Ahmanson fills out its lineup

A new musical based on the 1936 movie “Swing Time,” a home-grown revival of “The Royal Family” and Baz Luhrmann’s staging of “La Boheme” will join the already announced “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on the Ahmanson Theatre’s 2003-2004 subscription season.

Two former Music Center favorites also will play the Ahmanson, before the season begins: “Flower Drum Song” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“Never Gonna Dance,” the “Swing Time” musical, will open the subscription season Jan. 25-March 7, 2004. Directed by Michael Greif of “Rent” fame, choreographed by Jerry Mitchell (“The Full Monty”) and adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, it features music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by an array of ‘30s talents. Among the songs are “Pick Yourself Up,” “I Won’t Dance” and “A Fine Romance.”

Ahmanson artistic director-producer Gordon Davidson said the show is expected to move directly to Broadway after its premiere at the Ahmanson. Casting has not been announced, but Davidson said the show “will not rely on star power” to fill the shoes of the movie’s Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s “The Royal Family” will be the first home-grown Ahmanson production (March 31-May 16, 2004) since “Romeo and Juliet” in 2001. Davidson left open the possibility that he might direct the 1927 comedy about a Barrymore-like family.

After “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (May 21-July 25, 2004) will be “Moulin Rouge” director Luhrmann’s take on Puccini’s opera “La Boheme” (July 30-Sept. 19, 2004), sung in Italian with English titles.

One of the two non-subscription shows, the David Henry Hwang rewrite of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song,” was originally slated to premiere at the Ahmanson. But it moved to the smaller, adjacent Mark Taper Forum after financing for the larger production fell through. The Taper run in 2001-2002 led to a Broadway production last year. That newer version, which shuffled songs and included some restaging, will play the Ahmanson Sept. 17-28 of this year and then will move to the Orange County Performing Arts Center from Sept. 30-Oct. 5.

The 1989-1993 run of “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Ahmanson was L.A.’s bestselling theatrical production. The Andrew Lloyd Webber show will return (Oct. 12-Dec. 6, 2003) in what Davidson called “the last time the full ‘Phantom’ will be mounted, with no corners cut.”