Held Over. Extended. Three more weeks!

Oh the joys and tedium of the long-running show. And I am not talking about Broadway. Phantom of the Opera will be playing after the sun runs out.

Every now and then, Houston gets held over. Right now, it's happening at Stages Repertory Theatre with The Marvelous Wonderettes, a show whose wonder just won't quit.

It's fun, fluffy vocal candy with an indeed marvelous cast, which collectively possess some stunning pipes. Who doesn't want to "lollipop lollipop" to forget the most recent tragedy; musical Prozac is the safer option. Even former President H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush showed up.

The cheery musical is about to go into the record books as the largest grossing show ever at Stages. Coming in second is The Great American Trailer Park Musical, followed by Always...Patsy Cline and I Love You, You are Perfect, Now Change.

"What's up? I asked the always grinning Stages chief Kenn McLaughlin. "It's a numbers game," he says. If they keep coming, he will keep extending.

Held over shows tend to fall into a certain category. "They have to be populist, accessible, offer a fun time in the theater and involve the audience in the event," McLaughlin says. "I have no illusions that this is high-brow theater. But I like this stuff too. The audience really feels ownership and they provide great entertainment."

Then there are the people who go over and over to the held overs. "One person saw Trailer Park 20 times. So far, 14 is the record for Wonderettes," reports McLaughlin. Stages has even started sing-a-long Fridays if you want to join the Wonderettes.

Stages has the luxury of two theaters, which allows edgier fare to run simultaneously. Chances are, Will Eno's Oh, The Humanity and other exclamations, opening on Jan. 26, will not be held over, despite the fact that The New York Times claims, "Eno confirmed the singular nature — and singular beauty — of his voice with Middletown," his most recent play. (Prove me wrong people. Eno is one of the most original voices since Edward Albee.)

Most theaters already have published dates for the next show, limiting the possibility of a hold over until the end of the season. After a rave in The Wall Street Journal, Main Street Theater (MST) extended Awake and Sing, and rightly so, it was a ravishing production. WSJ critic Terry Teachout even liked their Brooklyn accents. MST also had a hit with The Trust, the story of the murder of the founder of Rice University, which has been held over numerous times during its numerous productions over the years.

“It’s a great, local and an important Houston story," says Rebecca Green Udden, MST's artistic director. "It’s based in fact (though with some speculation). And the fact is, Rice University might not had happened if these guys had gotten away with it. As a Rice alum, I think that’s very important."

MST plans to bring Trust back next season and they anticipate it will be, you guessed it, held over.

Long-running shows have a different meaning for actors. Lindsay Gee has played many a "Connie" in A Chorus Line and also performs with Suchu Dance when her schedule allows. Next, she's singing and dancing in casa mañana's production of Evita.

"It's good for artists because these shows pay the bills," Gee says. "Also, I can afford to take more dance classes, voice lessons or acting workshops with the money I save. A long-running contract allows me to discover new things about the character I'm playing which enables me to develop a richer, layer-filled performance. So often, on short contracts, rehearsals are super fast and product driven and just when I'm starting to get into the groove of the show, it's over."

Susan Koozin has lit up many a held over show, including The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Always...Patsy Cline.

"It's a huge commitment, but I am always grateful to have the work, especially in Houston," she says. Koozin paces herself for a long run, keeping herself healthy and focused. As for the tedium, she has her own method

"It's good when you have material you can keep deciphering and keep nuancing. If It's a crowd pleaser and funny, that helps," says Koozin, who starts up yet another round of Trailer Park on June 1. "Once I get there and put on my makeup, I can feel the energy. The crowd feeds me."

And this just in, Late Nite Catechism, another energizer bunny of the stage, returns this spring at Stages. If there are enough recovering Catholics, it will be, yeah, held over.