People: Sep. 22, 1986

His first outing on the Great White Way is now the longest-running musical in Broadway history (eleven years) and has grossed $242 million to date. So who can blame Composer Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line), 42, if his latest project sounds the least little bit as if it could be called A Beauty Pageant? Actually titled Smile and loosely based on the 1975 film of that name, the show chronicles three days of competition and camaraderie among a group of high school contestants in a California beauty pageant. Some 3,000 girls auditioned for the 16 roles in the musical, which is due to preview next month in Baltimore and open in New York City this November. "A long haul," says Hamlisch, who has been working on the $4 million song-and-dance spectacular for four years. "It's frustrating when you think you have it all together, then you see it in workshop and have to rework it. For the first time now, I can relax a little bit because I think it's all there. We'll know after five weeks in Baltimore."