A MUSICAL ABOUT HATS CALLED "Hats" OPENS IN DENVER THIS OCTOBER

Sibling Entertainment will host the musical "Hats,” the Red Hat Society Musical, in a world premiere on Oct. 11 at the New Denver Civic Theatre.

"Hats" is a collaborative musical with songwriters Kathie Lee Gifford (the TV celeb), Grammy winners Melissa Manchester, Pam Tillis and Tony-nominated composer Carol Hall.

The musical is about a 49.999-year-old woman who dreads her 50th birthday until she meets up with an organization dedicated to fun and friendship over 50. Of course the group she meets up with is the Red Hat Society, which has 1 million members, 42,000 chapters in 30 countries. It is also considered the largest and fastest-growing women's movement in the world.

"Underneath the frivolity," said founder Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, Calif., "we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."

The "Hats" score includes songs that address empty-nest syndrome, the death of a spouse, the end of a marriage and surviving cancer. Martha Rabe, a 73-year-old member of the Delightful Dizzy Dames, said it won't be a matter of whether her group of 40 will hop the bus from Colorado Springs to see "Hats" - but how many times.

"It sounds like a lot of fun and that it will spread the message of the Red Hat Society to even more people," said Rabe, a widow since 1979 who meets with her "sisters" for dinner weekly and other activities monthly. "So many times a woman will lose her husband and she'll become a recluse. This gets them out. And the best thing is there are literally no rules. There are no officers. Just have fun. That's the main thing."

Maxwell already has made arrangements to stage "Hats" in up to 28 Harrah's casinos throughout the country. He also plans a national annual pay-per-view telecast from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for an audience he estimates at 2 million.

"'Hats' embodies the Red Hat Society spirit in song, in dance, in humor and in pathos," said Cooper, who charges $39 a year for membership. Maxwell said "Hats" will appeal to anyone over 50 - or plans to be."

Tickets to "Hats," discounted through July 15, are available at 303-309-3773 or ticketswest.com.

Everyone knows this is good news for hat manufacturers! Bring it on Sue Ellen Cooper.