At the age of 18, Chris Cherin, of Richboro, thought he had the rest of his life figured out.
After graduating from Council Rock High School South, the plan was to spend four years studying at Washington, D.C.’s American University to become a math teacher, followed by an additional year to earn his master’s.
It was a practical route that would promise a secure future. However, within the first few months of his studies, Cherin came to the realization that his true passion didn’t lie in education. Rather, it was in something he had already been doing for some time, but didn’t believe could actually be a viable career path: theater.
But Cherin took a leap of faith, one that has massively paid off over the past decade. After appearing in a number of productions over the years, including in Jersey Boys last summer at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Cherin is now on stage at the Quintessence Theatre (at the historic Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia) in Cole Porter’s hit musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, playing now through Jan. 5.
The first to ever win a Tony Award for Best Musical, Kiss Me, Kate, which is chock-full of hot jazz, high-kick dancing and slapstick comedy, hails from the golden age of Broadway musicals. It’s a classic love story about a divorced celebrity couple — Fred (Cherin) and Lilli (Jennie Eisenhower) — who come together for the former’s new musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.
For Cherin, it’s a thrill to be part of this classic piece, especially since the role of Fred is typically portrayed by actors who are in their 50s and 60s.
“Whatever happened in the room for the audition just sort of inspired them to go in another direction, and we’ve been finding this really cool, nuanced relationship between me and the other actress [Eisenhower]. We’re seeing what this relationship would be like if the woman was a little bit older and the man was always trying to catch up. What’s the dynamic like when she reaches a level of success that he’s always wanted?,” said Cherin. “It kind of breathed life into this story in a new way, which is awesome.”
Plus, Cherin already worked with director Todd Underwood on Jersey Boys, so it was a joy to reunite. Cherin said of Underwood, “I think he’s such a brilliant leader, such an open, creative person. I feel like he creates such a good vibe and such a collaborative experience in any space that he walks into.”
Kiss Me, Kate is a different beast to tackle than Jersey Boys. While the latter, said Cherin, is reminiscent of a rock concert, Kiss Me, Kate is rooted in the traditionalism of theater, boasting big ensembles, lots of music, an intricate story and deep character development.
Therefore, getting to explore Fred and all that makes him tick has been an ongoing, enjoyable process for Cherin, who is showing audiences the different levels and layers of the Shakespearean show creator. As he navigates his career that’s on the verge of crumbling around him, Fred must also grapple with the high emotions and drama that comes with having his ex-wife in the cast.
“It’s never all one thing. It’s not, ‘I hate you, I never want to see you again.’ It’s, ‘I love you, but you hurt me,’ ” Cherin said. “So to be able to explore that really true, genuine human connection and relationship in the context of the grand, sort of heightened reality, it’s really cool. The layers of it are really exciting, especially as an actor, just always wanting to explore and dive deeper and ask the questions, ‘Why? What are they feeling? Why are they doing this?’ The script gives me the fuel and fire to jump in fully.”
As Fred gathers a hodgepodge of actors from all walks of life, none of whom have any experience in the world of Shakespeare, comedic chaos ensues as he tries to bring his vision — and last shot at success — to life. It’s at this point that Kiss Me, Kate becomes a show within a show, with each cast member taking on another persona for Taming of the Shrew.
“As an actor, it almost gets into this inception mode of, how many layers are there?,” said Cherin. “But the costumes help a lot, the doublets, garters, big skirts, lots of frills. It pumps up the reality beyond the reality of who they are as performers. And it’s fun. It never gets stagnant because there’s so much written into the story, so many movements throughout each character’s journey. There’s always something to come and there’s always something new, and as soon as you’re doing this long Shakespeare scene, it flips back to real life. They’re backstage and they’re arguing about something or they’re freaking out about something, and then they have to rush back on stage.”
In many ways, explained Cherin, Kiss Me, Kate mimics real life. Not only does it shine a spotlight on the trials and tribulations of everyday relationships, especially the gray area of feelings toward an old romantic partner, it pulls back the curtain of what it’s like to be an actor, all with a comedic flair to it.
Cherin understands firsthand the stresses that come with being a performer, a career path that he was destined for even before he was aware of that destiny. Throughout his adolescence, Cherin was always drawn to the arts, whether he was singing in a teen group at his local church, playing piano or acting in Council Rock’s Golden Wing Theatre Company. Over the years, he fell deeper in love with theater, but never thought twice about pursuing it full-time. It was just seen as a fun hobby on the side.
That all changed during his first few months at American University, when he got to talking with theater professor Javier Rivera about his passions.
“This conversation of, ‘If not now, then when?,’ sort of erupted and just stuck with me,” said Cherin. “I went to his office hours twice a week that entire semester. By the end of it, something had changed. I looked inward. I felt confident, excited and inspired to try this, to see if it was possible. I woke up to the idea that it was something really meaningful to me, more than just fun.”
Cherin soon made the switch to Montclair State University in New Jersey, where the musical theater program director immediately saw something special in him. After just an hour of speaking, the director offered Cherin a spot in the upcoming class: “It was just this gift from the universe, this outstretched hand that was like, ‘If you really want this, come. Do it. Try.’ I took that hand and it’s never been the same since. That began this whole journey for me when I was 19.”
Quickly, theater consumed Cherin as he delved headfirst into training and theory. He admitted that it can be a volatile and cutthroat industry, with Cherin learning fast that talent and experience don’t always correlate to a job offer. After graduating in 2015, Cherin found that the industry was beginning to take up too much of his energy, so he embarked on a journey of self discovery, thinking deeply about why he wanted to perform and what stories he wanted to tell. Cherin devoted himself to being the best human being possible, not just the best actor, which, ultimately, helped him in auditions.
“The more you invest in your own wellbeing, the more I think people notice that when you walk into a room. I’ve come to believe that’s what people see beyond talent, beyond experience,” he said. “It’s really the essence of that person. Is it genuinely coming through? And you can’t manufacture it. You can’t read it in a textbook. You can’t learn it.”
This epiphany was transformative for Cherin, who said theater feels like more of a vocation than a profession.
“I feel called to do it. It’s the best way, the best chance I have to affect change in the world, to help people. It’s my best avenue to do that,” he said. “And more often than not, it has saved me. It has pulled me up from low moments in my life, and confusing times and depressing times, and has just been there. And the more that I invest in it, the more that it rewards me. That’s just been something that I’ve learned over time and that’s why I’m so passionate about it.”
Cherin feels confident that his passion, as well as the sense of camaraderie among the cast, will translate to the audiences of Kiss Me, Kate, whom he’s excited to perform for after two weeks of rehearsals.
“Yes, we are presenting this. Yes, we have prepared certain things, we want to hit our beats and stand on the right number and all of that. But that show would really be sort of ethereal if there wasn’t an audience there to experience it with us,” said Cherin. “Of course, it’s all heightened and dramatized, but I think the script and the story lends itself to that experience for an audience member to sit back and really just be swept away. All these people, these characters, their personalities are wild and they’re getting into all kinds of crazy situations. It’s fun to sit back and see it all happen to them instead of in your own life.”
Opening night of Kiss Me, Kate is Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Reserved tickets start at $35, and multiple discounts are available online or by calling the box office at 215-987-4450. Group sales are available. Premium seats are available starting at $45. Tickets and more information are available at QTGREP.org. The show is recommended for ages 10 and up. Public and street parking is available throughout the Mt. Airy neighborhood.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@donnelly.media
