Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor

Let’s get to the important stuff first: Tyler Perry does notappear in the play Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor. Yes, having his name in the title of a show in which he does not appear is a little misleading, but the six-foot-six writer/actor best known for his character Madea (Perry as a feisty, funny elderly woman) has become a trademark in the urban entertainment industry, so it’s natural for him to put his name on every project.

Perry’s success is due, in part, to his strict adherence to the urban theater formula — there’s a family in crisis, there’s plenty of laughs while things develop and, finally, in a moment of clarity, everything’s resolved with the bad guys getting their due. The Marriage Counselor is no different. It features an accountant and his marriage counselor wife at odds once her old flame returns. Perry’s shows always fold a message in between the punch lines; while there are few surprises, the shows are nonetheless satisfying. 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas. For information, call 713-629-3700 or visit www.livenation.com. $46 to $58.

Thu., Feb. 19, 8 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 20, 8 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 21, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 22, 3 & 7:30 p.m., 2009