Eartha Kitt, who typically spaces out her Broadway appearances in terms of decades, may be back on the Rialto in the fall of 2001. As Playbill On- Line reported earlier, Kitt starred in an Oct. 2 NYC reading of John Meyer's comedy-thriller, Zazou. The event, produced by the not-for-profit outfit The Times Square Group, went so well that Kitt would like to go forward with the project, Bobbi Horowitz of the TSG told Playbill On-Line.

The producers are aiming at a not-for-profit mounting in September 2001. If all goes well, a commercial transfer to a small Broadway house is the plan.

The reason for the year-long wait between reading and production is Kitt's involvement in the new national touring stage version of the classic TV musical, "Cinderella." Kitt plays the Fairy Godmother in the road show, which begins Nov. 28 in Tampa, FL, and covers 28 cities through Aug. 26, 2001.

Zazou concerns a veteran of the French music hall scene (Kitt) who kills the person translating her memoirs. The reading also featured Tom Jerome, Amanda Naughton and Tom Flagg.

Kitt recently received a 2000 Tony nomination for her turn in Broadway's The Wild Party. She Kitt is best known for her many cabaret appearances, her extensive recordings and a trio of autobiographies. On stage, she has also appeared in Broadway's New Faces of 1952 and Timbuktu. --By Robert Simonson