Editor's note: Post-Gazette North is running a series on high school musicals in the northern suburbs. Shows will be featured before they open. Any north suburban high school educator who would like to have an upcoming musical included in the series should e-mail North Bureau Chief Rachael Conway at rconway@post-gazette.com.

One of the musicals opening this week reaches back more than 70 years. Another has been on Broadway for longer than a decade, and yet another is being staged to benefit poor children in Peru.

Avonworth

Avonworth High School is going back to 1934 for its production of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes."

While many schools prefer to stage the 1987 revival version, which has different songs and some minor plot changes, director Debra Franholz and her production team decided to go with the original, which starred Ethel Merman.

Both the original and the revival take place on a cruise ship. The revival version, however, is more like the TV series, "The Love Boat," Ms. Franholz said. "It's not as crisp, it has less glamour, less flash."

"Anything Goes" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday and April 7-8 at Avonworth High School, 304 Joseph's Lane, Ohio Township.

Tickets are $6-$8 and are available at the door or by calling 412-364-7270.

Perry Traditional Academy

A show that is still running on Broadway after 12 years will appear on the Perry Traditional Academy stage.

"Beauty and the Beast," with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, opens tomorrow evening.

Director Christine Peterman said the decision to do the stage version of the popular Disney animated feature was an easy one.

"It just seemed like a good fit for our cast," she said.

Nostalgia also played a part in the selection. This will be the 10th annual production at Perry, and the first was another show by Menken and Ashman, "Little Shop of Horrors."

"Beauty and the Beast" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday and April 7-8, and at 2 p.m. April 9 at Perry Traditional Academy, 3875 Perrysville Ave., North Side. Tickets are $5. Call 412-323-3406.

St. Sebastian

St. Sebastian Catholic Youth Organization is drawing actors from eight local high schools and junior highs for its performance of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat."

Each cast member is required to raise $125 by selling hoagies, lollipops or space in the show's program to pay for the production of the rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. That will enable all of the donations given by patrons at the door to be sent to a mission to help children living in poverty in Chimbote, Peru. Adviser Linda Scanlon believes the effort demonstrates that not all of today's youth are self-centered.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" will be presented by St. Sebastian CYO at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Sebastian School, 311 Siebert Road, Ross. A dinner will be served between the Sunday performances, with proceeds from the meal also going to the mission. Donations will be accepted for tickets to the show and for the dinner. Tickets are available at the door.

For more Post-Gazette coverage of high school musicals, go to www.post-gazette.com/ae.