Scott Ellis, director of such Broadway productions as 1776 and She Loves Me, will direct the Don Schlitz-Ken Ludwig musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ellis' agent George Lane told Playbill On-Line (Nov. 4).

Alan Carr, who will produce, could not be reached for comment. The show's performance plans could not be learned, but Variety (Oct. 27) had the show reaching Broadway sometime during the 1999-2000 season.

According to a spokesman at producer Elizabeth Williams office, Williams and Jujamcyn Theatres may also be involved in the production.

Rumors of Tom Sawyer's arrival have been floated for years. At one time, Don Scardino was sought to pilot the show, but he had to beg off the project back in mid-winter 1996-97 because of sitcom-directing commitments in Los Angeles.

The Broadway production time frame has been changed several times, and the show was last announced tentatively for spring 1998. Tom Sawyer, a musical adaptation of Mark Twain's comic novel, has a book by Ken Ludwig (Moon Over Buffalo) and music and lyrics by Don Schlitz.

Back in winter 1996-97, Samantha Holman (then of producer Williams' office), said an initial reading of Tom Sawyer (songs included) took place Nov. 26, 1996, featuring Polly Holliday (TV's "Alice") as the Widow Douglas, Christopher Invar (Les Miz) as Injun Joe, and Cass Morgan (Pump Boys & Dinettes) as Aunt Polly. Tom was played by Sean Kennedy, Huck by Hunter Foster, Becky Thatcher by Jolie Jenkins, and Judge Thatcher by Dennis Parlato. Scardino directed the reading.