Aladdin, Cadillac Palace Theatre, through Sept. 10. This national tour is a corporate Disney product, no doubt. But most audiences nostalgic for the blockbuster 1992 animated feature probably won't care since Aladdin delivers as a wowing, big-budget stage spectacle. SCM
Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies, Velvet Fox Productions at Athenaeum Theatre, through July 2. We only have an hour to chat with the virago of the silver screen, but Jessica Sherr's camp-free portrayal of Hollywood's legendary rebel leaves us wanting more. MSB
Paradise Blue, TimeLine ( sic ) Theatre, through July 23. Jazz man Blue is squeezed between personal demons and urban renewal in 1949 Detroit, and makes all the wrong choices. This atmospheric play has strong characters and dialog but weak structure. Powerful acting carries it, along with Orbert Davis' original jazz score. JA
Native Gardens, Victory Gardens Theater, through July 2. History is filled with accounts of wars arising from just such trivial squabbles as Karen Zacarias illustrates in this tale of two back yards and their intractable gardeners. MSB
By Abarbanel, Barnidge and Morgan