Recipients of the Cab Calloway Lifetime Achievement Awards have been named. Those to be honored at the Sept. 24 ceremony at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford (the village Calloway called home for 34 years) are:

Asbury Summer Theatre, as represented by WBT lighting designer and AST board member Andrew Gmoser.

Donna Cribari — composer, musical director, conductor and teacher — for her work with Mount Pleasant Community Theatre. Donna was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Port Chester Council for the Arts.

Vinny Lopreto, a director, choreographer, instructor and performer for nearly 70 years throughout Westchester.

Mara Mills, artistic director of the now-defunct Herbert Mark Newman Theater at the Rosenthal Y.

Dick Nagle and Jeanne McCabe, “esteemed members of the professional and community theatre life in Westchester.�

The Harrison Players, in recognition of Dottie Pustola and Ann Wurzburger, “for their lifelong dedication to excellence in community theatre.”

Selma Rothstein, “beloved dance teacher and choreographer who has devoted over 50 years to the instruction of children and adults.�

The gala — the dreamchild of WBT’s George Puello — will begin with dinner at 6 and the ceremony/performance at 7:30 p.m. On the bill are Craig Schulman, who has the distinction of playing the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,â€? Valjean in “Les Miserables,â€? and the title characters in “Jekyll and Hyde.â€?

Also presenting will be Robi Hager, from the Broadway cast of “Spring Awakening.�

Tickets are $50, including dinner and gratuity. Call 914-630-1089.

With Labor Day weekend moments away, can “The Nutcracker� be far off?

Apparently, not. Local theater companies are looking toward the fall, with auditions set across the Lower Hudson Valley.

Here’s a sampling:

“All in the Timing�: David Ives, a master of clever, short plays, is on tap for YCP TheaterWorks, based at the Van Cortlandtville School in Mohegan Lake. Director Elaine Hartel holds auditions at 7 p.m. Sept. 4 and 5, with callbacks scheduled for Sept. 6. There are 16 roles available — ranging in age from 20s to 70s — in short skits with small casts of two to three actors. YCP is presenting this as an opportunity for “acting couples,� with skits that can be worked on by spouses, but Hartel says she’ll look at interested parties. The show dates are Nov. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 at Van Cortlandtville School Theater, Route 6 in Mohegan Lake, across from the Cortlandt Town Shopping Center. 914-762-6685.

“Big River�: Roger Miller’s gospel and bluegrass musical retelling of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn� will be performed by the Canterbury Theatre Ensemble in Cornwall-on-Hudson, certainly within easy range of Rocklanders and those in northern Westchester. Directed by Harold Heno, auditions will be Sept. 5 and 6 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Walter Reade Jr. Theatre, 314 Mountain Road, Cornwall-on-Hudson, part of the Storm King center. Principal and chorus parts are available for all ages. Auditioners should arrive prepared to sing and read from the script. Call producer Anne Fulton at 845-534-9791.

“Blood Brothers�: Suffern’s Antrim Playhouse is looking for an actor — a baritone between 18 and 30 — to play the lead role of Eddie Lyons in Willy Russel’s “Blood Brothers.� In the rock musical “Prince and the Pauper� story, Eddie is the upper-crust son, raised in private schools, while his brother is raised in poverty. “Blood Brothers� starred David and Shaun Cassidy on Broadway and has been running in London for 20 years, with crowds leaping to their feet at the end, says director Claudia Stefany. Production dates are Oct. 26 to Nov. 18. Call Stefany at 914-329-7252 to set up an audition time. The group’s Web site is www.antrimplayhouse.com.

“Fiddler on the Roof�: Bedford Community Theatre will have auditions Sept. 5 and 6 at the Bedford Hills Community House. All roles are open. The first day of auditions, for adults and teens, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. The tryouts on Sept. 6 start at 4:30 p.m., for children 8 and older, teens and adults. Auditioners should be prepared to sing and be dressed to move. (Request a time slot via e-mail to catetesta@hotmail.com.) Laurie Lewis will direct, with musical direction by Kirk Ehrenreich and choreography by Karla Diamond. Performances are Nov. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. Bedford Community Theatre is at www.bedfordcommunitytheatre.org.

“Fiddler on the Roof�: Actors Conservatory Theater has done nearly all the casting for its production of “Fiddler,� but director Arlene Wendt is still looking to fill some key roles. Still open are Motel the Tailor, several dancers (for the bottle dance), actors to play young Russians, and two boys age 10 to 13. Rehearsals — Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights — begin Wednesday, at 20 Buckingham Road in Yonkers, just off Lockwood Avenue. Performances are Oct. 25, 26, 27, 28, Nov. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Wendt is also looking for sound and lighting technicians. 914-391-6558.

“The Sound of Music�: Yorktown Stage will hold auditions Sept. 9 and 10 for its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music.� Auditions are by appointment only on Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sept. 10, from 7 to 10 p.m., with callbacks Sept. 17, from 7 to 10 p.m. All roles are open. Auditions will be at Yorktown Stage, 1974 Commerce St., Yorktown Heights. Rehearsals are Oct. 7 through Nov. 8 at the theater, weeknights from 7 to 10:30 p.m., and weekends from noon to 6 p.m. Performances are Nov. 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25. Auditioners should bring a headshot, resume and sheet music in the appropriate key and be prepared to sing 16 bars, possibly more. To arrange an audition time, call 914-962-0606 or e-mail yorktownstage@aol.com.

“Wonder of the World�: Pound Ridge Theatre Company is looking for an actor in his 40s to play Capt. Mike, described as “the droll captain of the Maid of the Mist,� in their production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Wonder of the World.� Director John Thompson says rehearsals are weekday nights beginning next week and that Mike won’t be required at all rehearsals. Performances are Nov. 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17. Contact Thompson at hootdad@yahoo.com.

Westchester Choral Society: The 65-year-old Westchester Choral Society is looking to add to its ranks. Music director Frank Nemhauser plans auditions tonight and next Thursday and Sept. 20 at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, 216 Central Ave., White Plains. Nemhauser is “looking for quality of voice and the ability to read music and learn music,� adding “I would like to stress that the audition procedure will be short and I am extremely kind during auditions.� On the society’s schedule are concerts Dec. 2 and May 18 and a Dec. 9 sing-in of Handel’s “Messiah.� Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7:30-10 p.m., starting Sept. 11. To schedule a “singer-friendly� audition, call 914-761-3900 ext. 103 or www.westchesterchoralsociety.org.

“The Nutcracker�: Purchase College Conservatory of Dance is looking for children 5-13 to play “soldiers, mice, angels, Santa mints, village children, party guests, and the featured roles of Clara and her brother, Fritz,� in their holiday production of “Nutcracker ’07.� Auditions are Sept. 8 in Studio E of the Dance Building at Purchase College. Children should have some dance experience and be no taller than five feet. Dance attire or sweat pants should be worn to audition. Boys are encouraged to audition. Rehearsals begin Oct. 1, and will vary from one to three rehearsals per week, depending upon the role. Performances are Nov. 27-Dec. 2. Call the Nutcracker ’07 Hotline at 914-251-6803.

“Joy to the World�: Ballet Arts in Pelham is casting its “original holiday musical fantasy revue� — about the overnight goings-on in a toymaker’s shop — with auditions for singers and dancers from age 6 to adult on Sept. 29 and 30. Performances are scheduled for Dec. 14-16. The director is Sheran Daniele. Auditions will be at Ballet Arts, 504 Fifth Ave., Pelham. 914-738-8300.

“Little Shop of Horrors,” now getting a fine, fun revival at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, is a Faustian tale.

Seymour Krelborn, a put-upon floor-mopper in a flower shop, finds a “strange and interesting plant” after a total eclipse of the sun and, suddenly, things begin to turn around at 1313 Skid Row.

Customers come. Newspaper and television reporters clamber for interviews. Even his big crush, Audrey, takes notice.

Of course, there’s a hitch. Success comes with a price. The plant has a taste for blood. Human blood.

What’s a nebbish to do?

If you think you know the answer because you’ve seen Frank Oz’s 1986 movie, think again.

Things are darker in the stage version of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s remake of the 1964 Roger Corman b-movie. Things are closer to Corman than the later Hollywood effort.

Director Patricia Wilcox, who led last season’s “Aida” at WBT, has a firm grasp on the pacing and mood of the musical – and works with a first-rate cast.

As Audrey, Julie Connors brings flexibility and a rock-solid believability to a character with serious self-image problems. Her timing is impeccable, her voice strong.

Her Act 1 solo on the ballad “Somewhere That’s Green” is heartfelt, sweet and affecting. In Act II, she belts the duet “Suddenly, Seymour,” showcasing a powerful voice.

As Seymour, Eric Santagata is slightly less compelling, choosing a voice that sounds like it comes from Adam Sandler’s bag of tricks. His voice at times is overpowered by the five-piece pit band.

It’s a tough task, to make a nerdy character – someone people overlook – memorable and believable. While he and Connors connect and share the stage well, when Santagata has the stage to himself, the action tends to droop a bit.

As Mushnik, Bob Arnold – a WBT regular, last seen as Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes” – seems to find and lose his accent, alternating between Yiddish and Russian. But his characterization is otherwise strong.

Gary Lynch impresses in several parts, large and small. The program lists him as playing “Orin, Bernstein, Snip, Luce and Everyone Else.”

He plays the evil Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., an NBC executive, an editor’s wife a la Dame Edna, a hipster radio guy, a William Morris agent, a cowboy entrepreneur and a button-down flower-shop customer. He makes the most of each part, particularly as the laughing-gas addict Orin, conjuring up Jim Belushi at his most madcap.

The street urchins – Ronnette (Jalynn Steele), Chiffon(Talana Deshaies) and Crystal (Kimberly Hamby), named for three ‘60s girl groups – are in fine voice, even when they obscured by an overactive (and unnecessary) fog effect in the opening title song.

But when the fog cleared, there was plenty to like about director Wilcox’s take on the show that launched the career of Menken, a New Rochelle native.

No review of “Little Shop” would be complete without a mention of Audrey II, the man-eating plant at the center of the action.

Voiced by Terri White – credited as the only woman to play that role in a professional production – and operated by Bill Diamond, Audrey II is a fully realized member of the ensemble, and a creepy one at that.

Gail Baldoni’s costumes are perfect, the set by George Puello and Steven Loftus is suitably Skid Row and Gerard Kelly’s hair and wig designs add to the production’s polish.

The story has had several incarnations through the years, beginning with Roger Corman’s 1960 cult classic, “The Little Shop of Horrors,” which included a 23-year-old Jack Nicholson as a man who loved the dentist’s chair.

Then came Ashman and Menken’s musical adaptation, which opened at Off-Broadway on May 6, 1982, and transferred to the Orpheum Theater, where it ran for more than 2,200 performances.

Oz’s 1986 movie musical starred Rick Moranis as Seymour and Ellen Greene as Audrey. Bill Murray made the most of the Nicholson part, a role that doesn’t appear in the stage show.

“Little Shop” made it to Broadway in 2003, with Hunter Foster as Seymour and Kerry Butler as Audrey. (Butler now stars in the unexpected Broadway smash “Xanadu.”)

The key to the show’s appeal is the music – a bouncy, catchy mix of rock, doo-wop and Motown with music by Menken and wonderfully clever lyrics by Ashman, who died in 1991.

When Orin, the evil dentist, gets trapped in his laughing-gas helmet, he asks Seymour to help him:

“Though I giggle and I chortle,

Bear in mind I’m not immortal.”

“Little Shop” is a cautionary tale, but one with great heart and songs you’ll leave the theater humming.

If the ending isn’t rosy, well, what Faustian tale ends happily?

(Photo of Julie Conners as Audrey, by John Vecchiolla.)

Watching “Tour de Farce,” the newest production in the 30th-anniversary season at Penguin Rep in Stony Point, there are times when you might not believe your eyes.

The door-slamming farce – written by Philip LaZebnik and Kingsley Day and directed by James Glossman – stars Ames Adamson and Liz Zazzi, who change characters at the drop of a hat, sometimes by dropping a hat.

The speed at which they achieve the costume and character changes is dizzying. At times, there were gasps and murmurs of “How’d they do that?” from the Penguin Rep audience. One wonders if there isn’t an equally entertaining show going on backstage.

Director Glossman has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, from hidden exits to a team of backstage co-conspirators helping Adamson and Zazzi in and out of costume.

Over the course of a brisk two hours, Adamson plays a dimwitted bellhop, a clueless author, a philandering senator, a Swedish cameraman and a character we won’t reveal here.

Zazzi plays the clueless author’s embittered wife, a hard-charging telejournalist, a thieving maid, an ambitious hooker and a singing nun complete with accordion.

Don’t show up at the charming barn on Crickettown Road expecting Ibsen. Ibsen it ain’t. What it is is a thoroughly entertaining diversion for a late-summer night.

Set designer Ken Larson meets the key requirement of farce: The set has four doors to slam. Both actors make the most of the doors and their handful of characters, which are definitely a handful: They shift accents, change walks and slip from one perfect Patricia Doherty costume into another.

In the process, they fill the stage with believable characters who may have you convinced that there are 10 people in the cast.

Adamson’s exasperated author gets one of the night’s biggest laughs when he cries: “I want to take my shower. I’m getting tired of changing my clothes all the time.”

The backstage dressers are so vital to the success of “Tour de Farce” that they are brought out during a curtain call that is worth the price of admission. The dressers are Jillian Greenstein, Matt Hill, Linda Perez, Linda Rosen, and Andrew Trow.

Precisely choreographed down to the final note of the “William Tell” overture, the curtain call lets Adamson and Zazzi take their bows as each character – amid a breakneck flurry of changes.

Their final bows come in terry cloth robes, which look ideal for a rest.

They’ve earned it.

(Photo by Andrew Horn)

Check out this week’s theatrical options right here.

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This has been the summer of “As You Like It� across the Lower Hudson Valley.

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy — featuring Rosalind, one of the best female roles the bard ever wrote — continues through next Sunday at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison. It also was seen in Tarrytown’s Patriots Park earlier this month. And this weekend, it’ll be presented in Lyon Park in
Port Chester, a production of the Port Chester Council for the Arts.

And HBO shows Kenneth Branagh’s version starting tomorrow night, with Garrison’s Kevin Kline in the cast.

Like all Shakespeare, “As You Like It� is performed as the director sees it — subject to different interpretations and settings. In Garrison, Kurt Rhoads turned it into a cowboy outing. In Tarrytown earlier this month, director Peter Royston made it a groovy ’60s affair. This weekend, in Port Chester, director Peter Green puts his own spin on “As You Like It� — in modern dress, including fatigues.

The action will be accompanied by a three-piece band playing Josh Carriero’s original music which ranges from “jazzy beatnik� to “driving rock� to “upbeat ska.�
Shakespeare set to ska?

Believe it.

Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. Saturday at 6 p.m. Near the Girl Scout House, at the corner of Parkway and Putnam, in Lyon Park, Port Chester.

Got this note from Paul Andrew Perez, one of the brains behind “MOD,” the Infinity Rep production that went from Bedford Hills to Manhattan and took Edinburgh Fringe by storm. (Read Jasmine Schwab’s dispatches at www.fringe.lohudblogs.com)

Here’s what Paul had to say:

“We just arrived back from Edinburgh and it was an amazing experience
for both myself and the kids.  “MOD� was a rousing success and we
received a lot of positive reviews and met with great audiences.  It
was a crazy journey and we finally finished with 7 performances, 6
promo performances and a radio interview where the MOD girls sang 5
songs.

“We capped everything off with a performance on FRINGE SUNDAY
in front of a packed house.  The event itself is attended by 250,000
people.�

“Edinburgh was an amazing place and we were thrilled to be a part of
the world’s largest Fringe.  It is an experience that I know I will
be a part of again.�

Can’t wait to hear from Jasmine.

Next up is Bronxville’s “U.K. Quartet,” which will feature bloggers Coco Vonnegut and Eddie Maher at www.fringe.lohudblogs.com.

The Harrison Players will host “La Dolce Vita,” an evening of Italian food with a dance band, on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Harrison Veterans’ Memorial Building, 210 Halstead Ave., Harrison.

For $30 a head, revelers will get “a full Italian-style dinner with dessert” and “enjoy entertainment provided by the Ange Rubino Dance Band and the Harrison Players.”

Call 914-937-8427 or email harrisonplayers@yahoo.com.

If you’d written three short comedies that were centered on or take place in a bed and wanted to put them together into one show, what would you call it?

If you were the clever Albi Gorn, you’d call it “Thrice Upon a Mattress, A Comedy in Three Parts,â€? and you’d arrange to have it run under the auspices of M&M Productions, which sets up library tours of noteworthy theater pieces throughout the Lower Hudson Valley.

Gorn directs “Thrice,” which begins its run on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. at the John C. Hart Memorial Library, 1130 Main St., in Shrub Oak.

The three plays that comprise “Thrice Upon a Mattress” include:
“A Name by any Other Name,� a linguistic farce set into motion by the
forgetting of a name.
“Dream Lover,â€? in which a wife is so skeptical of her husband’s surprising romantic performance that she decides they must be having a dream.
And “Coming Out Party,� in which two women try to convince their recently separated, zero-self-confidence friend to come out of the bedroom where the guests have left their coats and join the party.

They sound like a lot of fun.

And Gorn has a crew of veterans helping him: Eric and Jeannine Goche, Laura Kramer, Anne Rodgers Pearl and Jim Smith.

In addition to the Shrub Oak performance, the rest of the run includes:
Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton
Ave.
Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at the New City Library, 220 N. Main St.
Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Yonkers Public Library, Will Branch,
1500 Central Park Ave.

All performances, which are suitable for those 13 and older, are free.

(Photo by Robin Joseph features cast, from left: Jim Smith, Anne Rodgers Pearl, Jeannine Goche, Laura Kramer and Eric Goche.)

YCP TheaterWorks is holding open auditions for the comedy “All in the Timing� by David Ives to be directed by Elaine Hartel.

Ives is known for crackling dialogue and actor-challenging stories that are a real hoot.

The audition dates are Sept. 4 and 5 at Van Cortlandtville School Theater on Route 6 in Mohegan Lake, across from the Cortlandt Town Shopping Center.

Callbacks will be Sept. 6.

There are 16 roles for males and females — ranging in age from 20 to 70.

Performances are Nov. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11.

Call 914-762-6685.