As Daylight Savings Time arrived last Sunday, local theaters began to turn the spotlight to their 2010-11 seasons. News is seeping out regarding what we'll see in the year ahead, and I want to share some newsworthy details about the Cincinnati Playhouse, Broadway Across America and Cincinnati Shakespeare Co.  

Sometimes the best comedy comes from being dead serious. We learned from 'Monty Python' that no matter how silly those fellows were in word or action, they seldom cracked a smile. That's a fundamental reason why 'The 39 Steps' is a raucously funny evening in the theater: Four actors are deadly earnest, even when the action is frantically ridiculous. Laughter is inevitable.  

If you enjoy musicals — especially movie musicals — you're in for a great time at the Aronoff Center, where Broadway Across America is presenting the first touring production of 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas.' OK, so it's early for a holiday show. It has a holiday sparkle, but the music, energy and polished performances will impress you.  

If you've ever been drawn to perform, 'A Chorus Line' will hit you right in the gut. The show distills the essence of what drives people who dance, make music and act.  

The musical 'Grease' has been around for nearly four decades. It was fun and retro back in 1972, but 37 years later it's more like a cartoon, at least in the touring version currently at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.