By Manning Harris
fmanningh@gmail.com
“For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” Shakespeare said that in “Romeo and Juliet,” but somehow it seems appropriate for Stage Door Players’ current jolly revival of “Kiss Me Kate,” which is based on the Bard’s “Taming of the Shrew.” “Kate,” directed by Alan Kilpatrick, runs through Aug. 7.
A word up front about this show: Stage Door Players has a large and loyal following of subscribers; if you wish to see “Kiss Me Kate,” I would not delay in getting tickets.
The enduring success of this show, which won Broadway’s first Best Musical Tony Award in 1949, rests largely on two words: Cole Porter. Yes, it started with Shakespeare (doesn’t everything?), and Samuel and Bella Spewack wrote the book, but Porter wrote the music and lyrics; and what songs they are! Here are some: “Another Opening, Another Show”; “Wunderbar”; “I Hate Men”; “Were Thine That Special Face”; “Too Darn Hot”; “From This Moment On”; “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”; and there are others, trust me. Sometimes the book seems a bit dated, but not the songs: They could have been written yesterday.
“Kate” is a show-within-a-show; Fred Graham (Bryant Smith), the show’s director, star, and producer and his leading lady and ex-wife Lilli Vanessi (Paige Mattox) are producing a musical version of “The Taming of the Shrew,” which is about to open in Baltimore. On the anniversary of their divorce, the two reflect fondly on their failed marriage (“Wunderbar”).
That’s the last moment of peace they have because Fred has eyes for the comely ingenue Lois Lane (Lyndsay Ricketson), and he plays Petruchio and Lilli plays the fiery Kate. Both Mr. Smith and Ms. Mattox have fine, powerful singing voices.
In fact, this is a show full of excellent singer/actors. If you are an aspiring actor these days, you’d better learn how to sing. If you think you can’t sing, remember Katharine Hepburn’s triumph in the musical “Coco.” She admitted she wasn’t a singer and said she hoped a truck would run her over before the opening, but open she did. I know, she was Hepburn and the audience would have paid to see her read the phone book (remember those?). But she was indomitable; go thou and do likewise.
Again, the cast of Stage Door’s “Kate” not only can sing and act but also dance. The music director is Nick Silvestri; the choreographer is Jen MacQueen. At times the cast gets stuck on the fortissimo button (the theatre is intimate; the actors are miked); yes, the show is broad and farcical, but a little subtlety goes a long way. At almost two hours and 50 minutes (including intermission) the show is just a tad long. But enough whining.
There’s too much fun to be had. Ms. Ricketson’s Lois/Bianca was refreshing and charming. Her three suitors (Benjamin Davis, AJ Klopach, and Tyler Sarkis) are fun, proving that there are no small parts. Two gangster types played by Jessica De Maria and Luis Hernandez are even more fun. There are fine contributions from Ritchie Crownfield, George Deavours, Brittany Ellis, Shelby Folks, Greg Hunter, and Xylina Stamper (what a singer!).
Act II’s opening number, “Too Darn Hot,” is quite stunning; with its easy, comic sensuality it’s sounds extremely modern and could almost be from another show. Cole Porter’s not a legend for nothing.
There are simply too many nice moments, songs, and actors to single out. This is a show built for “puttin’ on the ritz” (oops—that’s Irving Berlin), and for these mad, hot days I mentioned earlier, you could hardly do better.
For tickets and information, visit stagedoorplayers.net.