ong Branch, N.J.
Cupid and Psyche
New Jersey Repertory Co., (732) 229-3166
Jihwan Kim and Sean Hartley’s musical is “hit and myth,” said the Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger. Good-natured hilarity ensues when Cupid, sent to shoot an arrow into the beautiful Psyche’s heart, instead shoots a Cyclops, who falls for the winged cherub.

Philadelphia
James and the Giant Peach
Arden Theatre, (215) 922-1122
Roald Dahl’s surreal children’s tale is “hard to pull off onstage,” said The Philadelphia Inquirer. Designer Jorge Cousineau’s staging has plenty of “sock-’em high-tech effects,” but actor James William Ijames is too old for the lead role.

Washington, D.C.
West Side Story
National Theatre, (866) 276-2947
Forget the “clumsy accents” common in productions of this musical, said The Washington Post. In the National Theatre’s version, the Puerto Rican characters speak and sing in Spanish. The authenticity will win over even English speakers.