White will star in three free musical theatre workshop performances of The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea in the Ravinia's Bennett-Gordon Hall. White, who has been part of previous mountings of Black-Eyed Pea, will be directed by Brendon Fox for the Sept. 15 (at 8 PM) and Sept. 16 (at 2 and 7:30 PM) performances.

The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea features book and lyrics by Karole Foreman and music by Andrew Chukerman. The musical, according to press notes, "is a soulful resetting of the Hans Christian Anderson tale as an African-American fable."

Lillias White, who starred in the award-winning revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, garnered a Tony Award for her work in Cy Coleman's The Life. She also starred on Broadway in Barnum and Once on This Island and as Effie in the revival of Dreamgirls. She has also appeared in the Actors' Fund of America's benefit concerts of Dreamgirls, Funny Girl and Hair and was part of the cast of the City Center Encores! production of Purlie. White can currently be seen as Matron "Mama" Morton in the New York company of Chicago.

The Ravinia is located at Lake-Cook and Green Bay roads in Highland Park, IL. For ticket information call (847) 266-5100 or visit www.ravinia.org.