By Jackie Demaline
The Cincinnati Enquirer

In the spirit of its production Rapunzel, Children's Theatre invites kids and adults to let down their hair for a good cause.

Folks with long, flowing locks are invited to participate in "Locks of Love," which provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who have suffered medical hair loss.

Aveda/Fredric's mobile salon will be stationed in front of the Taft Theatre from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 7. Everyone who donates 10 inches of hair (clean, dry, not chemically damaged and bundled into a ponytail or braid) will receive a complimentary cut from a stylist from Incognito Hair and Nail Salon and up to four tickets to Rapunzel.

Haircuts are by appointment only. Call Children's Theatre at (513) 569-8080, Ext. 15. Information: www.locksoflove.org.

Rapunzel has public performances Dec. 5-7. Information and reservations: 562-4949; www.ticketmaster.com.

Vote for Ashley: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music senior Ashley Brown is one of five finalists in Fynsworth Alley's "Your Big Break" competition.

Fynsworth Alley specializes in theatrical recordings (and has a fine musical theater site). The "Big Break" contest winner will be a featured vocalist on a Fynsworth Alley release in 2004.

Brown's many CCM roles have included the title role in Violet in Hot Summer Nights and Adriana in last season's The Boys from Syracuse. Voting deadline is Nov. 28.

Log on to www.fynsworthalley.com, hear her sing "Back to Before" from Ragtime and help give this girl her big break.

Casting news: There's been a casting switch in Playhouse hit Metamorphoses, with Erik Lochtefeld, a veteran of Broadway (and all the play's other incarnations) replacing Manu Narayan (who played Orpheus, Ceyx and Apollo, among others). Narayan has reportedly been offered the lead in the Broadway production of West End hit Bombay Dreams, and has jetted off to London to get to work.

Monmouth holiday: Shannon Kramer, Spring Starr Pillow and Andrew Smithson usher in the holiday season next week with Some Holiday SASS! at 7 p.m. at Monmouth Theatre in Newport.

Kramer and Pillow are familiar names on the local cabaret and stage scene. They and Smithson (Monmouth house accompanist) are favorite names at the Newport performing space.

They promise a mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas favorites, musical theater standards and other tasty stuff. Call (859) 655-9140.

The Monmouth reports that renovations will begin in December to make the space, a former party room, more "theater-friendly" with cabaret seating being phased out and a better technical system phased in.

Three-hour tour: For everyone who has called in, yes, audition notices will be returning to the Enquirer's calendar listings soon.

In the meantime, Falcon Theatre invites Gilligan, the Skipper, too, and anyone else interested in joining the Midwest maiden voyage of Gilligan's Island: The Musical to auditions, scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Westwood Town Hall (3017 Harrison Ave., at Montana.)

Prepare a song and be prepared to read from the script. Gilligan will run Feb. 6-21. Information: 481-9042; www.falcontheater.net.

Deal of the week: Covedale Center for the Performing Arts is offering a buy one/get one for half-price advance ticket for its musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

Sale continues through Dec. 3, Carol plays Dec. 4-23 at the Covedale (4990 Glenway Ave.) Information and reservations: 241-6550.

Oops: Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative's Chuck Wente says that most of the information he reported last week was incorrect.

It turns out the workshop reading of Cropcirclers by local playwright Alan Jozwiak will be 6 p.m. Dec. 15 (not 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 as originally reported) and Jozwiak's one-act Dora: Why Can't You Sit Still? will not be part of a one-act program by the initiative in spring.

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E-mail jdemaline@enquirer.com