The Pasadena Playhouse and Theatre of Vienna have formed a new alliance to provide for the development, production and potential exchange of musicals and plays, with an eventual goal of exchanging and/or developing one or more shows annually. The partnership will also allow for an exchange of staff members from each theatre to observe the operations and production techniques of the partnering organization. Orange County-based Cornerstone Entertainment International, Inc. will serve as coordinating associate producer between the Pasadena Playhouse and Theatre of Vienna.Presently there are three works currently under consideration for exchange and/or joint development: Play On!, which recently played to sold-out houses in Pasadena; a potential revival of Hair, the 1960s rock musical by Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot; and The Golden Bullet, a new musical based on Fred Morton's Book "Nervous Splendor" with the possibility of music by award-winning composer Michel Legrand.

Theatre of Vienna, which will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2001, is an historic theatre which has staged such important premieres as Beethoven's "Fidelio" in 1805 and many of Offenbach's operettas. In recent years such American musicals as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera have enjoyed long runs there. General Director of the theatre is Rudi Klausnitzer. Sheldon Epps is artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent