Three leading scholars on civil rights, civil liberties and the infamous 1930's Alabama-based "Scottsboro Case" will take part in the free public forum, which is entitled "The Scottsboro Boys: A Conversation About the Case and its Legacy." This evening will be presented by The Vineyard Theatre at the New York bookseller (33 East 17 Street) Feb. 28 at 6:30 PM.

The panel will be include John Jay College African-American Studies department chair Dr. Kwando Kinshasa (author of "The Man from Scottsboro"), Rutgers University professor of history James Goodman (author of "Stories of Scottsboro") and Rutgers faculty member and lawyer David Troutt (former editor of the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review).

The discussion is presented in conjunction with Vineyard Theatre's world-premiere production of the John Kander, Fred Ebb and David Thompson's musical The Scottsboro Boys. Susan Stroman will direct and choreograph the musical featuring music and lyrics by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and a book by David Thompson. The run will begin previews Feb. 12 and open March 10 at the Off-Broadway venue.

The Scottsboro Boys, according to an announcement, "explores the famous 'Scottsboro' case of the 1930s — in which a group of young African American teenagers were unjustly accused of attacking two women — and the boys' attempts to prove their innocence." Billed as a "new musical," the work was one of the final collaborations from the famed songwriting team before Ebb's death.

The cast will feature two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum, Colman Domingo, Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, Sean Bradford, Josh Breckenridge, Derrick Cobey, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, Forrest McClendon, Julius Thomas III, Sharon Washington, Cody Ryan Wise and Christian White. Tickets to The Scottsboro Boys at The Vineyard Theatre, 108 East 15th Street, are available by calling (212) 353-0303 or on the website. For more information, visit VineyardTheatre.org