Vanities, the musical based on the Jack Heifner play of the same name, will get a fresh staging in Seattle Feb. 4-May 1 at A Contemporary Theatre (5th Avenue co-presents the run). Heifner and composer-lyricist David Kirshenbaum will speak with 5th Avenue artistic director David Armstrong at 7 PM in a discussion titled "From Hit Play to New Musical: A Creative Chat with Jack Heifner & David Kirshenbaum," which will trace the musical's development from Off-Broadway to the newly-revised Seattle bow. Later in the evening, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal book writer and lyricist Brian Yorkey will join Armstrong to discuss the hit musical about a woman coping with depression, grief and bipolar disorder. The national tour will arrive in Seattle Feb. 22-March 13 at the 5th Avenue. "Local Boy Makes Good!" will explore Next to Normal's West Coast roots. Yorkey, a Washington-state native, developed the show (under the title Feeling Electric) at the Village Theatre in Issaquah, WA.

The events are free, but reservations are required. Phone (206) 625-1900 or visit 5thAvenue.