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TO AUG. 18
The last time we visited the Forbidden Planet, it was via the 1956 sci-fi film inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This month, the Little Theatre of Alexandria invites us to Return to the Forbidden Planet by way of a musical loosely (and I mean very loosely) based on the film. Return is set aboard the Interplanetary Spaceship Nine, which crashes on the planet D’Illyria. Here, such folk as Capt. K.J. Tempest, Communications Officer Juliet Jetson, and Dr. Prospero Morbius communicate with us through rock ‘n’ roll oldies. The captain feels “Good Vibrations” when he meets MirandaDr. Prospero’s nubile daughterwho wonders why she must be “A Teenager in Love,” and so on. The show is not for the faint of pun. Nor is it for those who favor crisp directing and/or acting that exploits the story’s ridiculous premise: Although the London production won an Olivier Award (and the show is reportedly a cult hit in Canada), the Alexandria trouperswith help from onstage musicians (dubbed the Merry 5 of Windsor)carry the show on their good voices alone. Don’t look for this production to win any Helen Hayes Awards, but it’s not a bad way to spend the evening with your visiting grandmotherespecially if she happens to be a “Little Old Lady From Pasadena.” Get a ticket to ride at 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, Saturday, Aug. 11, and Sunday, Aug. 12, to Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. $14-$17. (703) 683-0496. (Robin Dougherty)