1. Jose Llana was born on 5 May 1976 and is a Filipino-American singer and actor best known for originating roles in the Broadway musicals The King and I, Flower Drum Song, Here Lies Love, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the latter for which he won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.
Jose Llana 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 for which he and his cast won a 2005 Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble Performance.
Jose Llana toured the country in Cameron Mackintosh's Martin Guerre as Guillaume which went to The Kennedy Center after originating at The Guthrie Theater.
Jose Llana appeared in the Sony Pictures 2005 feature film Hitch opposite Will Smith and Eva Mendes, as well as the independent film Unconscious.
Jose 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.
Jose Llana has portrayed Ferdinand Marcos 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.
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.
Jose Llana was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated with his family to Springfield, Virginia when he was 3 years old.
Jose Llana is gay and is married to his partner of 15 years, Erik Rose.