Lots to see on stage around the region outside Seattle

Planning a summer getaway somewhere in Western Washington?

If so, you might want to make room in your vacation for some theatergoing.

Many local tourist-destination towns offer shows for the season, the majority of them musicals and comedies aimed at the family crowd, and quite a few of them staged in the great outdoors.

Here are a few awaiting, hither and yon.

Shakespeare Northwest

If you're ready for a Shakespeare fix and you're anywhere near Bellingham, forsooth, this troupe aligned with Skagit Valley College is mounting their annual Skagit Valley Shakespeare Festival in a variety of indoor and outdoor locales.

The slate of shows includes "Love's Labours Lost" and "The Tempest," plus that spoofy shortcut through Shakespeare's entire canon, "The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr ... (abridged)."

Shakespeare Northwest performs in Bellingham, Burlington, Sedro- Wooley, La Conner and Mount Vernon through Aug. 9 (find a complete rundown at www.shakesnw.org; tickets at 360-416-7727, Ext. 2).

Leavenworth Summer Theater

Everyone's favorite faux-Bavarian hamlet has been presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," with a magnificent backdrop of the Cascade Mountains, for 15 years. So why stop now, with all the lederhosen and those nuns' habits waiting patiently in the costume shop?

The other shows by the Leavenworth company on tap this year are Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" (indoors, at the town's FestHalle) and the stage version of the cheery film "Singin' in the Rain."

Performances at Ski Hill Amphitheater in the Wenatchee National Forest, Hatchery Park in the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, and FestHalle in Leavenworth through Aug. 30 (schedule and reservations at 509-548-2000 or www.leavenworthsummertheater.org).

Key City Public Theatre

When you think of summer entertainment in Port Townsend, Centrum's popular annual series of music festivals (jazz, blues, old-time fiddle) may jump to mind. But the town has a resident theater company also, and this summer they'll be serving up Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" outdoors, next month at Chetzemoka Park.

By the way, this park is one of Port Townsend's best-kept secrets, with lovely tall trees and a water view to die for.

Key City Public Theatre performs at Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend Aug. 7-23 (more information, 360-379-0195 or www.keycitypublictheatre.org).

Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater

Though the state it celebrates is about as far away as you can get from this sylvan amphitheater and still be in the Lower 48, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "Oklahoma!" will be presented here starting Saturday.

The setting is a 95-acre forested park near the picturesque Snoqualmie Falls, with seating on stone benches. And you can either reserve a steak, salmon or chicken dinner cooked up on the premises by "celebrity chefs" from around the Seattle area, or bring your own picnic.

Snoqualmie Falls performs Saturday-Aug. 30 in the Forest Theater near Fall City (information, 425-736-7252 or www.foresttheater.org).

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com