`Lestat' to vamp--tunefully--in San Francisco, NYC

"Lestat," a musical inspired by novelist Anne Rice's best-selling "Vampire Chronicles," will have its world premiere Dec. 17 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

The show is a first for the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, but John's third Broadway musical, following "The Lion King" and "Aida."

Hugh Panaro ("Les Miserables," "Side Show") stars in the title role.

"Lestat" is scheduled to play San Francisco through Jan. 29, 2006, before opening on Broadway in March 2006, according to the show's public relations representative, Wayne Wolfe.

That's So New York