KISS ME, KATE – REVIEW OF BARTLETT SHER’S PRODUCTION IN LONDON

Reviewed by James Karas                                                                                               

Bartlett Sher has cornered the market for plush revivals of classic American musicals at New York’s Lincoln Centre. He has directed the New York productions of My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I for the London stage well. Now he directs Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate at the Barbican Centre in London.

Kiss Me, Kate is undoubtedly one of the best American musicals ever written. It is a backstage show taking place behind the scenes of a production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in Baltimore. The war going on in Shakespeare’s play is reflected in the backstage relationship of the stars of the production to hilarious effect. The Taming of the Shew, you will recall. is about the violent courtship of the ferocious “Kate the cursed” by the fierce but impecunious Petruchio who is intent on taming her. In the production of Shakespeare’s play Kate is played by Lilli Vanessi and Petruchio by Fred Graham, both of whom are the fictitious characters in Cole Porter’s plot. The actors are Adrian Duncan and Stephanie J. Block.

Fred and Lilli are a divorced couple who are at each other’s throat, but they are still in love. Fred who is having an affair or doing something with Lois, an actress in the Shrew sends a bouquet and a love note to her before the premiere of the play in Baltimore. The bouquet is delivered to Lilli, and it just happens to have the same flowers as her wedding bouquet. War breaks out.

This is a vibrant, funny, robust, and outstanding production. The choreography and the comedy are done to perfection even if the singing is not topnotch all the time. Stephanie J. Block as Lilli and Kate displays a gorgeous voice that soars to her high notes and is splendid in her midrange. “I Hate Men” is sung with marvelous vigour and “So In Love” a is a melodious treat. She is a superb shrew and a furious former wife of Fred. She has found a general (Peter Davison) to get her out of the theatre, but can she live away from it? Dressed in glowing red, Block is beautiful and gives a bravura performance.

The two "gangsters" and Fred Graham in Kiss Me, Kate. 

Adrian Dunbar as Fred Graham directs The Taming of the Shrew, plays the lead role of Petruchio, needs to keep the rebellious Lilli in the show and, unbeknown to him, has a huge gambling problem that a couple of armed gangsters have come to collect. Dunbar has a long acting pedigree but his voice sounded as if it may be past its best before date. He managed some of the songs that require more bravado than vocal finesse but the show is so good we forgave his less than stellar singing. 

Georgina Onuorah is particularly good as Lois in the cast of the play and as Biance in The Taming of the Shew. She delivers the beautiful “Why Can’t You Behave” and “Always True To You In My Fashion” wonderfully.                

The program lists two characters as Gangsters (Hammed Animashaun and Nigel Lindsay). They are organized crime enforcers and show up to collect the enormous sum of ten thousand dollars from Fred that someone signed his name for during a poker game. When Lilli threatens to leave the performance, they show her their guns and convince her to stay on. The debt is “forgiven” but the two sophisticated gangsters stay on and sing and dance “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” Sher gives them all the time they need and the two almost steal the show. The incongruity of two gangsters quoting Shakespeare and tapdancing is enormously entertaining.

No musical is complete without synchronized, vigorous and beautiful dancing and Choreographer Anthony Laast provides the steps, and the dance troupe performs with outstanding finesse.

The set by Michael Yeargan makes use of the Barbican’s enormous stage. A revolving structure provides room for the playing area of The Taming of the Shrew and the backstage spaces including Vanessi’s dressing room and other spaces.

Stephen Ridley is the Musical Supervisor, and he directs the orchestra and the chorus. There is a large number of people behind the scenes but all we care about in the end is seeing a superb production of a great musical and we get it.

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Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter (music and lyrics) and Samuel and Bella Spewack (book) continues until September 14, 2024, at the Barbican Theatre, Silk St. Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS

James Karas is the Senior Editor, Culture of The Greek Press