Burke Moses, remembered for his swaggering performance as Gaston Broadway's Beauty and the Beast, will swagger again, but to the sound of Cole Porter, when he joins Kiss Me, Kate Jan. 30 at the Martin Beck Theatre.

Moses steps into the revival to play Fred Graham, the egomaniacal actor director-producer who is staging and starring in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Like Brian Stokes Mitchell before him, Moses gets to sing choice "modern" songs such as "So in Love" (the reprise) and "Wunderbar," and Shakespeare-inspired patter and comedy songs such as "Where Is the Life That Late I Led" and "I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua."

Mitchell, who won a Tony Award in the role, left the show Jan. 28 to join to company of the Broadway-bound King Hedley II, the new play by August Wilson.

Tony Award-nominee Marin Mazzie who plays Fred's ex-wife, Lilli, and Petruchio's Kate, continues in the celebrated Kiss Me, Kate, which began in fall 1999.

Moses made his Broadway debut as Sky Masterson in the Jerry Zaks revival of Guys and Dolls. He created the role of testosterone-pumped villain Gaston in the Broadway production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and earned a Drama Desk nomination and a Theatre World Award. He also swaggered in the tuner in the Los Angeles and London productions . Moses appeared in the Encores! staging of Lil Abner (title role) and Dubarry Was a Lady.

Alfred Drake starred in the original Broadway production on Kate in 1948.

Kiss Me, Kate, directed by Michael Blakemore and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, continues at the Martin Beck Theatre, 302 W. 45th St., in Manhattan. Call (212) 239 6200 or (800) 432-7250.