There's a wide variety of theater choices available throughout central New York in the next month. Full-scale productions of “Peter Pan” and “Beauty and the Beast” for children, and “How the Other Half Loves,” “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical,” “Menopause The Musical,” and “Miss Saigon” for grown-ups, as well as “Lucky Stiff” and “A Marriage Minuet” for those who won't be pigeonholed.

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse closes “Miss Saigon” Thursday. It is a show of dubious construction but impeccable execution. Next Wednesday, MGR opens its run of the classic “Peter Pan.”

Ithaca's Hangar Theater opens “Beauty and the Beast” this weekend. The show runs through July 7 and is followed by “Hair” through July 28. Pay-What-You-Can performances are available for both productions.

In addition, Hangar's Kidstuff program is running “The Arkansaw Bear” and “Winnie the Pooh” in repertory through the summer. To get tickets of more information, call (800) 284-8422.

Cortland Repertory Theater stages its second show of the season, Alan Ayckbourn's farcical “How the Other Half Loves” through June 30 and follows with Agatha Christie's “Ten Little Indians” July 14. For more information, call (800) 427-6160.

If you somehow managed to miss it last year, Syracuse Stage is bringing back its record setting production of “Menopause the Musical” through July 29. For tickets, call 443-3275.

The Talent Company brings a show to the State Fairgrounds originally directed and choreographed by Auburn's late Thommie Walsh in its off-Broadway premier, “Lucky Stiff.” This is a musical comedy from the team that created “Ragtime” and plays through July 8. For tickets or more information, call 479-7469.

Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet will bring her character, “Perplex,” back to Auburn Public Theater this weekend in a new show. This performance artist starts with an idea for a costume and builds music, movement and multi-media presentations around it. Then on July 13 and 14, Beth Beer Cuddy is back at APT for “The End of Journalism.” Call 253-6669 for more information on both shows. “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical” runs through Saturday, June 23, in a staging by Rarely Done Productions at Jazz Central in Syracuse (546-3224) and Bristol Valley Theater, in Naples, wraps up its run of “All Night Strut” Sunday, June 24. Bristol Valley follows with the comedy “Lend Me a Tenor” through July 8. For more information, call (585) 374-6318.

Kitchen Theatre Company brings its 16th season to a close with David Wiltse's “A Marriage Minuet,” a comedy about marriage, midlife and the pursuit of art and commerce. The show opens tonight and runs through July 15. In addition, from July 8 to 11, George Sapio's “Oatmeal and a Cigarette” enjoys a brief run. To learn more, call (607) 273-4497.

The Auburn Players will hold open auditions for its annual summer youth theater production of “Seussical, Jr.” at 4 p.m. July 1 for ages 8-12; ages 13-18 may audition at 6 p.m. July 2. Auditions will be held at the Willard Chapel Community Room, 17 Nelson St., Auburn. Auditioners are asked to prepare a short song (16 measures), and a poem, joke or reading of their choice.

Participants in the youth theater program are required to pay a $15 participation fee to cover costs of scripts and rehearsal CDs. Call 258-8275 with any questions.

Tom Woods writes monthly on local and regional theater news. E-mail him at thewoodhead@yahoo.com