The first Tony Award for Best Musical (1949) was awarded to Kiss Me, Kate. Cole Porter scored this comedy, his most successful show in a career that included Gay Divorce, Anything Goes and Red, Hot and Blue. The Tony award winning book by Sam and Bella Spewack was reportedly inspired by the backstage bickering between Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne during a 1942 revival of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Roundabout Theatre Company has mounted a good revival of this classic and beloved show.
Fred Graham (Will Chase) is the director, producer and star of an upcoming production of a musicalized Taming of the Shrew. His ex-wife, the film star Lilli Vanessi (Kelli O’Hara) is playing Katherine opposite his Petruchio. They seem to be arguing all the time. Are they still “So In Love”? Ms. O’Hara’s singing is gorgeous throughout this musical and Mr. Chase does a fine job as well.
This Kiss Me, Kate begins with a lackadaisical “Another Op’nin’, Another Show.” The tone is more somber and reflective than expected. The boisterous lyrics promise excitement from theater professionals getting ready for opening night. Following this middling start, this revival hums along competently but doesn’t ignite until “Tom, Dick or Harry.” This song has three suitors pursuing Bianca (Stephanie Styles) in this show within the show. Exceptional dancing elevates this high caliber number. Rick Faugno’s Second Suitor was top drawer.
There is an abundance of extra fine choreography by Warren Carlyle throughout. “Too Darn Hot” and “Bianca” were dynamic ensemble numbers led by James T. Lane and Corbin Bleu. Fine singing, fine dancing, a nice set and good tunes are usually enough to propel a Broadway musical. I kept wondering why the show seemed flat overall despite so many enjoyable sections.
Mr. Chase and Ms. O’Hara have some sparkling chemistry. His egotistical ladies man and her bad-tempered, aggressively assertive diva lean too close to nice and sweet. He is supposed to be taming a shrew after all. Edgier characterizations might make these characters seem less vanilla. The story has been updated to resurrect “the original’s magic” while “rising to the responsibility of a 2019 revival.” The effect might have been to water down the tension and bawdiness. That void is nicely filled by Ms. Styles and Mr. Bleu as lovers with their political incorrectness seemingly in tact.
As gangsters, John Pankow and Lance Coadie Williams deliver their dated jokes reasonably well. Their big number, the extremely clever “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” did not showcase the witty lyrics well enough and was disappointing. Scott Ellis directed this production unevenly.
This revival of Kiss Me, Kate succeeds musically with some great singing and dancing. Mr. Carlyle’s choreography is interesting and varied, giving talented hoofers their spotlight moments and they excel. If you love these particular actors and this show, you should expect a reasonably enjoyable evening in the theater. This version might have hit far greater heights if it were sharper and more hilariously Shakespearean in scale. Like the ones achieved by those bickering actors who were the original inspiration for this spoof. The Lunt Fontanne theater on Broadway still bears their name for a reason.