Betty Boop musical planned

The economy is in the dumps but theatrical producers continue to dream big.

Ostar Productions said this week that it was planning a Broadway musical based on the 1930s cartoon character Betty Boop. Intended for the 2010-11 season, it will feature music by Grammy-winner David Foster and a book by Sally Robinson and Oscar Williams.

Meanwhile, in London, producer Franz Abraham unveiled plans for a theatrical production based on “Ben-Hur” -- complete with the chariot race. Too big for a conventional theater, it is scheduled to play the O2 arena there next September.

Abraham was quoted in the Independent as saying, “The show will have the speed of a musical, the depth of great theater, the power of a rock concert and the visual opulence of a Hollywood blockbuster.”