By NISHA RAMCHANDANI

'IT'S a KISS world. We all just live in it.'

So says rock icon Gene Simmons, who is developing a theatre extravaganza, KISS: Carnival of Souls, together with bandmate Paul Stanley.

Los Angeles based Radical Music - a subsidiary of Radical Publishing - and its sister company, Singapore- based Storm Lion, are the co-producers of the show.

The US$40 million production, which was announced in Singapore yesterday, will kick off at a 'major hotel' in Las Vegas in two years before moving on to other parts of the world.

And while the line-up has yet to be confirmed, countries such as Singapore and Japan may be on the list.

The band, which has sold more than US$400 million worth of concert tickets in the last 15 years, is also recording new material which will be introduced in the production.

This is 'such a major step for us as a Singapore company. Storm Lion is excited to be part of this amazing . . . project,' said Edmund Shern, chief executive of media company Storm Lion, adding that it gives Singapore an opportunity to shed any perception of it being 'stuffy' and 'unimaginative'.

All the seed money for the production has been raised in Singapore, Mr Shern told BT, but he declined to reveal the amount.

'KISS, being the epitome of theatrical rock, represented everything Radical/ Storm Lion ever wanted to do in staging a Vegas production predicated on music, movement, stage design, lighting and special effects,' said president of Radical, Barry Levine.

This is going to be a top quality production complete with 'more make-up,' Mr Simmons promised at a press conference yesterday.

Meanwhile, he will be meeting potential business partners in the region while he is here to suss out possible tie-ups.

'We're looking for people who want to be part of our venture,' he said.

Singapore is well-positioned to be a gateway to Asia for the Western entertainment industry, thanks to its strategic location, added Radical's manager David Schiff, who is also owner of The Schiff Co, which manages stars such as Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani.

This article was first published in The Business Times.