Carpenters Legacy Tickets

Carpenters Legacy recreates the Karen-and-Richard songbook with a precision that has kept it running for years at the V Theater in Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile Shops: Sally Olson sings Karen - including a full drum solo, since Karen was a drummer first - and Ned Mills plays Richard, complete with a classical piano feature, backed by a live band. The 75-minute show covers "Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays" and the rest, at a single 5 p.m. curtain on select dates most weeks, generally Monday through Thursday; a Christmas-themed variant with the same cast takes over the slot in December.

The honest frame: this is a faithful tribute aimed at people who love the originals. Outside that audience, 75 minutes of soft-pop balladry is a stretch. The V Theater is a modest mall showroom, the select-date calendar means you must check your specific week, and pricing is muddier than it looks: the venue's own online price starts at $59.98 all-in for the rear section (its $9.99 fee included), with middle seats at $69.98 and VIP at $79.98, though discounted rear seats around $42 all-in do turn up. All ages are welcome; children two and under sit free on a lap.