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Review: Cole Porter's 'Kiss Me, Kate' on Broadway
by Kerry Douglas Dye

published 2/14/00

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Kerry Douglas Dye is LeisureSuit.net's Manhattan-based Senior Editor.



MOST RECENT YAK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:

Subj: Kate
Kiss me ...Kate!! hehehe

-- Kiss Me
Dec 12, 2007 at 3:13AM

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Brian Stokes Mitchell as Petruchio/Fred and Marin Mazzie as Katherine/Lilli
I'll tell you, it's gratifying to see a decent production open at the Martin Beck Theatre. For years I've had to walk by the venerable showplace under marquees advertising the kajillionth revival of Annie or The Sound of Music. Sure, "Kiss Me, Kate" is a revival, but at least it's finally one worth seeing.

The accent is on comedy in this toe-tapping, knee-slapping battle of the sexes. Frederick C. Graham (Brian Stokes Mitchell, who I last saw playing a black man in "Ragtime", but who looks damn white here) is staging a production of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Ford Theatre in Baltimore. He plays the bachelor Petruchio, and Katherine is played by his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi (Marin Mazzie), a shrill, somewhat shrewish woman herself. Fred and Lilli haven't had the most amicable divorce. She's engaged to an Army General, and he's sleeping with the show's Bianca (Amy Spanger).

The production of "The Taming of the Shrew" is interspersed with the behind-the-scenes hijinks which involve, among other things, a couple of hilariously Runyon-esque gangsters. Can Fred and Lilli avoid beating the hell out of each other on stage enough to get to the final curtain? Could they possibly be reconciled?

Do we care, so long as the laughs--and the great song and dance numbers--keep coming? Notable numbers include Bianca's bawdy "Tom, Dick or Harry", Katherine's showstopping "I Hate Men", and Petruchio's all-too-familiar post-nuptial lament "Where is the Life That Late I Led"? Funniest number is the gangster's "Brush Up On Your Shakespeare". Sexiest number, in what is ostensibly a family show, involves 4 signorina's being stripped of their stockings and cavorting together in a wine-stomping barrel.

The show's been somewhat updated for today's feminist culture, but the climax still features Katherine bowing to Petruchio as she sings "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" (although she throws a wink in at the end to make it all better). I could probably criticize the show from this perspective, pointing out that the women characters are all sluts or shrews (or chorus members), but what's the point? It's a show from another era, and it's a great deal of fun.


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THE YAK SHACK


Name: Kiss Me
Subject: Kate
-- Dec 12, 2007 at 3:13AM
Kiss me ...Kate!! hehehe

Name: fuck
Subject: u
-- Apr 25, 2007 at 10:57PM
kiss me kate sucks!!!!

Name: <3
Subject: Review: Cole Porter's 'Kiss Me, Kate' on Broadway
-- Mar 14, 2007 at 9:38PM
My high school is doing Kiss Me Kate...sooo Excited!!!! LUV It!

Name: hehe
Subject: kiss me kate
-- Dec 19, 2006 at 5:10PM
hi i am wondering can i be in kiss me kate? my name is kate~

Name: hehe
Subject: kiss me kate
-- Dec 19, 2006 at 5:10PM
hi i am wondering can i be in kiss me kate? my name is kate~

Name: lala
Subject: Kiss me kate
-- Dec 19, 2006 at 5:08PM
how much were the stupid tickets for kiss me kate when it was new on broadway??

Name: lala
Subject: Kiss me kate
-- Dec 19, 2006 at 5:08PM
how much were the stupid tickets for kiss me kate when it was new on broadway??

Name: Liz
Subject: Kiss Me, Kate in Stockton
-- May 28, 2006 at 9:26PM
Well, the little town of Stockton was graced with the performances of many wonderful actors last night with their rendition of Kiss Me, Kate. It was a very nice performance. The show will be running for a few more days. If you happened to stumble upon this message, and you live locally, i would suggest attending this show, even if you have not heard of it before. Itis filled with plenty of comedy and show stopping tunes to keep yourself laughing, and you foot tapping all night long!!

Name: Mark
Subject: Kiss Me Kate in AZ
-- Mar 23, 2006 at 5:00AM
Responding to Sierra, Arizona Broadway Theatre will present Kiss Me Kate in early 2007 for a six week run. I know this won't help your paper, but if you're interested go to azbroadwaytheatre.co m for info. I'm one of the drummers for the Theatre, and they are a first class operation with great performers.

Name: Melissa
Subject: Review: Cole Porter's 'Kiss Me, Kate' on Broadway
-- Mar 4, 2006 at 3:58AM
I'm POSITIVE that Brian Stokes Mitchell is "pretty damn BLACK" if you ask me... but enough of that...

what whould you think the odds would be for a high school to do this production. I mean, with the rights and all. I have to research musicals for this year's and I've got next-to-nothing so far. ((Suessical's the best one yet))

Just a thought

Name: sierra
Subject: yea...
-- Dec 10, 2005 at 11:22PM
hey...i wanted to kno if Kiss Me Kate was coming to Arizona at all!?!?!!?!? im doing a paper about Kiss Me Kate for my dance class and i was hoping that maybe i could get some help with it. and mayb if you guys are coming you could tell me how i could get tickets and stuff. thanks~Sierra

Name: peter
Subject: help,re-help
-- Apr 29, 2005 at 12:36PM
i can give you the film made in 1953, but you have to help me to
i must to write 40 page referate about the kiss me kate and i need bibliogrphi and critics to and everything you got
sinsierly Pet from rumania

Name: madeleine
Subject: Help!!
-- Feb 10, 2005 at 9:51PM
I am doing a school production with "kiss me kate" i really need to study up on it to get a good part if any one has a dvd that they can send to me via e-mail please do so i need help!!!
i have to ordition in 10 days
so please give a broadway a girl a chance and send some infomation on the production "Kiss Me Kate" thanking you kindley

Name: Dan Navarro
Subject: the DVD
-- May 17, 2003 at 5:22AM
I've received the Image Entertainment DVD of the "Kiss Me Kate" show, and it is woefully lacking in the most important aspects: Special features!

I have returned the DVD to the retailer in the original wrapping, and I have instructed the retailer to credit my account.

In this day and age, I find it unconscionable for anyone to sell a DVD that does not even contain an English Captions track. I am not deaf, but I am hearing impaired, and I always depend on DVDs to supply the captions so that I can follow the dialogue.

BTW, I do own the DVD of the MGM movie "Kiss Me Kate," and it is beautiful and replete with special features, including English captions.

A DVD without special features is not fit to live.

Dan

Name: Aysin
Subject: Kiss me Kate's notes
-- Mar 26, 2003 at 10:56AM
How can I find Kiss me Kate's notes?

Name: Kerry Douglas Dye Responds
Subject: Re: Kiss Me Kate - the movie.
-- Mar 14, 2003 at 9:25AM
Sure, from the 50's courtesy of George Sidney (Pal Joey, Annie Get Your Gun, etc.)

You can find it on VHS on Amazon.com, and it's coming soon to DVD. These home versions will not, obviously, be in 3-D.

Name: Martine
Subject: Kiss Me Kate - the movie.
-- Mar 14, 2003 at 9:17AM
I've heard that there's a version of the movie in old-fashioned 3D: you know, with red & green glasses, but I can't locate one anywhere. Might be a rumour, but I'm not sure. If its true, post me. I might not be able to answer for a while though - I'm in a libruary. (It's for my mum).

Name: MEg
Subject: loved it
-- Jan 21, 2003 at 7:47PM
hey, i saw this play in 2001 when it was in NY. i saw the last week it was on broadway there. i thought it was really good. are middle school did it and it was great. i even thought some of ours was better.

Name: Tanja
Subject: Kiss me Kate
-- Oct 8, 2002 at 4:03AM
Hi Kristi,

check out ebay.com for a poster.

Yours Tanja*

Name: kristi
Subject: kiss me kate
-- Aug 21, 2002 at 10:58PM
Hi,I was wondering if you know how and if I can purchase a poster of Kiss me kate.Recently my Mother-in-law died of cancer.We are trying to keep things around of when she was alive.One of the last things we did with her was to see Kiss Me Kate on broadway in New York.My familyroom is decorated in vintage posters and what a way to surprise my husband by getting a poster to hang in our familyroom To remeber the time we took his mom to see Kiss Me Kate Thank you,Kristi Barto

Name: emma
Subject: Kiss Me Kate
-- Jun 17, 2002 at 6:12AM
I'm wondering if The Musical will perform in Perth, Australia. I just love it so much.

Name: Roxanne
Subject: Kiss Me Kate
-- Apr 23, 2002 at 4:17PM
Just wondering whether Kiss me Kate would ever show in London if so do u have any details?

Name: Gilbert Foster
Subject: Kiss me Kate
-- Mar 11, 2002 at 11:57AM
I was wondering if the Kiss me Kate show was playing in Chicago

Name: Angela Strain
Subject: Hello!
-- Feb 8, 2002 at 12:02PM
I was wondering if Kiss me Kate starring Ann Margaret is playing in Denver?


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