What do Betty Buckley, Jason Robert Brown, Daisy Prince, Bebe Neuwirth, Mandy Patinkin, Daphne Rubin-Vega and William Finn have in common? They are all a part of the upcoming "Intimate Conversations" lecture series, which begins May 13 at Musical Theatre Works.

Last season's premiere lecture series at Musical Theatre Works was a qualified success with such celebrity participants as Hal Prince, Terrence McNally, Elaine Stritch, Audra McDonald, Nicholas Hytner, Alfred Uhry, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Stephen Schwartz and Donna Murphy. This season's line-up is equally stellar. Jason Robert Brown and Daisy Prince open the series on May 13, and the composer and director are scheduled to discuss the making of the new Off-Broadway musical The Last Five Years. May 14 brings Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein and Sheldon Harnick, who will examine the creation of Fiddler on the Roof. Michael Greif, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Anthony Rapp will speak about their Rent experience on May 20, and Michael Mayer, Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan address Thoroughly Modern Millie's creation on May 21.

Musical Theatre Works will also offer a series of one-on-one conversations with some of Broadway most acclaimed stars. Bebe Neuwirth sits down for a chat on May 15, and she will be followed by Tony winners Mandy Patinkin (May 16), Betty Buckley (May 22) and William Finn (May 23).

Musical Theatre Works is located at 440 Lafayette Street. All shows begin at 7 PM, and tickets are priced at $25. Seating for each lecture is limited to 75, and tickets may be purchased by calling (212) 677-0040, ext. 312.

Artistic director Lonny (A Class Act) Price heads Musical Theatre Works, which is a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to the development and production of new American musical theatre. All proceeds from the lecture series go towards the company's Resident Writers program, supporting a new generation of emerging artists. —By Andrew Gans