Jose Llana

Jose Llana
Llana performs at Lincoln Center's "American Songbook" in February 2019
Born (1976-05-05) 5 May 1976 (age 48)
Manila, Philippines
Occupation(s)Singer, actor
PartnerErik Rose
Websitehttp://www.josellana.com

Jose Llana (born 5 May 1976) is a Filipino-American singer and actor best known for originating roles in the Broadway musicals The King and I (1996), Flower Drum Song (2002), Here Lies Love (2023), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005), the latter for which he won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.[1][2]

Biography

Born 5 May 1976, Llana, a native of Manila, Philippines, grew up in Springfield, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, Jose attended the Manhattan School of Music to study classical voice.

During his freshman year he was discovered in an audition for the 1996 Revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I and made his Broadway debut as Lun Tha starring opposite Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy.[3][4]

He went on to star on Broadway as Angel in Rent, Jessie-Lee in Streetcorner Symphony, Wang Ta in Flower Drum Song opposite Lea Salonga, and as Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee[5] for which he and his cast won a 2005 Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble Performance. His Off-Broadway credits include Gabey in On the Town and Saturn Returns, both at The Public Theater and Adam in Falling for Eve at The York Theater. His regional theater credits include the title role in Candide (Barrymore Award Nomination for Best Actor) and Tin Man Wong in The Ballad of Little Jo at the Steppenwolf Theater (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination - Best Supporting Actor). He toured the country in Cameron Mackintosh's Martin Guerre as Guillaume which went to The Kennedy Center after originating at The Guthrie Theater.

Llana has appeared on television in HBO's Sex and the City, alongside Margaret Cho and made his commercial debut as a computer salesman for Circuit City in 1999. He appeared in the Sony Pictures 2005 feature film Hitch opposite Will Smith and Eva Mendes, as well as the independent film Unconscious.

Llana is also a best-selling recording artist in his native Philippines having recorded his debut solo album, Jose, in 2004 under the VIVA Philippines label.

Llana starred as El Gato in Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure, which began performances on Broadway March 21, 2011 and officially opened on April 17, 2011.[6] The production closed on May 15, 2011, after 31 previews and 33 performances.[7]

Llana has portrayed Ferdinand Marcos (2014 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical) in David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim's Here Lies Love, directed by Alex Timbers, since the workshop production at Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA during the summer of 2012. Here Lies Love had its world premier production at The Public Theater in New York City on April 2, 2013, and was extended four times through July 28, 2013. The Off-Broadway commercial production of Here Lies Love opened at The Public Theater in New York City on May 1, 2014, and has performances through January 2015.

Llana co-starred as Bill Sikes in The Paper Mill Playhouse production of Oliver! in December 2013.[8]

On March 12, 2015, Llana made his Lincoln Center American Songbook Concert Debut at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse in New York.

On June 18, 2015, it was announced that Llana will succeed Ken Watanabe in the role of the King of Siam in Lincoln Center's Tony-winning revival of The King and I. Llana played an 11-week engagement in the role from July 14 to September 29.[9]

Personal life

Llana was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated with his family to Springfield, Virginia when he was 3 years old. He is gay and is married to his partner of 15 years, Erik Rose.[10][11]

Theatre credits

Selected credits

Title Year(s) Role(s) Theatre Notes Ref(s)
The King and I 1996 Lun Tha Neil Simon Theatre Original Broadway cast [12]
Rent 1996-1997 Angel Schunard Nederlander Theatre Broadway [13]
Street Corner Symphony 1997-1998 Jessie-Lee Brooks Atkinson Theatre Original Broadway cast [14]
Flower Drum Song 2002-2003 Wang Ta Virginia Theatre Original Broadway cast [15]
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2005-2008 Chip Tolentino Circle in the Square Theatre Original Broadway cast, won 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance [16]
Wonderland 2011 El Gato Marquis Theatre Original Broadway cast [17]
Here Lies Love 2013 Marcos The Public Theater Off-Broadway [18]
Ragtime 2013 Harry Houdini Avery Fisher Hall Concert performance [19]
The King and I 2015 King of Siam Vivian Beaumont Theater Broadway [9]
Twelfth Night 2016 Orsino The Public Theater Off-Broadway [20]
Here Lies Love 2023 Marcos Broadway Theatre Original Broadway cast [21]
Titanic 2024 Thomas Andrews New York City Center Off-Broadway Encores! [22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Marks, Peter (2021-12-03). "Jose Llana, an actor in a regal role who's whistling a happy tune". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  2. ^ "Jose Llana". The Official Masterworks Broadway Site. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  3. ^ "Jose Llana pulls on the royal cloak in 'The King and I'". AP News. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  4. ^ "'The King and I' made Jose Llana a royal success — and helped him dodge engineering school". Dallas News. 2017-12-12. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  5. ^ Miles, Jim (Jul 31, 2007). "Broadway Mouth: Amazing Broadway Performer: Jose Llana". Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
  6. ^ "Tituss Burgess, Jose Llana, Karen Mason, Janet Dacal Will Star in Broadway's Wonderland Musical". Archived from the original on October 14, 2010. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
  7. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Broadway's Wonderland to Close May 15" Archived 2011-05-12 at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.com, May 10, 2011
  8. ^ Blank, Matthew. "PHOTO CALL: David Garrison, Betsy Morgan, Jose Llana, John Treacy Egan and Tyler Moran Star in Paper Mill's Oliver!". Playbill.com, November 26, 2013
  9. ^ a b "Jose Llana Joins The King and I Opposite Tony Winners Kelli O'Hara and Ruthie Ann Miles - TheaterMania.com". 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  10. ^ Pennington, Juliet. "The VIP Lounge with Jose Llana - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "My Pride: Jose Llana". www.out.com. Jul 4, 2014. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "THE KING AND I - CAST". Playbill.
  13. ^ Wexler, Matthew (2023-10-04). "Jose Llana grows up from young lover to leading man". Queerty. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  14. ^ Paller, Rebecca (1997-10-16). "A Sneak Peek at B'way's Street Corner Symphony". Playbill.
  15. ^ "Flower Drum Song - 2002 Broadway Revival - Rodgers & Hammerstein". rodgersandhammerstein.com. 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  16. ^ "THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - CAST". Playbill.
  17. ^ "WONDERLAND - CAST". Playbill.
  18. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2013-02-20). "David Byrne-Fatboy Slim Musical Here Lies Love Will Feature Jose Llana and Ruthie Ann Miles at the Public". Playbill.
  19. ^ "Ragtime". MCP. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  20. ^ Clement, Olivia (2016-09-02). "Twelfth Night Musical, With Nikki M. James and Jose Llana, Begins Tonight". Playbill.
  21. ^ Evans, Greg (2023-02-15). "Jose Llana & Conrad Ricamora Set To Reprise Lauded Performances In Broadway Production Of David Byrne-Fatboy Slim Musical 'Here Lies Love'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  22. ^ Gans, Andrew (2024-05-08). "Jose Llana Boards Starry City Center Encores! Titanic". Playbill.