Musical Kerouac Keeps The Beat at NY's Theatre East Kerouac, the new musical about beat author Jack Kerouac at New York's Theatre East has extended its limited showcase run into a full, open-ended Off-Broadway run, now with a 6 performance-per-week schedule. The show had its official press opening March 10. Kerouac wrote the legendary "beat" novel titled On The Road, as well as Dr. Sax and The Subterraneans. Though Kerouac was actually a homebody, devoted to his mother and doomed to a life of alcoholic depression, his books imagined a life of freedom on the open road, as well as a quest for spiritual peace. His "stream of consciousness" style won such admirers as contemporaries Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs and such detractors as Truman Capote, who once said of Kerouac's prose, "That's not writing, that's typing."

Kerouac the musical, features writing (and typing) by Reena Heenan, music by Shelly Gartner, and lyrics by Heenan and Benita Green. James B. Nichola directs the show, which features Robert Maier as the controversial author. Chad Aaron (recently of Broadway's Stanley) plays Gerard Kerouac, the author's younger brother. Donna Riccio, David Petrolle, Amy Russ, Alison Siegel, Mary Rodgers, Nomi Tichman, Lou George and Steven Curtis comprise the remaining cast, under Peter Blue's musical direction.

Designers for Kerouac are Thomas Lynch (set) and Franklin Hallenbeck (costumes).

Kerouac plays at Theatre East on East 60th St. For tickets ($25) and information call (212) 838-8528.

--By David Lefkowitz