The Karate Kid Movie Stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka Visit Cast of New Stage Version

The new musical version of The Karate Kid ended its run at Stages St. Louis this past weekend, and throughout the engagement, the production was visited by stars of the beloved film. On hand for recent performances were Ralph Macchio, who originated the role of Daniel LaRusso, as well as William Zabka, who played Johnny Lawrence, and Martin Kove, who played John Kreese.

After the show, Macchio said in a statement, "It feels like the same story but it's a completely different incarnation – it's refreshing, new, and exciting. There's so much to look forward to for this production and the talent on the stage is unbelievable. I commend Robert Mark Kamen for going back to this project, his baby, and adding shades of color and contemporary backstory not seen before."

The complete cast includes Jovanni Sy as Mr. Miyagi, John Cardoza as Daniel LaRusso, Kate Baldwin as Lucille LaRusso, Alan H. Green as John Kreese, Jake Bentley Young as Johnny Lawrence, Jetta Juriansz as Ali Mills, and Luis Pablo Garcia as Freddie Fernandez.

The ensemble features Manik Anand, Trevor James, Leah Berry, Caitlyn Caughell, Kristina Garvida Doucette, Zachary Downer, Francis Florendo, Kayla Jenerson, Sydney Jones, Josh Hoon Lee, Noah Lentini, Garrick Goce Macatangay, Kelly MacMillan, Abby Matsusaka, Justice Moore, Omar Nieves, Jackson Kanawha Perry, Isidro Rafael, Sangeetha Santhebennur, and Victor Carrillo Tracey.

The Karate Kid has a book by Robert Mark Kamen, score by Drew Gasparini, choreography by Keone and Mari Madrid, direction by Amon Miyamoto, sets by Derek McLane, costumes by Ayako Maeda, lighting by Bradley King, sound by Kai Harada, projections by Peter Nigrini, orchestrations by John Clancy, and music direction and arrangements by Andrew Resnick.