Musical version of 'Barbarella' planned

NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- Plans are under way in New York to stage a musical version of the 1968 Jane Fonda film "Barbarella," Daily Variety said Wednesday.

The paper said Clear Channel offered a "showcase presentation" Tuesday of a retooled version of the show, which had been presented recently in Vienna. That show was produced by Rudi Klausnitzer, who also collaborated with Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart on the tunes.

Fonda's film -- directed by her one-time husband, the late Roger Vadim -- was based on the Jean-Claude Forest comic strip about a sexy astronaut who must save the world, even as she struggles to keep all of her clothes on.

Variety said a Clear Channel spokesman confirmed the "Barbarella" project, but said it was only "one of many" under consideration for further development. If Clear Channel goes forward with the project, the paper said plans call for it to open in Las Vegas.