BWW Previews: VANYA and More Play Des Moines in May

May is the last full month of spring and it also signals the last big month for theater in Des Moines before a couple of quieter months. All of these productions wrap up on May 17th, so catch them while you can!

Disney's The Lion King will finish up their three-week engagement on May 17th. The stage adaptation of the classic animated film continues to take the world by storm with its' innovative costumes, set design and music. Since debuting in 1997, The Lion King has showed little sign on slowing down and is now the fourth longest running show in Broadway history. For ticket information visit Des Moines Performing Arts.

Another great offering for the whole family is the Des Moines Playhouse production of Charlotte's Web. Based on the classic E.B. White book, Charlotte's Web is the tale of plucky pig Wilbur who, with the help of his spider friend Charlotte, manages to become "Some Pig." Charlotte's Web opens on May 1st and runs through May 17th. For ticket information visit ­­Des Moines Playhouse.

And for the adults, StageWest presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. This comedy from Christopher Durang won the Tony award for Best Play in 2013. The play centers on middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia, who share a house, and the period of time in which their movie-star sister Masha visits them with her newest boy toy Spike. As often happens when siblings come together, anger and resentment from the past bubbles up and, in this case, leads to threats of selling the house. The play opens on May 8th and runs through May 17th. For ticket information visit StageWest.