As show director and company artistic manager Linda Whitney conceded in her curtain speech, the recession has bludgeoned the arts business. I'm not sure Harlequin is thrilled with doing Stardust each November, either, but the show must go on. Save smartsy plays for spring, when attention spans are longer and subscriber cash replenishes the coffers. In the meantime, here's Christian Doyle doing Frank Sinatra and a beat poet. Here's Amy Shephard in a clown suit and roller skates, like ya do. Maggie Lofquist has a lovely alto singing voice, which sounds great with Shephard's. Mark Alford pulls off a fabulous Elvis but overacts manically throughout the show. Company newbie Robert Humes is nervous yet perfect for "Chances Are." He plays a continuation of that time-honored entertainment trope, the Magical African-American. (See The Matrix, Bruce Almighty, and every Stephen King novel.)

The music's executed with polish and conviction.

Note: showtimes include a Christmas Eve matinée at 2 p.m. and a New Year's Eve closer at 7 p.m.

Read Christian Carvajal's full review of The Stardust Christmas Blizzard in the Music & Culture section.

THE STARDUST CHRISTMAS BLIZZARD, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 31, Harlequin Productions, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, $25-$38, 360.786.0151