A new production of the Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg-Fred Saidy musical Finian's Rainbow is set to have a regional, pre-Broadway tryout in fall 1999 at a venue to be announced, bookwriter Peter Stone told Playbill On-Line (Feb. 2). Stone -- who recently did a rewrite on the book to the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun -- is reworking Saidy's book. Lonny Price will direct the production, said Stone. No stars have been attached to the project.

The show tells the unlikely story of an Irish leprechaun who pursues the man who stole his magical crock o' gold, and winds up in the mythical state of Missitucky, where thief and leprechaun get involved in helping poor black sharecroppers fight a racist senator. The score includes "How Are Things in Glocca Mora," "Devil Moon" and ³This Time of the Year.²

Stone said he discussed the project with Lane before his death on Jan. 5, 1997.

Stone's original work includes the books to 1776, The Will Rogers Follies, Woman of the Year, My One and Only and Titanic.

Sometime actor Price's musical credits (as a director) include revivals of The Rothschilds and Juno and the Encores! concert revival of Pal Joey. Finian's Rainbow originally opened on Broadway on Jan. 10, 1947 and ran for 725 performances. The cast included David Wayne and Anita Alvarez.

--By Robert Simonson