After Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Zurich and Basel, Vienna will be another stop on the European tour of Fame.

Starting Jan. 9 (previews Jan. 7 and 8), the West End stage musical, currently playing a return engagement in London, will play at the Ronacher Theatre thru Feb. 8.

Fame, which opened in the West End in June 1995, is based on the movie by David De Silva, that was subsequently turned into a TV-series. It depicts life at New York's Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art, by telling a fictious story of some students and teachers.

As in the West End where his work was nominated for an Oliver Award, Lars Bethke is the director and choreographer for the touring production, assisted by his wife Denise Holland. German producer Wolfgang Bocksch has held auditions in New York, Miami and Los Angeles to assemble his cast. Warren Gabriel Corbin plays Tyrone, Larissa Fasthorse is Iris and former figure ice skater Caren Lyn Manuel plays Carmen. Shirell Ferguson (Miss Sherman), Bob Arnold (Mr. Steinkopf), Richard G. Rodgers (Mr. Meyers) and Riette Burdick (Miss Bell) are the teachers.

Michael E. Downs has created the stage design, costumes are by Herbert Erhardt and Jan Radesjoe is the musical supervisor. Show times for Fame: Tue to Sat 7.30 PM, Sun 7 PM, matinees on Sat and Sun at 3 PM. Tickets can be ordered at Wien-Ticket (Tel: +43-1-588 85).

- By Bernd Freimueller

Austria Correspondent