Singer-actress Susan Egan will take on the role that won Tammy Grimes her first Tony Award in a production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown this July.

Egan, the original Belle of Broadway's Beauty and the Beast, will play Molly Brown in a mounting of the Meredith Willson musical for the Sacramento Music Circus in Sacramento, Ca. Molly Brown will run at the arena-style tent theatre — now in its 51st year — July 22 through July 28.

Egan received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for her work in Beauty and the Beast, and her other theatre credits include Cabaret, Triumph of Love, Putting It Together and Hello Again. She recently released her first solo recording, "So Far," which includes tunes from her many theatrical outings.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown opened at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on Nov. 3, 1960, featuring a score by Meredith Willson and a book by Richard Morris. Tammy Grimes headed a cast that also featured Harve Presnell and Sterling Clark, and the musical — with the forceful song "I Ain't Down Yet — ran for 532 performances. Grimes won a 1961 Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

The Sacramento Music Circus is located at 1419 H Street in Sacramento, CA. Call (916) 557-1999 for tickets. In related news: Susan Egan will join singer Lisa Richard for a duets concert on Aug. 19 (7 PM and 9 PM) at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA. The concert will feature tunes from each of the women's new recordings. Call the Laguna Playhouse box office at (949) 497-ARTS for reservations.

—By Andrew Gans