The stereotypical image of Los Angeles involves Hollywood premieres, crowded night clubs and spoiled, drunk celebs crashing their cars at every stoplight.

To put it delicately, the city’s theater scene has a less-than-stellar image in the minds of many non-Angelenos. My East Coast cousins tell me all the time that theater productions, musicals and true acting are found solely on Broadway in New York or on the stage in London’s West End, but I know they are wrong.

If you can avoid getting hit by Nicole Richie on the way, you actually can see everything from those big-name Broadway musicals to tiny, hole-in-the wall plays right here in Los Angeles. So whether you have a taste for potty-mouthed puppets or would prefer watching a knighted British actor do his thing, there is something for you to see this season. Here are a few must-see shows hitting the city this quarter that you should check out so you can correct your East Coast relatives too.

“Avenue Q”

This uncommon musical, running at the Ahmanson Theatre, centers on the rather common experience of settling into a new job and life after college. The characters are colorful, quirky puppets with names like Trekkie Monster and Christmas Eve. It’s Sesame Street turned on its head, for the adult crowd. The musical’s characters deal with issues from homosexuality and racism, to finding the money to pay next month’s rent, to exploring Internet porn. Noted numbers include “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Making Love)” and a song that particularly resonates with me, “What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?”

“High School Musical”

I often find myself reminiscing about the good old days in high school, when classes were more lax, jocks and brainiacs sang together at lunch, and my friends and I constantly broke into dance numbers through the halls. OK, maybe that never happened to me, but the tale of two love-smitten teens’ pursuit of the lead roles in East High’s drama class musical looks like it will translate well to the stage. “High School Musical,” the theatrical production, should make for a great group event when it hits the Kodak Theatre this December.

“King Lear”

The play, coming this October to Royce Hall, will feature the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, headed by Sir Ian McKellen. Even if you’re not a fan of Shakespeare, you’ll want to hike up the Janss Steps and catch this production to see acting at its finest. Knighted by the queen of England, McKellen is one of the greatest actors in theater today – but to get your friends to see it with you, tell them he played Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings” and Magneto in “X-Men.” Now that’s cool.

“Third”

It might not be as widely advertised as shows like “High School Musical” and “Avenue Q” but “Third,” running at the Geffen Playhouse, within walking distance from campus, reflects on some rarely explored issues. This production tells the story of a university professor at a prestigious East Coast university who accuses a student athlete of plagiarizing an excellent paper. The play, set during the second Gulf War in the early 1990s, discusses preconceived notions and hypocrisy in society. If you think really, really hard, the show might somehow connect to current day events.

“Wicked”

If you still haven’t heard any buzz about “Wicked,” the musical playing at the Pantages Theatre, then I am proud to be the one to pull you out from under that rock. “Wicked” is based on “The Wizard of Oz,” but ditches Dorothy and instead revolves around Elphaba and Glinda, two college friends who turn into the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North, respectively.

– Laura Picklesimer