The Old Globe Theatre production of Nathan Englander’s “The Twenty-Seventh Man” has been extended through March 22. Directed by Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein, the work is based on a historical Englander short story and concerns a group of Jewish writers executed by Joseph Stalin in 1952. Extraordinary acting is a hallmark of the production, which stars Robert Dorfman, Hal Linden and Ron Orbach and introduces Eli Gelb as a young, unpublished Yiddish author. Theoldglobe.org or (619) 23-GLOBE. Who’s afraid of Richard Nixon? Or is it John Adams’ 1987 opera titled “Nixon in China” that has operagoers worried? Try it. The composer’s music is beautiful. You’ll like it. San Diego Opera is mounting four performances of the acclaimed masterpiece, based on Richard and Pat Nixon’s historic 1972 trip to China. The opera plays at 7 p.m. March 14, 17 and 20 and 2 p.m. March 22 in The Civic Theatre. If you don’t like what you see, you may stay afterward for a talkback with San Diego Opera insiders. Sdopera.com or (619) 533-7000. Neil Simon’s 1977 comedy “Chapter Two” has been extended through March 29 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, directed by (with Christopher Williams) and starring artistic director David Ellenstein, who is one fine actor. This review is based on the performance of March 4. It’s fashionable to pooh-pooh the author, now 87, but he has always had a handle on humanity, a deep sense of what makes our feeble efforts at happiness so funny and an ability to make us laugh. He does these things through damn clever dialogue. And he mines his own life for the humor. Say what you will about Simon’s midcareer works like “Chapter Two.” There is underlying pathos and truth in this comedy that makes act two painful to watch. That’s when reality rears its truthiness, following the optimistic ending in act one, in which the widowed and neurotic George (Ellenstein) finds Jennie (Jacquelyn Ritz), the perfect woman for him and, despite the caution urged by his brother Leo (Louis Lotorto) and Jennie’s best friend, Faye (Mhari Sandoval), takes the womanly paragon, who will solve all his problems, to the magistrate’s office to tie the knot. It’s a wondrous company, with Ellenstein in top form as the likeable stand-in for Simon himself and Ritz as the woman determined to make him happy until she realizes she can’t. Lotorto, who played Felix in North Coast’s “The Odd Couple” two years ago, is the perfect nudge as ladies’ man Leo, and Sandoval is wondrously ditzy as Faye. The staging moves along briskly on Marty Burnett’s two-apartment set. Alina Bokovikova’s costume design is a stitch (pun intended), especially Leo’s press agent suit and shirts, which shouldn’t work but do. Lighting and sound are in the capable hands of Matt Novotny and Chris Luessmann. Peter Herman’s hair and wigs add to the visual delight. “Chapter Two” continues at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 7 p.m. Sundays through March 29. $44-$48, northcoastrep.org or (858) 481-1055. North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach.
