In the constellation of musical comedy masterpieces, Kiss Me, Kate shines as perhaps Broadway's most sparkling achievement.
This is the winner of the first-ever Tony Award for Best Musical, alive with onstage romance, backstage passion, comedy high and low, a hilarious dash of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and the songwriting genius of Cole Porter at his stylish, sexy, sophisticated best, including "Too Darn Hot," "So In Love" and "Always True To You In My Fashion." Once again, Roundabout catapults you to musical comedy heaven, with a brand-new Kiss Me, Kate.
Scott Ellis directs Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase, Corbin Bleu, and more - now thru June 2 only!
Although 'Kiss Me, Kate' moves at a frolicsome pace under Ellis's direction, on sets by David Rockwell that move between period-style flats for the 'Shrew' scenes and realistic designs for the play-without-the-play passages, there's no avoiding that the book, by Sam and Bella Spewack, loses steam in the second act (even with the interpolated 'From This Moment On'), which plays out more as a series of jumbled diversions before the romantic-clinch climax.
All of which feels just ... fine. What's interesting about this Kiss Me, Kate's context consciousness is that its adjustments are both good, arguably downright necessary ideas, and not really show-savers. I'm happy not to listen to O'Hara sing about placing her hand beneath her husband's foot, but the subtle level-up in gender politics at the show's conclusion doesn't actually stop the whole thing from feeling like an aesthetic time capsule. And aesthetics can usurp politics.
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