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Corbin Bleu's headshot. He will be starring in the Roundabout Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate!
Corbin Bleu's headshot. He will be starring in the Roundabout Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate!

Kiss Me, Kate! Revival Adds Corbin Bleu to the Cast

The Spring of 2019 Roundabout Theatre revival of Kiss Me, Kate! has previously announced the classic musical comedy will star Kelli O’Hara (The King and I) and Will Chase (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) as the bickering ex-husband and wife starring in a production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It has now been announced that Corbin Bleu (Godspell, Holiday Inn) will make his return to Broadway in the role of Bill Calhoun, the gambling hoofer who is wooing the musical’s second banana, Lois Lane. The revival will be directed by Scott Ellis, with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by Paul Gemignani.

Joining O’Hara, Chase, and Bleu in the limited-engagement (which begins preview on Thursday, February 14, 2019 ahead of an official opening  on Thursday, March 14) will be Terence Archie as “Harrison Howell,” Mel Johnson Jr. as “Harry Trevor/Baptista,” Stephanie Styles as “Lois Lane/Bianca,”  Adrienne Walker as “Hattie,” Lance Coadie Williams as “Gangster (Second Man),” and John Pankow as “Gangster (First Man).” More casting is yet to come.

Kiss Me, Kate’s ensemble will be composed of Phillip Attmore, Darius Barnes, Preston Truman Boyd, Will Burton, Derrick Cobey, Jesmille Darbouze, Rick Faugno, Haley Fish, Marissa McGowan, Sarah Meahl, Christine Cornish Smith, Sherisse Springer, Sam Strasfeld and Ron Todorowski.

David Rockwell (Sets), Jeff Mahshie (Costumes), Donald Holder (Lighting), and Brian Ronan (Sound) will compose Kiss Me, Kate’s creative team, joined by David Brian Brown (Hair & Wig design), Larry Hochman (Orchestrations), David Chase (Dance Arrangements) and Amanda Green (Additional Material).

Featuring an unforgettable score by Cole Porter and a witty book by Sam and Belle Spewack drawing from Shakespeare’s spirited comedy The Taming of the ShrewKiss Me, Kate! was the first musical to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical features such Porter standards as “So In Love,” “Wunderbar,” “Too Darn Hot,” “Where is the Life That Late I Led?”, “Always True to You (in My Fashion),” and the show-stopping “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals, The Disney Song Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. He maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.

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