Kelly Clarkson News

The runaway success of Disney Channel's 'High School Musical,' the sound track from which has hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard pop-music charts twice this year, has renewed interest in the teen musical genre -- and among the musical productions benefiting is 'In Your Dreams,' a musical written and produced by Miramax-linked screenwriter Zeke Farrow and scored by Marc Shaiman-protégé Lucian Piane.

ANDRE BENJAMIN AND ANTWAN PATTON STAR IN LEAD ROLES; ALSO STARRING VING RHAMES, TERRENCE DASHON HOWARD, FAIZON LOVE, MALINDA WILLIAMS, PAULA PARKER, JACKIE LONG, PAULA PATTON AND PATTI LABELLE; WITH MACY GRAY, BEN VEREEN AND CICELY TYSON AWARD-WINNING BRYAN BARBER MAKES THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM DIRECTING DEBUT TONY-WINNER HINTON BATTLE CHOREOGRAPHS DANCE SEQUENCES

Robin de Levita, Dragone and The Firm have announced the creative team for CARMEN: The Musical, based on the classic 1845 novel by Prosper Mérimée, directed by Franco Dragone. With music by John Ewbank, and a book by Sarah Miles, a developmental staging will be work-shopped later this year, with a Broadway production targeted for the 2006/07 season.

The off-Broadway musical Once Around the Sun is offering local bands the chance to have its actors wear t-shirts onstage with the band's logo

Seth Rudetsky gives us the inside scoop on this year's Actors' Fund benefit.