoe (Mexico); Flow: For the Love of Water (USA); Lemon Tree (Israel).

8 P.M. MONDAY, MARCH 15: Mozart's Don Giovanni - Hailed by many as the greatest of all operas, Mozart's Don Giovanni is based on the true-life escapades of Don Juan of Seville, an aristocratic lothario who lived during the 1600s.

7:30 P.M. THURSDAY, APRIL 22: Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance is a mesmerizing blend of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance.

And you could also see this story about a great show coming up next weekend:

First United Methodist Church in Huntington is continuing to accept reservations for its annual First Church Dinner Theater, which will be presented Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, Feb. 12-14, at the church, 1124 5th Ave.

This year's play is the world premiere of local playwright Jonathan Joy's Bitsy, Boots and Friends.

The dinner theater has raised more than $35,000 since 1991 to support First United Methodist Church's community projects, mission projects across West Virginia and national and international relief efforts. Members volunteer throughout the community, and participate in teams in West Virginia, Alaska and Nicaragua. Proceeds from the 2010 dinner theater will help fund the church youth work team and many other projects.

Dinner will be served at 6:30 each night, with the show beginning at 8 p.m. A ticket for dinner plus show is $22 for an adult and $8 for a child under 12. Tickets for the show only will be sold for $5 each, as space permits.

The choice of entrees include prime rib au jus or glazed Cornish hen, with tossed salad, baked potato, green peas and pearl onions, rolls and assorted Valentine desserts.

Reservations are required for all shows, and should be made by calling 304-522-0357 or 740-867-8576.

Baby-sitting is available on request for all shows, but advance notice is required.