On the heels of the Broadway revival starring Christopher Plummer and Off-Broadway mounting starring Alvin Epstein (and in anticipation of the coming Kevin Kline version), The Classical Theatre of Harlem will kick off its 2006-07 season with a production starring André De Shields as the mad king and "The Love Boat" star Ted Lange. Performances began on Sept. 29 and continue through Nov. 5. Alfred Preisser directs.

De Shields (The Full Monty) has become a CTH regular. He previously starred in Dream on Monkey Mountain and Caligula. The cast also includes Jerome Preston Bates, John Douglas Thompson, Ken Schatz and CTH company members Zainab Jah, Robyne Landiss Walker and Ty Jones.

Following its engagement in Harlem the production travels to the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami and then onto the Folger Theatre in Washington, DC for an eight-week run.