Kiss Me Kate

Kiss Me Kate is playing at Studio 54 located on 254 West 54th Street. It runs two hours and thirty five minutes with one intermission. The musical closes on June 2, 2019.

Cole Porter wrote the music and lyrics. He was born June 9, 1891 and died October 15, 2016. The musical was first performed on Broadway at New Century Theatre on December 30, 1948. It ran for nineteen month before transferring to the Shubert, for a total of 1,077 performances. Cole Porter wrote Anything Goes, Can Can and Silk Stockings.

Scott Ellis is the director. He won a Tony Awards for She Loves Me (2016) and was nominated for eight Tony Awards for She Loves Me (2016), You Can’t Take It with You (2015), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2013), Curtains (2007), Twelve Angry Men (2005), 1776 (1998), Steel Pier (1997) and She Loves Me (1994).

David Rockwell is the scenic designer. He won a Tony Award for She Loves Me (2016) and was nominated for four Tony Awards for On the Twentieth Century (2015), Kinky Boots (2013), Lucky Guy (2013) and Hair Spray (2003) .

Jeff Mahshie is the costume designer. He won a tony Award for She Loves Me (2016).

Warren Caryle is the choreographer. He won a Tony Award in 2013 for chorography and was nominated for director for After Midnight.

Kelli O’Hara won a Tony Award in 2015 for King and I. She was nominated for five Tony Awards for The Bridges Over Madison County (2014), Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012), South Pacific (2008), The Pajama Game (2006) and The Light in the Piazza (2005).

Will Chase was nominated for a Tony Award in 2013 for The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

The place is a theatre in Baltimore, June 1948.

There is a dress rehearsal going on. They are doing the musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Fred Graham (Will Case) is giving directions. He is also acting in the show. Lilli Vanessi (Keli O’Hara) is trying to ignore him. Rehearsal finishes everyone goes back to their dressing rooms. Lois Lane (Stephanie Styles) is looking for her boyfriend Bill Calhoun (Corbin Blue).The musical goes back and forth from the actors and them doing the play.

Lilli and Fred have a dressing room next to each with a door that opens between them. It’s the anniversary of their divorce, a year ago. Lilli is engaged to an important man in a Washington. It’s opening night and she gets a flower bouquet. She thinks it’s from Fred. When he comes into the room he realizes the flowers were for Lois but he plays along that he sent to her. She won’t give him back the card that came with the flowers. She puts it in her bra. All hell breaks loose when she opens it on stage.

Back in the dressing room she’s ready to leave while the show is still going on. Two thugs come into Fred’s dressing room First Man (John Parkow) and second Man (lance Coadie Williams) have come to collect the money he lost at a gambling game. He tells them that’s not his signature. They say that’s your name you pay. He comes up with the idea if they keep Lilli from leaving till the end of the run he can pay them. They follow her around on stage in costume.

In Act two we meet her finance Corporal Harrison Howell (Terence Archie). He is friends with President Truman. While she is on stage he is making plan for their wedding for the next day, all of it. Harrison seems to be a control freak and womanizer. When he sees Lois we find out they had a fling. When she leaving he gives her his card. He had given her a nice necklace and hinted they could use matching earrings.

I won’t tell you how it ends but I will tell you that this a well done show. It’s worth seeing. The songs are still enjoyable.

The dance routines will blow you away. Corbin Blue and James T. Lance scenes were amazing.

The three songs I thought were the best were done by Kelli O’ Hara (I Hate Men), Will Chase (So in Love) and James T Lance (Too Darn Hot). I’m not saying the others were bad but these were the ones that astonished me.

Keli O’Hara and Will Chase do a remarkable performance. The rest of the cast shines.

Don’t miss a chance to see this show.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.