Kiss Me Kate
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Sam & Bella Spewack
Directed by Jason and Lauren Morgan
Music Director - Lauren Morgan
Produced by Stolen Shakespeare Guild
Audience rating: PG
Running Time: 2 hours with 15 minute intermission
Accessible Seating: Yes
Hearing Devices: Not available
Sensory Friendly Showing: Not available
ASL Showing: Not available
Sound Level: Comfortable
Noises or Visuals to Prepare for: None of note
Reviewed by Stacey Calvert
I was excited to get to see Stolen Shakespeare Guild's production of Kiss Me Kate, a classic musical by Cole Porter that sets a 1940s zany romantic comedy inside a touring musical production of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." A musical within a musical - what could be better than that? The show opened to a full house with a very appreciative audience. How lucky are we in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to have so many great choices for seeing exceptional live theatre?
The original Broadway production of Kiss Me Kate opened in 1948 and was the first to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. The show is filled with classic songs that could almost stand alone as a revue of some of Porter's greatest hits. Some of the lyrics and themes are a bit dated and could be off-putting for modern sensibilities, as might be expected for a show from this era. But the direction from Jason and Lauren Morgan was on point and the talented cast was game, delivering the snappy and clever wordplay with a bit of a wink to show that they are in on the joke.
From the start, we are brought into the exciting and colorful, if not always glamorous, world of theatre with the show's well-known opening number, "Another Openin', Another Show" in which the actors, hoofers, and stage crew busily prepare for the curtain to come up as they express their excitement about opening night and their hopes of taking the show to Broadway. Emily Bailey as Hattie shows off a marvelous mezzo voice. We are then introduced to the rather pompous producer, director, and leading man, Fred Graham (Kyle Holt), who has cast himself in the role of Petruchio, the love interest of the leading lady...who happens to be his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi (Lauren Morgan), playing the role of Katherine in "Shrew." A year out from a contentious divorce, the two are clearly not over each other. In another parallel between the "real life" actors and their on-stage personas, nightclub singer and aspiring Broadway star Lois Lane (Molly Rose) plays the role of Bianca in "Shrew" opposite Bill Calhoun (Alfredo Tamayo), her unreliable gambler of a boyfriend who is playing Lucentio in the stage musical. These parallels propel the plot and the tension between the characters and create a lot of opportunities for mischief, misunderstandings, and mishaps.
Gary Payne and A. Solomon Abah, Jr. are perfectly hilarious as a pair of 1940s gangsters who, through a case of mistaken identity, end up hanging around the theatre and even appearing onstage in "Shrew" in an effort to collect a gambling debt for their boss. Their song "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" in Act 2 was thoroughly enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny. Lauren Morgan's clear, excellent soprano was a pleasure to listen to in both the lyrical ("Wunderbar," "So in Love") and more comic ("I Hate Men") numbers. Fred and Lilli's "real-life" relationship drama plays out energetically through their Shakespearean characters in "Shrew." Unpredictability and comedy ensues when the actors go off-script during their live theatre production. Morgan and Graham ably kept the energy up throughout this demanding show and were perfect comedic counterpoints as their characters feuded on and offstage. The colorful costumes by Lauren Morgan for both the 1940s and Shakespearean scenes were authentic-looking, well-fitted, and beautiful. Clever set design by Jason Morgan enabled the action to move seamlessly between backstage and onstage, with lots of doors everywhere to add a sense of movement and controlled chaos to the scenes. And because this is not always true in live theatre, I should mention that I could hear the lines and lyrics clearly throughout, which always adds to my enjoyment of a musical!
Molly Rose as Lois Lane/Bianca was so watchable in everything she did, her expressive face and flirtatious body language adding even more fun to "Why Can't You Behave," "We Open in Venice," "Tom Dick or Harry" and of course "Always True to You in My Fashion," (in which a clothing rack is cleverly used as an anchor for the choreography). And throughout the show, the supporting players and ensemble added more layers of character, beautiful singing, and comedy to the parallel stories playing out in the 40s and in "Shrew." Josh Radde was particularly funny as Gremio. The ensemble work in "Too Darn Hot" at the top of Act 2 was a standout, both vocally and in the fun choreography by Peterson. On a stage of this size with the audience this close, you can really see all the small but intentional choices the actors are making, and I found these details absolutely delightful.
I hadn't seen Kiss Me Kate in years, and I wondered how it had held up over time. I'm happy to say it's still a great musical with a fun plot, witty dialogue, iconic songs, and big Golden Age energy. I highly recommend you treat yourself to SSG's excellent production, playing through July 28 at Sanders Theatre,Fort Worth
On with the show!
Stacey Calvert
Comments
Post a Comment