THE MUSICAL HATS! COMES TO HARRAHS IN LAS VEGAS

Sibling Theatricals Announces the opening of the Musical HATS! at Harrah's in Las Vegas. This new production of HATS! has Las Vegas flair with lavish and extravagant costumes, laugh-out-loud comedy and stylized choreography.

"Harrah's is the perfect place for HATS! We are thrilled to bring this joyous, hilarious and provocative new musical to audiences in Las Vegas. We are so pleased to be working with Harrah's, one of the most exciting entertainment companies in the world,” said President Mitchell Maxwell.

"Harrah's is home to some of the best comedy shows in Las Vegas, which makes the hilarious musical comedy HATS! a natural fit," said Suzanne Trout, Vice President of Marketing for Harrah's Las Vegas. "We are excited to bring this acclaimed production to our guests."

The original musical, HATS! chronicles MaryAnne's fiftieth birthday and how she embraces this landmark event with laughter, friendship and sequins.

This comedic musical features a score by Broadway's most celebrated songwriters, including three-time Tony Award-winner Doug Besterman, Tony-nominated lyricist Susan Birkenhead, Tony-nominated composer-lyrist Carol Hall, Tony-nominated composer and three-time Academy Award nominee Henry Krieger, Grammy Award-winners Melissa Manchester and Pam Tillis, Golden Globe-winner Amanda McBroom as well as Michele Brourman, Pat Bunch, Gretchen Cryer, Anthony Dodge, Beth Falcone, David Friedman, Kathie Lee Gifford, David Goldsmith, Stephen Lawrence and Sharon Vaughn.

HATS! had its world premiere at the Denver Civic Theatre in October 2006, opened in January 2007, at Harrah's New Orleans Casino Hotel and in Chicago at the Royal George Theatre in April 2007, all to sensational reviews.

The Chicago Tribune called HATS! "a music-and-comedy celebration ... it will make a lot of people feel empowered. It does so with integrity, craft and heart." The Denver Post raved, "That's a real audience emitting real belly laughs and crying real tears. I have never seen an audience so affected in the course of watching theater." Variety declared, "This is a feel-good show that's really about feeling good."

The Las Vegas premiere of HATS! has been designed by Dick Foster Productions with glittering costumes, glamorous scenic design, witty jokes, recognizable characters and memorable songs.

Tickets are available at the Harrah's Las Vegas box office, online at http://www.harrahs.com/las-vegas-entertainment or by calling (800) 392-9002.

OTHER HAT PRODUCTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Erie Playhouse production of "Crowns" Sharon Jones performs as Mabel. Other actresses, left to right, are Elbonee Stevenson as Velma, Krista Lamb as Wanda, Pearl Jeffries as Mother Shaw, Jones, and Brenda Sanford as Jeanette.

CROWNS, adapted from "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry will be in Erie Pennsylvania next weekend.

Black women - including college professors and hairdressers - share their personal stories about church wear and its personal and cultural significance.

The musical was written by Golden Globe Award-winning actress Regina Taylor, who is a cast member on CBS drama "The Unit."

"Crowns" will be presented at the Erie Playhouse, 13 W. 10th St. and will run through Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.

The production is directed by Charles Corritore. The cast members are Carla Hughes, Pearl Jeffries, Elbonee Stevenson, Sharon Jones, Brenda Sanford, Krista Lamb and Hayes Moses.

Tickets are available by calling 454-2852, Ext. 0, or online at: www.erieplayhouse.org.

Crowns is also at the Footlight Players Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina until February 10th at 20 Queen St. (843) 722-4487 - www.footlightplayers.net

ANOTHER NEW HAT PRODUCTION FROM THE DESERT VOICES:
This mixed-voice chorus loves baseball hats, fancy go-to-town hats, yarmulkes, veils or cowboy hats.

This season they’re paying tribute to hats in a series of concerts starting Feb. 9 with "Come Out and Play."

That concert sets its sights on baseball caps, helmets, tiaras and all the fun headgear we wear when we're at play. There's a fine-print warning, however. For the first time, Desert Voices is slapping a "parental discretion advised" label on its show, which is the group's annual cabaret event.

The show, featuring soloists, small groups from the ensemble and the full chorus, will be at the Historic Y, 300 E. University Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m., and tickets are $30, which includes complimentary canapés, wine, beer and champagne.

Tickets are available through the box office, 791-9662; or Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave. The "Hats" season continues April 19-20 with "This I Believe" at Pima Community College Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre in Tucson, Arizona.