Based on the buzz on Manhattan's 47th Street on Nov. 29, Cincinnatians should have no doubt that something created on a stage locally can wow audiences in the theater capital of the world. All 1,096 of the seats at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre were filled to see a show that, in all but a few details, was exactly the same production of Stephen Sondheim's Company.

The new musical ACE by Cincinnati native and University of Cincinnati grad RICHARD OBERACKER that's in the midst of its world premiere performance at the Cincinnati Playhouse (it runs through Nov. 17) is on a flight path that might take it to Broadway, although it's connecting through the West Coast.

So you go to a theater for a show. Ever wonder how that show came to that theater? Or how a whole season of shows is selected for a particular theater? It's a juggling act, especially for a large theater like the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, which announced its 2008-09 season last weekend.