Kiss Me, Kate
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Cititour.com Review
“Bellissimo,” sings Kelli O’Hara towards the end of the Scott Ellis’ exuberant revival of “Kiss Me, Kate” for the Roundabout Theatre, and I can think of no better word in any language to describe the beauty of this Broadway megastar. I’m not just speaking of her stunning face and figure (costumed to perfection by Jeff Mahshie) or her flawless vocalizing (you’ll never hear a better version of Cole Porter’s heartbreaking “So In Love”) but also her (admittedly surprising) comic timing and (not so surprising) smoking passion. Yes, a smidgen of her natural sweetness shines through even when playing the shrew – both William’ Shakespeare’s Kate and temperamental Hollywood star Lilli Vanessi – but O’Hara’s truly incredible performance is all the reason you need to make haste to Studio 54.
Fortunately, it’s far from the only one – and it’s hard to know where to begin. Of course, there’s the source material, which hardly seems 71 years old. Cole Porter’s consistently delicious score ranges from mock-operetta (the aptly-named “Wunderbar”) to faux-jazz (“Too Darn Hot”) to some of the finest comic songs ever – heard here in all their double-entendred glory – from “Where Is The Life That Late I Led” to “Always True to You In My Fashion” (which proves a fine showcase for the sex kittenish Stephanie Styles as the diamond-loving yet golden-hearted Lois Lane.)
And how many musicals can boast of a witty, wonderful book by Sam and Bella Spewack? This one pairs the backstage and offstage shenanigans during a musical adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew” that’s been conceived, directed and co-stars Lilli’s egotistical ex-husband Fred Graham (an excellent Will Chase, whose voice, while gorgeous, is admittedly a little lighter than his famed predecessors in this role). It’s both bardy and bawdy!
Even better, the brilliant Amanda Green has tinkered and tweaked the Spewacks’ script ever so delicately, eliminating moments, scenes and words that could seem too misogynistic for this “#MeToo” era. Offstage as well as on, Lilli now gives as good as she gets, physically and verbally, making her Fred’s equal in every possible way. (Whether Green actually rewrote Shakespeare, or it’s been done before, is unclear, but changing Kate’s final ballad to “I Am Ashamed That People Are So Simple” softens any possible blow of sexism and sends a message of kindness and love we sorely need!)
Everything happens on David Rockwell’s superb multi-faceted set, which rotates from a realistic-looking theatre backstage to a pastel-colored rendering of Padua. But you don’t even need scenery when such gifted performers as John Pankow and Lance Coadie Williams are giving a fare-thee-well vaudevillian turn as a pair of surprisingly educated gangsters reminding us to “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” or Warren Carlyle’s stunning choreography is front and center. His exceedingly clever (and somewhat extended) version of “Tom, Dick …or Harry,” the charming “Bianca” and most especially, a sizzling “Too Darn Hot” (led by the magnificent James T. Lane) are basically worth the price of admission.
What those three numbers also have in common is the presence of Corbin Bleu, who has been smartly cast as Lois’ true love, the irrepressible if irresponsible Bill Calhoun. While he sings and acts with aplomb, his ultra-athletic dancing – especially his tapping – is nothing short of phenomenal. (Anyone looking for the next Gregory Hines, stop looking!)
If there are no missteps in Bleu’s dancing; the show does occasionally lose its footing here and there, especially with the late arrival of Lilli's stuffy fiancé, General Harrison Howell. While the game actor Terence Archie does his best, he really can’t do much with his leaden, expository dialogue – which reveals Howell to be ultra-chauvinist and thoroughly amoral. Worse yet, painting Howell in such broad and unpleasant strokes makes us wonder if Lilli returns to the theater after leaving with him because she finally found out his true character in the limo, or, as the show’s creators intended, because she realizes that ego-and-all, she can’t live without Fred.
Strange, dear? Not really. True, dear? Absolutely! This “Kiss Me, Kate” should make even the grumpiest audience member fall in love with the power of great musical theater -- not just today, but from this moment on.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2018-2019-season/kiss-me-kate
Cast
Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase, Corbin Bleu, Terence Archie, Mel Johnson Jr., James T. Lane, Stephanie Styles, Adrienne Walker, Lance Coadie, John Pankow
Open/Close Dates
Opening 3/14/2019
Closing 6/30/2019
Preview Open/ Preview Close Dates
Preview Opening 2/14/2019
Closing Open-ended
Box Office
212-719-1300
Theatre Info
Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
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