April 23 marks Shakespeare Day, the anniversary of William Shakespeare's death in 1616 and the assumed date of his birth in 1564. To mark the occasion, we're taking a look at all of the Shakespearian offerings of the 2018-19 season on Broadway, which have run the gamut from ambitious new productions of Shakespeare's classics to brand-new adaptations and sequels.
On March 14, Roundabout Theatre Company opened its revival of Kiss Me, Kate, the classic Cole Porter musical that follows a musicalized production of The Taming of the Shrew and the eerily similar quarreling antics of its two lead actors. The Scott Ellis-directed revival stars Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase, and Corbin Bleu, and runs through June 30 at Studio 54.
After her Tony-winning turn in the 2018 revival of Three Tall Women, Glenda Jackson returned to Broadway this season in Sam Gold's new production of King Lear. Jackson swaps the gender of the lead character, as does Tony winner Jayne Houdyshell, who plays the Earl of Gloucester. The cast is rounded out by Ruth Wilson, Elizabeth Marvel, Aisling O'Sullivan, Michael Arden, and Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal in his Broadway debut. King Lear runs at the Cort Theatre through July 7.
The work of playwright Taylor Mac hits Broadway for the first time in the world premiere of Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, in which Mac reimagines three minor characters from Titus Andronicus as the servants tasked with cleaning up the bodies after the notorious carnage which makes up much of Titus Andronicus. Directed by George C. Wolfe and starring Tony winner Nathan Lane, Kristine Nielsen, and Julie White, Gary opened April 21 at the Booth Theatre. Tickets are currently on sale through August 3.
The new Broadway musical adaptation of the classic Dustin Hoffman film Tootsie opens April 23 at the Marquis Theatre. The adaptation, with a score by Tony winner David Yazbek, swaps the film's fictional soap opera and instead sees struggling actor Michael Dorsey's alter ego Dorothy Michaels starring as the Nurse in a Broadway musical entitled Juliet's Curse, a musical sequel to Romeo and Juliet. Tootsie is directed by Scott Ellis and stars Santino Fontana and Lilli Cooper.
