More new season tidings, this time from the Geffen Playhouse which has bumped the previously scheduled Cy Coleman musical revue "The Best is Yet to Come" -- apparently it still is -- and subbed in a rather interesting musical world premiere with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon.

It's called "Atlanta," is set during the Civil War, and involves blue grass, country music and the soliloquies of Shakespeare. "Heroes" star Adrian Pasdar is the project's writer, and, one would think star.

In 2007-08, the Geffen has Christine Lahti, Annette Bening and Laurie Metcalf. It's also got a new commissioned piece by playwright Donald Margulies (who, busy beaver that he is, will have a world premiere at South Coast Repertory in 07-08.

Lahti ("Chicago Hope") stars in Wendy Wasserstein's final play, "Third," concerning a lit professor's attempt to bring down a jock who she thinks has plagiarized. (Sept. 19 to Oct. 21).

Next up, the previously referenced "Atlanta" (Nov. 28 to Dec. 30).

Mrs Warren Beatty plays another academic in the US premiere of "The Female of the Species" by Australian author Joanna Murray-Smith. She plays a feminist literary giant, with writer's block, visited at home by an adoring fan. Comedy ensues. (Feb. 13 to March 16, 2008).

Side note: We do love our movie stars in this town. Some eight or nine years ago, Bening's turn as Hedda Gabler at the Geffen was a near impossible ticket. Her work in last season's "The Cherry Orchard" at the Mark Taper Forum was rather in demand as well, although I'd like to think as many people queued up for Alfred Molina as for Bening.

Yes, yes, back to the Geffen. Margulies's "The Elephant in the Room," about a lady photojournalist wounded while covering a war trying to resume a normal life at home. Margulies is the author of "Collected Stories," "Dinner with Friends," "Sight Unseen," etc. (June 25 to July 27, 2008).

Metcalf takes the stage in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre in writer/director Jane Anderson's "Quality of Life." This one, another world premiere, involves a Midwestern Christian couple mourning the death of their daughter electing to visit their lefty cousins who lost everything THEY owned in a fire. (Oct. 10 to Nov. 18) . Metcalf was powerful in Anderson's "Looking for Normal" at the Geffen. She was even better in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" a couple of years ago.

And Daniel Beaty plays 40 people who respond to the emergence of a slave ship that rises out of the ocean by the Statue of Liberty in his solo show "Emergence-See!" Dates TBA.

What the Geffen still does not have: a scheduled work for Artistic Director Randall Arney. Hope is not lost. The Geffen season has at least one TBA slot and a couple of projects without directors.

What the Geffen also does not have: a media representative. This may not mean much to you, but the departure of Sabrina Skacan means another liaison for a theater that is frequently interfacing the press with its star performers/directors et al.

I did a tally: since I took over this beat in the summer of 2000, I have now worked with six different Geffen publicists and an interim person or two, some of whom have moved on to leave the business entirely. Some of whom SHOULD have left the business entirely.

(Who said that?)

Good luck, Sabrina. Hope the newbie -- whoever he or she turns out to be _ has got the stuff.

For more information on the Geffen season, check out www.Geffenplayhouse.com