Big City Nights

Best friends Proteus and Valentine are small-town young men who have recently left the farm (Verona) for the big city (Milan, which is a little like Spanish Harlem) in order to sample all that life has to offer. In the limited worldview of young men everywhere, "all" is a code word for "women." Proteus has a girl, Julia, back in the country, but as a free agent, Valentine quickly sets his sights on Sylvia. Her father has already affianced her to another man, but that's no barrier for Valentine. It turns out it's no barrier for Proteus either, as he decides big-city Sylvia is the woman for him — friendship and girlfriends be damned. These Two Gentlemen of Verona are lusty fellows, and they're guided by their hearts — well, by their loins, at any rate. New Line Theatre presents Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's play at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (March 3 through 26) at the Washington University South Campus Theatre (6501 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights; 314-534-1111 or www.newlinetheatre.com). Tickets are $10 to $20.
Thursdays-Saturdays. Starts: March 3. Continues through March 26, 2011