There are some delightful moments in Quad City Music Guild's holiday production A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol, including composer David Wohl's fantastic arrangements of classic carols, and inspired performances by some of the cast members portraying radio actors. When neither of these elements are present, there's also scenic designer Harold Truitt's layered, multi-level set with a plethora of pleasing décor, as well as costume designer Heidi Pedersen's impeccably-tailored period ensembles. It also boasts the fun of watching several local acting dynamos share the stage together.

As someone who's been privileged to write about local theatre for nearly 10 years now, I can't begin to describe the sheer tonnage* of correspondence I've amassed from people who are curious about upcoming area stage productions. Please allow me, then, this attempt at answering all your questions about the forthcoming winter-theatre season through just a few of the hundreds** of letters, e-mails, and texts I've recently received on this subject***.

*Perhaps an exaggeration.

**Definitely an exaggeration.

***Some of which I may have made up.

With its emotional language and poetic imagery, Tony Kushner's Angels in America - the playwright's "gay fantasia on national themes" composed of two parts subtitled Millennium Approaches and Perestroika - is among my favorite scripts. And there are times at which the District Theatre's production of Millennium Approaches nails the nuances of Kushner's writing, allowing the beauty of his intent to be on full display.

New Ground Theatre's Clybourne Park, written by Bruce Norris as a sequel, of sorts, to Lorraine Hansberry's classic play A Raisin in the Sun, takes quite a bit of time to get rolling. But once it does, this exploration of racial tensions at different points in American history is wickedly hilarious. Director Chris Jansen effectively employs a slow, nearly dull pacing to build to a significant payoff, particularly in the second act, when the purposefully bland tone fits the play's scene of a neighborhood-association meeting. Following Friday's performance, I was amused at how, during the presentation, I went from being almost bored to laughing heartily.