"Half a Sixpence" At Goodspeed Opera House

BEGINS FRIDAY: In tough economic times, it's nice to know that money isn't everything.

In "Half a Sixpence," a Cockney shop clerk inherits a fortune, gets swept up with the upper class, loses his money and ends up a happier man. Ah, musicals.

The rare revival of the British musical, which played Broadway in 1965 starring Tommy Steele, opens Friday at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam.

The production, which runs through Sept. 19, is directed by Gordon Greenberg ("Pirates of Penzance," "Happy Days") and stars true Brit Jon Peterson as Arthur Kipps, a character based on the novel "Kipps" by H.G. Wells.

Performances are Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (with shows at 2 p.m. on some Thursdays); Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. (with some Sunday performances at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are $26 to $63. Tickets and information: 860-873-8668 or www.goodspeed.org.