Billy Zane ("Titanic") and Grace Jones ("Conan the Destroyer") are currently in negotiations to star in A Celebration of the Lizard, a musical themed around the poetry of Jim Morrison, and featuring music and lyrics of The Doors, according to a report in Variety (June 11), Lizard is planning summer 2000 pre-Broadway bow at San Diego Repertory Theatre.

Joel Lipman, of Lipman/Sachnoff Entertainment -- producers of the event, told Variety, "It centers on Jim's post-apocalyptic vision of Los Angeles. It's the story about a stranger chosen as the one to unite the tribes, so to speak, who's going to save the people."

San Diego Rep artistic director Sam Woodhouse (It Ain't Nothing But the Blues) is attached to helm.

The theatre is planning on a staged reading for Lizard this month, with surviving Doors members -- Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore -- serving as creative consultants.

Morrison often performed the "Celebration" poem as part of his live concerts, and recorded a sections of it on The Doors' "Waiting for the Sun" album. The piece contains the famed Morrison phrase, "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything." -- By Sean McGrath