After the current run of Dreamgirls finishes in mid-March, Berlin's Theater des Westens will premiere a new musical entitled 30 60 90 - Always Open. The title refers to the three temperature settings available on every German washing machine.

The story, set in a laundromat built on land where the Berlin Wall once stood, centers on the relationship between Pit, a jazz trumpeter raised in East Germany and Petra, a law student from Bielefeld. Pit is played by Ole Solomon Junge, a London-born actor raised in Germany who is primarily active in New York.

Just as Berlin was an intersection between two hostile worlds before the Wall came down, this laundromat is a place where the conflicts which still exist between east and west are visible and dangerous.

Helmut Baumann, artistic director of Theater des Westens, will direct.

The music is by Niclas Ramdohr, composer of a number of popular musicals seen at some of the more adventurous smaller theatres in Berlin. His chamber musical NO SEX! is revived often by theatres throughout Germany. Felix Huby and Heinz Kahlau are co-authors of the book. Huby and Kahlau have collaborated successfully for several years on television films and series. Huby is also widely known as author of the Bienzle detective novels. The song texts are by Thomas Pigor, an entertainer and author active in Berlins cabaret scene.

30 60 90 opens on May 1 and will play until August 2. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00 and Sundays at 6:00. For reservations call (++49) 30 / 88 22 888. Theater des Westens is located on Kantstrasse near the Bahnhof Zoo train station. --By Scott Lawton, Germany