Short plays nebbishy Leo and Alexander is blustery Max in the announced Los Angeles run, May 2-Jan. 4, 2004, but it's not uncommon for actors to join a company early to get their feet wet on the road. (It often happened with the national tour of Chicago, when stars were planning on coming to Broadway and wanted to tryout in relative quiet and obscurity).

Lewis J. Stadlen and Don Stephenson exit the tour April 20. After April 26, the tour settles into Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre, where ticket sales have been brisk. The star duo will play the entire eight-month engagement, to Jan. 4, 2004, a spokesperson confirmed to Playbill On-Line.

Gary Beach, the Tony Award-winning Roger DeBris of the Broadway staging of the Mel Brooks-Susan Stroman hit, will repeat his role in Los Angeles. The L.A. Carmen Ghia has also been announced: Josh Prince will play the swishy role of DeBris assistant.

It's thought that Stadlen will join the Broadway company as Max this summer, but nothing has been officially announced. The Broadway roles of Max and Leo are currently played by Brad Oscar and Roger Bart, respectively.

Performances continue at Broadway's St. James Theatre, a second national tour will launch in Boston in June, and a Toronto company starts in November.