Three of this week's West high school musicals fall under the heading of "last hurrahs," while the fourth is a mystery -- one only the audience can solve.

		PG West previews "Sweet Charity" Where: Chartiers Valley High School, 50 Thoms Run Road, Collier. When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and March 8-10. Tickets: $8; call 412-429-2241. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" Where: Ambridge Area High School, 909 Duss Ave., Ambridge. When: 7:30 p.m. today, tomorrow and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $5-$8; call 724-869-7713. "Les Miserables" Where: Blackhawk High School, 500 Blackhawk Road, Chippewa. When: 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $8; call 724-846-9600. "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" Where: Center Area High School, 160 Baker Road Ext., Center. When: 7 p.m. today, 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets: $7 adults, $6 students; call 724-775-4300.

Renee Keil has been directing high school musicals for 37 years and has seen several former students become theater professionals. This is her last year at Chartiers Valley High School, and, she says, "I wanted to do something different."

The musical comedy "Sweet Charity" by Neil Simon, with music by Cy Coleman and choreography by Bob Fosse, seems like "classic American musical theater," as Mrs. Keil called it. But the title character, Charity Hope Valentine, is a taxi-dancer of uncertain virtue -- if endless optimism -- with terrible taste in men. Not your typical high school material.

Still, Ms. Keil felt "Charity" was a great choice for a talented cast with lots of strong females, including her daughter, Alix Keil, who plays Charity, as well as Christina Bordini (Nikki), a 2006 Kelly award-winner. And there are the songs, which include "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Hey, Big Spender."

The unsavory aspects of Charity's line of work are "handled with delicacy," promised Ms. Keil, and she felt the musical, which hit Broadway in 1966, reflects a time when women had fewer choices. She pointed out that "these girls are in a dead-end position," and this lends the comedy depth.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," on the other hand, can't be called controversial -- it's based on the Biblical story of Jacob and his 12 sons -- but it will be the last musical performed in the Ambridge Area High School auditorium, which was renovated in 2000. The district will open its new high school next year.

New director Oscar Gladman is a little sorry to see it go. He graduated from Ambridge in 2001 and performed there himself before going on to Point Park University. He's busy mounting this Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical on a shoestring budget.

Known for its mix of musical styles, "Joseph" came to the stage in 1968. Mr. Gladman predicted the country-inspired "One More Angel in Heaven," would be a hit with audiences, as well as the ballad "Close Every Door."

He also pointed out some production innovations: The orchestra is onstage, 15 Ambridge elementary pupils are in the cast, and real steel drums accompany the song "Benjamin Calypso."

The lead character, Joseph, is played by Michael Fitzpatrick, Potiphar's wife is Katie Sisley, Potiphar is Cameron Krivich and Pharoah is Dan Zak.

Blackhawk High School director Keith Kovalic said he has wanted to do "Les Miserables" for a long time -- "before I died or before I retired."

A true musical in which all dialogue is sung, "Les Miz" appeared on the London stage in 1985, with music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Sch?rg, and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. Based on the Victor Hugo novel, the musical concerns the struggles of hero and convict Jean Valjean during the French Revolution.

Mr. Kovalic conceded that mounting "Les Miz" was its own struggle; with a cast of 60, period costumes and props -- including rifles -- and a 10-by-40-foot barricade for the famous barricade scenes, the undertaking was, he said, "almost suicidal."

Despite difficulties, Mr. Kovalic is confident in his cast, especially in Bill Douds, who plays Jean. Although Bill has not studied music and is better known as a member of Blackhawk's football team, "he's really stepping up," the director said.

Mr. Kovalic promised audiences would not be disappointed. "There are easy shows, and every director knows which ones they are. And this is not one of those," he said. "We're going full-bore."

Sandy Reigel, director at Center Area High School, said she's loved Rupert Holmes' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" since she saw a Pittsburgh Playhouse production years ago, directed by Pittsburgh's own Rob Marshall, who has since gone on to direct the Oscar-winning film version of "Chicago."

Based on Charles Dickens' last, unfinished novel, "Drood" is a true mystery; since Dickens died before revealing the identity of the murderer of the title character, playwright Holmes made his musical interactive -- the audience decides whodunit, as well as several other key plot points.

Even more fun, if disconcerting, is the fact that "Drood's" cast is a company of squabbling actors who are, themselves, performing a version of "Drood." Got it? Ms. Reigel cited how different "Drood" is from a standard musical: The cast talks to the audience and must perform songs and lines depending on the ending chosen for each performance. "They need to think fast on their feet," she said, responding with ad libs but keeping to the plot.

Ms. Reigel predicted that the rousing "Don't Quit While You're Ahead"-- complete with kick line -- and "Off to the Races" will be high spots.

John Jasper is played by George Milosh, and Rosa Bud is portrayed by Sara Mathieu.

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