She was adored as the quirky girl-bird Gertrude McFuzz in Broadway's Seussical, and on June 19 Janine LaManna flies into Broadway's Kiss Me, Kate, playing comely starlet Lois Lane.

Wide-eyed LaManna gets to sing some of Cole Porter's choicest numbers, including "Always True to You (in My Fashion)" and "Why Can't You Behave?," trilling and dancing in the dual roles of Lois Lane and Bianca. JoAnn M. Hunter exited the role June 17. Amy Spanger created the part in the 1999 revival, which won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Spanger is now in Off-Broadway's tick, tick...BOOM!

Burke Moses and Carolee Carmello head the cast in the hit romp about the backstage romantic antics of a troupe putting on a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. LaManna vamps opposite Michael Berresse.

LaManna earned a Drama Desk nomination for Seussical and appeared in Broadway's Ragtime and Swing!, plus the first national tours of Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Off-Broadway, she was seen in Theda Bara and the Frontier Rabbi, What's a Nice Country... and Chess.

Kiss Me, Kate plays at the Martin Beck Theatre, 302 W. 45th Street in Manhattan. For tickets, call (212) 239 6200.