K.T. Sullivan will lead the Musicals Tonight staged concert readings of the Arthur Schwartz-Dorothy Fields-Herbert Fields musical By the Beautiful Sea, opening June 16 at The Lamb Theatre's 99-seat space. Sea runs through June 27 at the midtown Manhattan venue.

Sullivan, who stars as Lottie, the owner of a theatrical boarding house, recently appeared in Musical's Tonight's So Long, 174th Street. She starred in Broadway's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and appeared in The Threepenny Opera with Sting. As a cabaret artist, Sullivan received a MAC award.

Sam Freed plays Emery, a Shakespeare declaimer with whom Lottie falls in love. Their relationship is complicated, however by the presence of his daughter Betsy (Marisa Bela) and his ex-wife Flora (Louisa Flannigan), who are also staying at the boarding house.

Also in the cast are Amy Jo Phillips as Ruby, Lottie's housekeeper, On the Town's Perry Ojeda as Mickey the waiter, who falls for Betsy, Randi Megibow, Brooke Moriber and Lisa Trader as the Belmont Sisters, Ron Lee Savis as Carl, Lottie's father, Grease's David Konig as Flora's boyfriend, Kendall March as a helpful border, and Boyd, Stephen Carter-Hicks, Kip Driver and Andrew Gitzy as The Quartet.

Thomas Mills directs with Michael Lavine as musical director. Tickets ($12) are available by calling (212) 362-5620. The Lamb's Theatre is located at 130 West 44th Street.

By the Beautiful Sea originally opened at the Majestic Theatre on April 8, 1954 and ran 270 performances. It starred Shirley Booth as Lottie, Cameron Prud'homme as Emery and Mae Barnes as Rudy. Songs in the score include "Alone Too Long," "I'd Rather Wake Up by Myself," and the anti-telephone rant, "If The Devil Answers, Hang Up!".

-- By Christine Ehren