The Girl Next Door

Matt and Luisa are neighbors who secretly love each other. Their love is a secret because their fathers are feuding, at least in front of their children. In reality the men are longtime friends, and have engaged in deception to trick their offspring into falling in love. In order to guarantee a lasting bond, the dads hire a stranger to "abduct" Luisa so Matt can bravely save her, which will provide a suitable end to the feud and a good start for a marriage. It all goes to plan, until it doesn't. Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's The Fantasticks is a magical slice of theater that speculates on the true nature and value of love. The Nebraska Theatre Caravan presents a steampunk interpretation of the musical at 3 p.m. today at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Boulevard at Natural Bridge Road; 314-516-4949 or www.touhill.org). Tickets are $29 to $49.
Sun., March 2, 2 p.m., 2014