Florida's Coconut Grove Playhouse presents the Tony Award-winning Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry, which began previews Nov. 17, opened Nov. 20, and finishes its scheduled run Dec. 27.

Ballyhoo debuted in the summer of 1996 in Atlanta, the play's setting, where it was commissioned for the Olympics Arts Festival. In Ballyhoo, prejudice against (and among) Southern Jews arises during plans for the German-Jewish community's annual Ballyhoo ball. Coincidentally it's also time for the original release of the film classic, Gone With The Wind, which takes place in Atlanta and deals with the Civil War and Reconstruction era.

Ballyhoo centers on first cousins Lala Levy and Sunny Freitag, thrilled as they prepare for the social event of the season with the cream of Southern Jewish society.

The cast for the Coconut Grove production includes: Philip LeStrange, Donnah Welby, Pat Nesbit, Nick Cokas, Hunter Bell, Jonah Marsh, and Angela Pierce. LeStrange and Nesbit both played in the Broadway production of the show.

Uhry's other credits include Driving Miss Daisy and the book for the upcoming Broadway musical, Parade. For tickets ($35-$40) or more information on Last Night of Ballyhoo at Fl's Coconut Grove Playhouse, call (305) 442-4000.

Upcoming at Coconut Grove will be stage and film star Kathleen Turner in Tallulah, Jan. 15-31, 1999.