Musical theatre's Julia Murney (The Wild Party), Chad Kimball (Into the Woods) and Heather MacRae (Falsettos) will give their singing pipes a break Aug. 19, and take a dramatic turn in a reading of William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba. The evening, held at the Lark Studio Theatre, will benefit the Transport Group.

Lola and "Doc" Delaney have managed their marriage into their middle-age. But Doc's alcoholism and the arrival of a young college girl signal the destruction of the Delaney's uneasy peace. Come Back, Little Sheba was made into a 1952 film starring Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth (repeating her Broadway performance). Booth won an Academy Award as Lola.

Joining Murney, Kimball and McRae are Megan McGinnis (Parade), Jim Madden, Jim Hindman (A Man of No Importance), John Wellman and John Cariani. Lynne Shankel will perform original and period music with vocals sung by Tony nominee Barbara Walsh (Falsettos).

The Transport Group, founded in 2001 by Jack Cummings III, will hold a second benefit Oct. 28 at the Culture Project at 45 Bleecker. Entitled Gimme a Break, the cabaret evening features Broadway performers singing the songs that gave them their first break. All this fete-ing will lead to the second Transport Group show, Requiem for William, beginning performances Feb. 1, 2003. Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party, Marie Christine) is among the composers who will take one of seven rare Inge one-acts and transform them into mini-musicals for Requiem.

Tickets to Come Back, Little Sheba are $30. The Lark Studio Theatre is located at 939 8th Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets. For reservations, call (212) 560-4372. — By Christine Ehren