Review by Neal Newman
December 14, 2024
KISS ME KATE AT Quintessence Theatre is a joyful ride. Inventive choreography, direction, colorful designs, and a fine cast make for a happy audience.
Cole Porter’s score remains one of the Golden Age classics. Fans of Porter’s 30’s musicals like Anything Goes will recognize the sassy beat in “Too Darn Hot” and “Tom, Dick or Harry.” Operetta fans adore “Wunderbar” little noticing that the song actually satirizes the form. Porter also proved that he could write a musical version of Shakespeare’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW had he wanted to, with “Cantiamo D’Amore” and the title song. The famed Porter “list” song is represented with the wonderful “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” while “So In Love” remains one of the greatest love ballads. The book by Sam and Bella Spewack, cleverly combines SHREW with a parallel backstage story that frequently interrupts the onstage action. All of this is dusted with Porter’s naughty wit, which today seems less shocking than just plain funny. A divorced couple, egotistical actors both, are forced to reunite in a new musical version of SHREW.
The musical staging especially bowled me over. I must have seen KATE at least ten times, and the inventive ideas continually amazed me. “Too Darn Hot” had a modern touch, “Another Opening” had choreography similar to the original production of 1948, “Always True to You” was pure burlesque, and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” was a salute to vaudeville. Many thanks to Todd Underwood, director and choreographer.
The set designs by John Raley are basic backstage with colorful panels that flip to Renaissance Verona. Summer Lee Jack’s costumes reflect the late forties and summer stock Verona. Anthony Forchielli’s lights keep the stage awash with color. Tom Fosnocht proved to be an able piano accompanist, but adding trumpets and reeds was unwise. It worked well for the jazzy numbers but not for the ballads, which overwhelmed the soft-voiced Petruchio.
The chorus proved to be attractive singers and dancers, with Andrew Burton Kelley being a likable Bill/Lucentio, adding an acrobatic exit for his song. The two gangsters, Julian Brightman and Matthew Wautier Rodriguez pleased us with their dead-on “dead-end kids” accents. Renee McFillin played Bianca as a refugee from a third-rate burlesque troupe, and her well-staged “Always True to You” had more bumps than the GYPSY strippers. It works well. As Fred/Petruchio, Chris Cherin moves beautifully and acts honestly and deeply. He is too young to be convincing as an “almost over the hill” leading man but captures the energy and ego. He is vocally miscast; he has some fine tenor notes, but the major songs are keyed too low for him. Nonetheless, he and the director made quite a moment of “The Life That Late I Led’. He was placed as far downstage as possible, so we heard every word, and the elaborate staging only contributed to the ovation he received. I thank them for showing me that there are always new ways of doing things.
In a 2018 review, I wrote of Jennie Eisenhower’s performance: ‘Jennie Eisenhower leads the company with a compelling, beautifully sung Lilli/Kate. Her Lilli is an experienced theater animal who has undergone the ups and downs of a maddening, unstable, but rewarding profession. She brings maturity, humor, and desperation to a diva nearing the end of a not-quite-successful career.” Well, now she’s even better. The voice is richer, stronger, and more exciting, and the differences between the two characters are more defined (if memory serves). She forever owns so many of these roles.
KISS ME KATE runs through January 19. Your holiday deserves it.
Thanks to DCMETRO for allowing the quote.
RUNNING TIME: Two hours and fifteen minutes with and intermission.
KISS ME KATE plays through January 5, at the Sedgwick Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave. Mount Airy, PA Tickets can be obtained at https://www.quintessencetheatre.org