While you still have a couple of days to catch the hysterically funny Merry-Go-Round Playhouse production of “The Producers,” the big news for Auburn is the return of native son and puppeteer par excellence Marc Petrosino for the upcoming production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Marc earned his Equity card for his work in the 2004 Broadway production and the subsequent national tour. He manipulated puppets for Sesame Street, Blue's Room and Crank Yankers on television and has performed with both Basil Twist and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center and was featured in playwright Paula Vogel's “The Long Christmas Ride Home.” Marc and his brother Joe - now a technician for the Las Vegas “Blue Man Group” - are Ithaca College grads and grew up around theater; their parents were heavily involved with the Auburn Players for many years.

“Little Shop” opens Aug. 20 and runs through Sept. 6 at MGR Playhouse. “The Producers” ends Friday, Aug. 15. To order tickets for either show, call 255-1875.

In other news:

• For a different musical treat you can check out Hangar Theatre's production of the rock musical, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” This one is not for children, but adults will find the story about a transsexual East German rocker a real treat. This is one rock musical that isn't saturated with pop lyrics and insipid backbeats. This is rock 'n' roll and funny at that. Contact Hangar at (607) 273-4497 or (800) 284-8422.

• Cortland Repertory runs the Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama “A Few Good Men” through this weekend. Sorkin, a graduate of the Syracuse University Drama program is also the man behind two of the most intelligent TV shows in recent memory, “Sports Night” and “The West Wing.” CRT follows up with “Johnny Guitar,” a musical spoof of the Joan Crawford western. The show runs from Aug. 20 through 30. Tickets at (607) 427-6160 or (800) 427-6160.

• Kitchen Theatre opens its new season with a new comedy by Brian Dykstra - “The Two of You.” Dykstra seems to be something of a playwright in residence at the Kitchen, where previous productions of his “Strangerhorse,” “Clean Alternatives” and “The Jesus Factor” have received raves from audiences and critics alike. The play runs from Aug. 20 through Sept. 21, and tickets are available at (607) 272-0403.

• Rarely Done Productions (546-3224) in Syracuse offers “Children's Letters to God” Sept. 5 through 20.

• Black Sheep Theatre Coalition ((585) 746-7616) of Rochester offers TANYS Award winning actors Michael Arve and Ed Scutt in “A Walk in the Woods” Aug. 22 and 23.

• Acme Mystery Company (475-1807) runs its interactive mystery “Hello, My Name is Death” through Aug. 21 at Syracuse's Spaghetti Warehouse.

Finally, a fond farewell to one of the area's greatest boosters of theater. Ellie Walsh passed away earlier this month. Few people have made as great an impact so quietly as did Ellie. Hers are shoes that won't soon be filled.

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