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Hawaii's Cole Horibe, center, is a finalist on "So You Think You Can Dance."
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Hawaii-born dancer Cole Horibe has been tapped to star in the lead role of Bruce Lee in Tony-winning David Henry Hwang’s new production titled “Kung Fu,” according to the dancer’s mother, Wanda Horibe, who lives on Oahu.
Horibe, 27, reportedly came to Hwang’s attention last year after his successful run as a contestant on Fox TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” where he was able to showcase his martial arts skills.
After a couple of callbacks to audition for the play — flying between Los Angeles, where Horibe now lives, and New York — he received word Thursday that he had gotten the role, said his mother.
The Star-Advertiser was unable to contact either Horibe or Hwang for comment.
Wanda Horibe said the playwright wanted her son to audition early on but had to wait until he finished touring with “SYTYCD” in December.
“Kung Fu” is scheduled to be staged off-Broadway as part of the fall/winter season at the off-Broadway Signature Theatre, according to the theater website. The play will incorporate dance and music in telling the story of Lee’s coming to America from Hong Kong in the 1960s to become a movie star.