Mysteries should surprise you. Murder on the Orient Express, the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's current offering, did so for me in … well, surprising ways.

“Bah, humbug!” is the opposite reaction I had after attending Saturday's performance of the Spotlight Theatre’s A Christmas Carol: The Musical, which is arguably the cleanest, best-sounding, most visually pleasing presentation I've yet seen at the venue. Director Adam Sanders and his team of designers put together a sleek, refreshing production that makes me excited for future shows that can explore theatre-making in this space in similarly different ways.

Augustana College’s latest production, directed and choreographed by multi-hyphenate Shelley Cooper, is an area debut and a pleasant surprise. While I knew nothing about Nine before the musical's Tuesday-night dress rehearsal, the show offers a slew of treats for anyone who chooses to attend, regardless of one's familiarity with the material.

If you're one of those folks excitedly looking forward to snow, and this week's forecasted highs in the 60s are bringing you down, you can step into a cold New England night this weekend and bask (sort of) in that chilly atmosphere – plus get a warm, bountiful evening of entertainment – at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre.