New musical Roman Holiday, set to the music of Cole Porter, has announced initial star casting.
The show, which will premiere at the Theatre Royal Bath this summer 2023, will star Michael Xavier as American journalist Joe, with further casting to be announced.
Michael is currently playing Henry Higgins in the UK tour of Bartlett Sher’s Broadway production of My Fair Lady.
As announced last November, the musical is created by Kirsten Guenther and Paul Blake, who co-wrote the stage version of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and is directed by Olivier Award winner Jeremy Sams (Noises Off, 13, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).
A production of the show had been due to open at Curve Leicester in 2020 directed by Nikolai Foster.
The show is based on the classic, Oscar-winning movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, about a young princess visiting Rome on a goodwill tour, who manages to escape from the watchful eye of her chaperones. She goes on a frenetic 24-hour adventure through the delights of Rome with American journalist Joe, but Joe’s editor has demanded a story regarding a missing princess…
Cole Porter songs featured in the show include Easy To Love, You Do Something To Me, In The Still Of The Night, Just One Of Those Things and Night and Day.
The musical is produced by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, by arrangement with Paul Blake and BFI Productions.
There are high hopes that the production may tour, and also come into the West End.
Roman Holiday plays at Theatre Royal Bath from 10 June to 1 July 2023.
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