GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS RECORDS ROUNDABOUT’S KISS ME KATE
Ghostlight Records has announced it will record a new cast album of Cole Porter’s musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, based on the current hit production from the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO). The show is directed by Scott Ellis, choreographed by Warren Carlyle with music direction by Paul Gemignani and features a book by Sam and Bella Spewack, and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Kiss Me, Kate marks the 24th cast album recording for Roundabout Theatre Company, since launching the musical theatre program with She Loves Me in 1993. The album, produced by Kurt Deutsch and Lawrence Manchester, will be recorded Monday, April 22.
The limited engagement of Kiss Me, Kate opened on Thursday, March 14, and was recently extended through Sunday, June 30 at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th Street).
KISS ME, KATE opened to widespread critical acclaim, including: The New York Times, Daily Beast, New York Daily News, New York Observer, NY1, Washington Post, New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo), New York Stage Review (Michael Sommers), Newsday, Towleroad, Broadway News, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly and Hollywood Reporter.
The New York Times raves “Kelli O’Hara is sublime. She sings so gorgeously it almost melts the theater.” The Washington Post calls the show “Unmissable. Scott Ellis’ first-class Broadway revival raises Kiss Me, Kate’s sparkle quotient to incandescence.” According to the Observer, “this blissfully-staged Roundabout revival packs a delightful comic punch.”
Kiss Me, Kate stars Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara as “Kate/Lilli Vanessi,” Tony Award nominee Will Chase as “Petruchio/Fred Graham,” Corbin Bleu as “Lucentio/Bill Calhoun,” Terence Archie as “Harrison Howell,” Mel Johnson Jr. as “Harry Trevor/Baptista,” James T. Lane as “Paul,” Stephanie Styles as “Lois Lane/Bianca,” Adrienne Walker as “Hattie,” Lance Coadie Williams as “Gangster (Second Man)” and John Pankow as “Gangster (First Man).”
The cast also includes Darius Barnes, Preston Truman Boyd, Will Burton, Derrick Cobey, Jesmille Darbouze, Rick Faugno, Haley Fish, Tanya Haglund, Erica Mansfield, Marissa McGowan, Sarah Meahl, Justin Prescott, Christine Cornish Smith, Sherisse Springer, Sam Strasfeld, and Travis Waldschmidt.
In the constellation of musical comedy masterpieces, Kiss Me, Kate shines as perhaps Broadway’s most sparkling achievement. This is the winner of the first-ever Tony Award for Best Musical, alive with onstage romance, backstage passion, comedy high and low, a dash of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and a stylish, sexy, sophisticated songbook that includes “Too Darn Hot,” “So In Love” and “Always True To You In My Fashion.” Once again, Roundabout catapults you to musical comedy heaven, with a brand-new Kiss Me, Kate.
The creative team includes David Rockwell (Sets), Jeff Mahshie (Costumes), Donald Holder (Lighting), Brian Ronan (Sound), David Brian Brown (Hair & Wig design), Larry Hochman(Orchestrations), David Chase (Dance Arrangements), and Amanda Green (Additional Material).
Major support for this album generously provided by Susan and Ed Forst, Leni and Peter May, Katheryn Patterson and Tom Kempner, and Diane and Tom Tuft.
Additional support provided by The Howard Gilman Foundation, Harry E. Gould Jr., Abby F. Kohnstamm, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Nancy and Jay Nichols, and The Cole Porter Estate.
ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present, and educating minds for the future. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills that mission by producing familiar and lesser-known plays and musicals; discovering and supporting talented playwrights; reducing the barriers that can inhibit theatergoing; collaborating with a diverse team of artists; building educational experiences; and archiving over five decades of production history. Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays, musicals and new works on its five stages: Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre, Studio 54 and Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and Off-Broadway’s Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre. American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has become the leading independent force in Original Broadway Cast Recordings – building a library of over 200 records over the past 19 years, featuring some of the most successful Broadway musicals and solo albums by Broadway’s brightest stars. Founded by Grammy Award winner Kurt Deutsch, Ghostlight has won Grammy Awards for The Band’s Visit, The Book of Mormon, In the Heights and Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. Ghostlight has also released solo albums from Patti LuPone, Kelli O’Hara, Sutton Foster, Billy Porter, and more. The label continues to support the new generation of musical theater composers and has developed extensive relationships with Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, and David Yazbek, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pasek & Paul, Tom Kitt, Joe Iconis, and Shaina Taub. Ghostlight Records is part of the Arts Music division at Warner Music Group.