Broadway and West End alum Michael D. Xavier (Sunset Boulevard, Prince of Broadway) will lead the previously announced U.K. premiere of Roman Holiday, a new Cole Porter musical adapted from the 1953 film. Directed by Jeremy Sams, the musical will run June 10–July 1 at Theatre Royal Bath. Opening night is June 20.

A two-time Olivier nominee, Xavier was last seen on Broadway in the Hal Prince retrospective Prince of Broadway, which followed his Broadway debut performance opposite Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard. Xavier received Olivier nominations for his work as Cinderella's Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and as Oliver in Love Story in London's West End, both in 2011.

Roman Holiday follows a young princess visiting Rome who escapes her chaperone to spend time with a writer, not knowing he's been assigned to write about her. The stage adaptation of the non-musical film is a Cole Porter jukebox musical, including such favorites as "Easy to Love," "You Do Something to Me," "In the Still of the Night," "Just One of Those Things," and "Night and Day."

Roman Holiday first came to the stage in 2001 at St. Louis' The Muny, later playing The Guthrie in 2012 and a Broadway-aimed production at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre in 2017. The Broadway transfer never materialized. Paul Blake (White Christmas), who wrote the book for those earlier runs, is newly joined for the musical's U.K. premiere by Kirsten Guenther (Benny and Joon).

Further casting and creative team members are to be announced.

Theatre Royal's production is being presented by arrangement with Paul Blake and BFI Productions, indicating a further commercial future may be in the cards.

Visit TheatreRoyal.org.uk for tickets.