Kevin Kline Set to Lead PIRATES OF PENZANCE Public Theater Gala, 6/10

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Kevin Kline will reprise his role of the Pirate King in The Public Theater's upcoming gala performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. The one-night-only concert performance will be held on Monday, June 10 at the Delacorte Theater where The Public's production originally premiered more than three decades ago. Additional casting has not yet been announced.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is a beloved musical, featuring a book and lyrics by W. S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. The original cast of The Public Theater's 1980 production featured Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Linda Ronstadt as Mabel, Rex Smith as Frederic, and George Rose as Major-General Stanley. The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production, directed by Wilford Leach with musical adaptation by William Elliot and choreography by Graciela Daniele, later transferred to Broadway and won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. The Public Theater has a long history of premiering new musicals at the Delacorte that have made a strong impact on the landscape of musical theater and are still performed around the world today. Casting for the concert performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE will be announced shortly.

To receive an invitation to The Public Theater's gala on Monday, June 10, please call (212) 539-8547 or emailgala@publictheater.org.

The Public Theater, founded nearly 60 years ago by Joe Papp as one of the nation's first nonprofit theaters, has been an advocate for theater as an essential cultural force and forum for dialogue about issues of the day. As the only theater in New York producing Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental works in equal measure, The Public continues its long tradition of engaging a wide range of audiences and artists.

The Public Theater's programming reaches all corners of the city, serving a broad and diverse audience. The Public's Mobile Shakespeare Unit tours professional Shakespearean productions throughout the five boroughs, providing free access to underserved constituencies-including those at homeless shelters, prisons and centers for at-risk youth. The Public also fosters the next generation of theater artists with professional development programs at no cost to the artists-including the Emerging Writers Group. The Public organizes The Public Forum, a popular series of lectures, debates and conversations that showcase leading voices in the arts, politics and media exploring social issues raised in the theater's productions.