Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church St., Hartford, CT. Call (860) 527-5151.

LOS ANGELES

The national touring company of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA will check into the Ahmanson Theatre Nov. 11 for a run through Jan. 5, 2002. Based on the ancient legend of the doomed Nubian princess, Aida won four 2000 Tony awards. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, a division of The Walt Disney Company, the show's cast is headed by Simone, Kelli Fournier and Patrick Cassidy.

Aida features new music and lyrics by the John/Rice team, their first effort since writing The Lion King together. The show opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on March 23, 2000 and has been playing to capacity houses ever since.

Aida is directed by Robert Falls, and features a book by Linda Wolverton and Falls & David Henry Hwang, and is choreographed by Wayne Cilento. The sets and costumes are by Bob Crowley, the lighting design by Natasha Katz.

In addition to winning a Tony for Best Score, John/Rice won a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for Aida.

The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 N. Grand Ave. Call (213) 628-2772 or visit www.TaperAhmanson,com

COSTA MESA, CA

Davis Gaines, whose more than 2,000 performances in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera won him worldwide fame, will give a concert in Orange County Performing Arts Center's Founding Hall, Nov. 15-18. Gaines' last concert in the same venue (in 1999) was a sold-out event.

Also coming to OCPAC, Nov. 27-Dec. 2, is the touring company of SWING!, the Broadway musical which was nominated for six Tony Awards. Mixing songs, both old and new, and dance numbers that run the gamut from comic to sexy, the show includes such choreographed numbers as "Stompin' At the Savoy" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."

The Sat. Dec 1 matinee will be sign language interpreted.

Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive. Call (714) 556-ARTS or Ticketmaster (714) 79-7878 or (213) 365-3500.