Marilyn Musical Planned

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/03/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

It's been a good five minutes since there's been a new book or revelation about Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962). This morning comes word, reported by Army Archerd in Variety, that there very well may be a Marilyn musical, to be called "Happy Birthday, Mr. President." (In the mid-'80s there was a creatively starved Monroe Broadway musical called "Marilyn," which didn't last a week.) The new Marilyn project is based on a book by Julie Ann Miller and Thomas J. Saponaro (which takes its title from the time the blonde bombshell sang a sexy version of "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy at Madison Square Garden) and will have a score by Cameron Michael Parkes. They hope to bring their baby to Broadway or London.