The Visit will play Boston's Colonial Theatre in December 2000 prior to Broadway, as previously reported by Playbill On-Line, but will not have a Washington DC run before its 2001 Broadway opening, according to a spokesperson.

Visit press rep Shirley Herz told Playbill On-Line March 31 the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Terrence McNally musical starring Angela Lansbury and Philip Bosco will move right to Broadway after Boston. No Broadway preview or opening dates have been announced.

The National Theatre in DC had earlier posted on its web site that The Visit was a future possibility there in February 2001, but that will not be the case for the Barry Brown-produced tuner.

And although Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre is said to be one of Lansbury's favorite houses, having served as home to her Mame and Gypsy, no theatre has yet been announced. Indeed, speculation is high in the New York theatre community that The Visit will not visit the Winter Garden (where Cats will close June 25), but will occupy a house currently filled by another longrunning megamusical.

The Visit's Boston run at The Colonial Theatre Dec. 19, 2000-Jan. 14, 2001. *

The new musical is drawn from the 1956 play by Friedrich Durrenmatt, a dark comedy of revenge in which a former prostitute, now a millionairess, pays a macabre visit to her hometown. She tempts the poverty-stricken townspeople with cash to kill the man who ruined her when she was a girl.

The lead roles were originally played in New York by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. A recent revival at the Roundabout Theatre Company featured Jane Alexander and Harris Yulin.

Frank Galati (Ragtime, Seussical the Musical) is directing, Ann Reinking (Chicago) choreographs.

-- By Kenneth Jones