N.C. Theatre Oct. 18-26, Memorial Auditorium

Composer Maury Yeston has called "Phantom" "the greatest hit never to be produced on Broadway." He and writer Arthur Kopit had a head start on adapting novelist Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera," until Andrew Lloyd Webber ran them off the road with his larger-than-life mega-hit. Yeston and Kopit's "other 'Phantom,' " which N.C. Theatre is producing, has thrived in regional theater and earned acclaim for its rendering of the title character and its sophisticated score. "When history tells the tale," said The New York Times, "the 'other "Phantom"' may well be the winner." 834-4000, www.nctheatre.com.

The Little Prince

PlayMakers Repertory Company

Nov. 26-Dec. 14, Center for Dramatic Art, UNC-CH

Taking a beloved novella to the stage could be a sure-sell or a minefield. PlayMakers Repertory Company scored with the former last year, and a holiday tradition was born. Tom Quaintance's imaginative direction underscores the charm of Antoine de St. Exupery's poignant tale of an aviator who encounters a mysterious stranger and learns what's meaningful. Kenneth P. Strong will reprise his role as the aviator. 962-7529, www.playmakersrep.org.

Blood Done Sign My Name

Duke Divinity School

Nov. 6-9, Sheafer Theater, Duke University

Timothy B. Tyson's historical memoir about a race-motivated murder in Oxford heads to the movie screen next year. But you can see this 1970 story come to life before then, courtesy of Apex actor-playwright Mike Wiley, known for "Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till" and other one-man, multicharacter plays. Wiley and gospel singer Mary Williams will star in this production from Duke Divinity School. 684-4444, tickets.duke.edu (after Sept. 15).

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