Following on its huge success last October, when ecstatic audiences thrilled to the sounds of "Broadway in Bermuda'', Two Island Productions is planning another star-studded programme of music from the Great White Way.

With last year's production completely sold out, this year's show will run for four nights at City Hall and, once again, some of the brightest young stars from Broadway will join forces with the best of Bermuda in music by such greats as Gershwin, Sondheim and Bernstein.

In spite of its runaway success, Two Island Productions emphasise the concert is only a "means to an end'', an "exhilarating'' way of raising funds to further the ideals for which the charity-status company was founded. "The whole idea behind this was, and still is, to create and produce dynamic professional theatre in Bermuda. In order to do this, it's important to start with Bermuda's young people and we have, in fact, already implemented our children's summer workshops, our play development and scholarship programme,'' explains co-founder and local resident Iva Peele.

"I am very pleased to be able to announce that, this year, we have awarded the annual scholarship to Happy Lindsay, who is planning to pursue her studies in England.'' The gifted 17-year-old, currently appearing with the Jabulani Repertory Company in their summer season at the Princess Hotel, will formally receive her scholarship at a reception following a special Gala Performance. "We hope this will reinforce the reason why we are doing these concerts,'' continues Mrs. Peele. "Although `Broadway in Bermuda' is a fund-raiser, we feel it's also representative of musical theatre at its best and reflects the honesty and integrity of the performing arts, with New Yorkers bringing their experience to benefit Bermuda.'' Ms Peele is especially thrilled by the success of this year's drama workshops.

"We had 18 kids, from all walks of life. We didn't realise there was such a gap in `things to do' for 12- to 15-year-olds. This is a very important developmental age where they learn to express themselves and be themselves, so it has an importance beyond theatre. Our goal is to do two or three similar workshops and then implement a full-time after-school programme. It is free of charge, so it is important that we raise money for our future plans from this concert. We are also hoping to establish a playwright commission to help fund a Bermudian to write an original play, develop it here and eventually take it to New York.'' The show's director and co-founder Sheryl Kaller emphasises the unique mix of talents in the show provides a two-way benefit. "I'm pleased to say that we have 13 Bermuda people in the show this year, with some wonderful chorus and solo numbers. Most of the New Yorkers who were in last year's concert, are returning -- proof, I would say, of how much they loved being here.'' She points out that, even though most of those appearing have had leading roles on Broadway with several receiving Tony nominations, the Bermuda concert offers many of them a chance to perform pieces they would never be able to do on Broadway.

"Michael Leslie (who, last year, brought the house down with his version of `Ol' Man River') said that the Bermuda show reminded him of why he was on the stage!'' He is one of the stars who will return this year. Others include Two Island Productions co-founder Beth Dunnington, the singer who can switch effortlessly from Mozart (she sang Papagena in Tom O'Horgan's acclaimed production of "The Magic Flute'') to Broadway and whose rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Tell Me On a Sunday'' was one of the high points of last year's concert; Sal Viviano, who has had leading roles in Broadway's "Falsettos'', and "City of Angels'', as well as featured roles in several films and a concert at the White House; Nikki Rene, who appeared in the original New York production of "Once On This Island'' and has spent the past year as `the hooker with a heart' in CBS's "The Guiding Light''.

Stephen Bogardus joins the cast this year straight from his triumph (Tony nomination, OBIE Award) in "Love! Valour! Compassion!'' which has also just been filmed. He also starred in the national tours of "Chess'' and "City of Angels'' and recently sang opposite opera star Frederica Von Stade in a concert version of "On the Town'' with the San Francisco Symphony; and Carolle Carmello, from the original Broadway cast of "Falsettos'' and "City of Angels'', who received an OBIE for her work in "Hello Again'' at the Lincoln Centre.

Rusty Magee, who is back here as musical director (gifted local James Burn is his assistant), won the New York Outer Critics' Circle James Fleet Award for promising composer, and arranged and performed the music for the Tony award-winning "The House of Blue Leave''. Beth Dunnington will sing one of the numbers from his new musical, "The Green Heart'', to be staged soon at New York's Manhattan Theatre Club.

Local performers appearing as principals include well-known director Patricia Pogson; Paul Matthews (currently appearing in Ms Pogson's Jabulani production of "Don't Dress for Dinner'' at the Princess); Deletta Gillespie, producer, director and choreographer for "Time Tunnel''; Daren Herbert, who had a leading role in Jabulani's "Once On This Island''; Wayne Holt, who scored a resounding success with his performance of "Oklahoma'' in last year's show; LeYoni Junos, a soloist in "Bermuda in Your Life'' for the Department of Tourism'; and Beverly Crick, outstanding in such recent Gilbert & Sullivan productions of "The King and I'' and "Me and My Girl''.

"This is going to be a wonderful show,'' promises Ms Peele. "We want to have a surprise element, so we don't want to give too many details, but there will be some very popular numbers from such shows as "Porgy and Bess'', "Les Miserables'' and "Tommy'' -- we're going to rock the house a little bit with some rock 'n' roll!'' "Broadway in Bermuda'' will be staged at the City Hall Theatre on September 11 through 14, nightly at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40, except for the Friday evening performance, when the black-tie Gala Performance will cost $100. This will include a champagne reception afterwards in the Bermuda National Gallery.

Tickets are available from Opus 1 on Reid Street, or for the Gala Performance from Two Island Productions (236-3228 or Fax 236-1525), or from Masterworks on Front Street, telephone 295-5580.