Brian Cousins, Magda Harout, Paul Provenza, Robin Riker and Sybyl Walker head the cast of Joe DiPietro's The Kiss at City Hall,, which will have its West Coast premiere at Pasadena Playhouse, Jan. 16-Feb. 20, 2000 (previews begin Jan. 7), directed by Joel Bishoff.

DiPietro has two long-running Off-Broadway hits still running in New York, the musical revue I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and the comedy Over the River and Through the Woods. The latter show is also playing at The Actors' Alley in Los Angeles. DiPietro has also written the book and lyrics for two new musicals: Men and O. Henry's Lovers, both of which have debuted regionally. He has also written the book to the "new" Gershwin musical They All Laughed, which will premiere next season.

The Kiss at City Hall is set in Paris in the 50s, when photographer Robert Doisneau captured the image of a young man and woman who, oblivious to the flow of pedestrians around them, stop and steal a passionate kiss. The truth of that immortalized moment of love and romance frames DiPietro's comic investigation of love and romance in the 90s.

DiPietro has invented two couples struggling to define and experience love and marriage in today's harried, cell-phone world. The photos they've been given by society's image-makers only complicate their efforts to experience true romance.

Bishoff directed the original production of I Love You, You're Perfect, as well as further reincarnations of the show regionally and abroad. He has directed opera as well and mounted the touring production of The Sound of Music, starring Marie Osmond.Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave. For tickets and information call Telecharge at (800) 233-3123 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent