Dog eat dog? Not in Charlotte, as summer theater gets going at CP, Davidson, and Matthews with robust attendance despite the invasion of the touring Andrew Lloyd Webber behemoth at the Belk, The Phantom of the Opera. Nor have all these boffo Metrolina openings impacted on the big local hits already in mid-run.

Au contraire. CAST just announced that they'd be adding a week to their waterworld production of Metamorphoses, now afloat an extra week through July 12 at 1118 Clement Avenue. With just 65 prime seats available for each spectacular performance, walk-up attendance of this CAST smash is definitely at your peril, but I would wager that additional "Ovid Held Over" announcements are on the horizon. It's just going to be really hot inside the CAST warehouse when they finally do break down that pool up there.

Meanwhile, Evil Dead: The Musical is drawing quite well at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, thank you very much. They're adding an extra Sunday evening performance at 7:30 p.m. to their run, extending the sojourn of Candarian demons at 650 E. Stonewall to June 28. Sellouts there have also been aplenty, so you're advised to reserve if you haven't already seen the gushing blood and intestines.

On top of Evil Dead's success, Actor's Theatre has earned themselves a mazel tov with their world premiere of Southern Rapture. The script, an unprecedented ATC commission that officially opened here on April 15, is expected to yield offspring in the fall. Stages Repertory Theatre will present the regional premiere of Eric Coble's comedy/satire in Houston, Sept. 23-Oct. 18. The proud parents are said to be doing well.