Film & TV NewsKevin Kline to Star in Theatre-Themed Epix Show American Classic
The comedy will follow the trials of a Broadway star's return home.
By
Leah Putnam
February 03, 2022
Three-time Tony winner Kevin Kline has signed on for Epix's scripted TV comedy American Classic, which will feature a theatrical bent. It is currently in development.
The show will follow the life of conceited Broadway star Richard Bean (Kline) after a spectacular public breakdown. Bean returns home to find his family, and the town theater in a state, very different from Bean's expectations. Putting his talent and ego to use, Bean takes over for his brother running the theater, which now serves dinner with a side of murder mysteries instead of lauded works. Bean's solution? Put on an American classic starring himself.
Broadway alum Kline has a long history on stage and screen. He has won three Tony Awards: Best Featured Actor in a Musical (1978's On the Twentieth Century), Best Actor in a Musical (1981's The Pirates of Penzance), and Best Actor in a Play (2017's Present Laughter).
Kline is also attached to executive produce the comedy alongside Michael Hoffman, Bob Martin, Leslie Urdang, Anthony Bregman, and Miriam Mintz. The show could be Kline's second TV project following Apple's Disclaimer in which he will star alongside Cate Blanchett.
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From The Robber Bridegroom to Present Laughter: Look Back at Kevin Kline on the Stage
The new trailer showcases the scale of the production design, as well as a first listen to the power ballad "Waiting on a Wish," one of the new original songs by Pasek and Paul.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.