Bway's Hairspray Welcomes Dokuchitz and Blake Jan. 13

By Kenneth Jones
January 13, 2004

Jonathan Dokuchitz, the silky-voiced actor remembered from Roundabout Theatre Company's Boys From Syracuse, and Richard H. Blake, a vet of Rent and Aida, join the Tony Award-winning smash, Hairspray, at the Neil Simon Theatre Jan. 13.

Original cast members Clarke Thorell and Matthew Morrison exited the show (as Corny and Link, respectively) Jan. 11, to a curtain call attended by the creators, according to internet message board reports. Dokuchitz is the new dance-show host, Corny, and Blake plays super-hot high school star Link.

Blake was most recently seen on Broadway in Aida (Radames). Other Broadway credits include Saturday Night Fever (Gus, u/s Tony Manero), Rent (Roger), The Sound of Music, Prince of Central Park (Prince), Macbeth (Boy McDuff), Teddy & Alice (Archie), plus national tours of Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, The Sound of Music. He was nominated for Carbonell and Barrymore awards.

Dokuchkitz appeared in Broadway's The Look of Love, Boys From Syracuse (as a smooth-voiced Antipholus), Company, Aspects of Love, Dream, Into the Woods, Tommy (Captain Walker).

The cast includes Harvey Fierstein, Kathy Brier, Barbara Walsh, Jackie Hoffman, Jennifer Gambatese, Mary Bond Davis, Tracy Jai Edwards, Chester Gregory II and Dick Latessa.