Musical celebrations of Sunday haberdashery and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson will be featured in the 1999-2000 season of Bushfire Theatre of Performing Arts, a Philadelphia theatre which stages African-American themed work.

Hats on the Vine (Nov. 16-Dec. 5) is a gospel musical about the unlikely topic of the headwear that African-Americans wear to church. Author Joseph P. Blake uses elements of the Sunday morning service to tell the stories behind each lid.

The second musical of the season, Bo! (March 14-April 2, 2000) by Clyde Santana and Gail Davis, is about the legendary tapper Bill Robinson, examining his life through dance and song.

The Bushfire season begins with a trip to Venice (Sept. 28-Oct. 10). Kathleen McGhee-Anderson's drama concern two women whose lives become intertwined through a tragic event.

Last on the season bill is Richard Lamont Pierce's Strange Fruit (May 2-14, 2000), a sextet of vignettes about lynching. The Bushfire is located at 52nd Street and Locust Avenue. Call (215) 747 9230 for more information.

-- By Robert Simonson