Kiss Me Kate

Imagine the chagrin of the revered Venetian patriarch trying to marry off a strong-willed, spoiled daughter. KISS ME KATE, Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW, à la Cole Porter is a festive musical. And it's current revival boasts an exceptional cast and crew, as we see them, too, on stage. In the backstage world of KISS ME KATE, the shrew is the star and in spite of her vindictive efforts, the show must go on.

Act I moves adeptly from Shakespeare to Porter, from fiction to backstage friction. A well-constructed story within a story, clever dialogue...some great lines, contemporary characters and bubbly Cole Porter lyrics make this one of America's classic musicals. As the thugs who overtake the plot in Act I report, "It's entertaining, vivacious and calculated to entertain the discerning theater-goer"

Marin Mazzie as Katherine the shrew and Lilli Vanessi star of our show, gives a selfless performance, appearing utterly unstarlike as the nasty, albeit feminist shrew. Amy Spanger as Bianca, Katherine's rival and the starlet who has caught the eye of Lilli's ex-husband, is a class act bimbo. As she herself declares, "Mr. Graham is not a cheapskate, He said I didn't need diamonds. I glitter natural"

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Fred Graham, the star of the show and Petruchio, Katherine's suitor is one of Broadway's great musical stars and he really comes through in KATE. Even the supporting actors, singers and dancers are lively and gifted all.

While Act I is a festive, Act II turns, sadly, into a 2nd rate musical festival. With scene after scene of singing and dancing, it's just too long and drawn out. What ever happened to the enchanting story?

That's This Week on Broadway, I'm Isa Goldberg.