Seeing the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the Cole Porter musical classic Kiss Me Kate at Studio 54 Theatre is like attending a master class of prime musical comedy. The result of it is greatness from start to finish. In its fourth Broadway incarnation (after previous productions in 1948, 1952 and 1999), this timeless show gives audience a glimpse of what would happen if the private, offstage lives of these stage actors would jump and end up on the stage by accident. The outcome would end up as hilarious and very high-spirited.
The show-within-a-show takes place in the middle of a pre-Broadway tryout of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew in the summer of 1948 in Baltimore. The show's star Lilli Vanessi (the ever poignant Kelli O'Hara) is returning to the stage after a period doing films in Hollywood to take on the role of the shrew herself, Katherine. But, there's a hitch. She's being directed by her ex-husband, Fred Graham (Will Chase). Not only that, he produced and written it and even co-starring in it opposite her.
At first, Lilli seems to rekindle an old romantic feeling with Fred. But soon, her temper takes over both onstage and off as she finds out that Fred has a thing for one of their co-stars, the smart ingenue Lois Lane (newcomer Stephanie Styles). Then, two gangsters (John Pankow and Lance Coadie Williams) come into the picture thanks to a gambling mistake made by Lois's co-star/boyfriend, Bill Calhoun (Corbin Bleu of Holiday Inn and High School Musical fame). Put these plot points together and you end up with a well-constructed madcap musical comedy.
Director Scott Ellis (who also did the revivals of She Loves Me and The Mystery of Edwin Drood for Roundabout) helms this production with sheer finesse and enough energy to spare. The superb choreography by Warren Caryle pays off in the production number, Too Darn Hot, which kicks off the second act on a level high. Then, there are the brilliant songs by the late Cole Porter which features such classics such as Wunderbar, So In Love, Brush Up Your Shakespare and in my opinion, the best opening number ever heard on a Broadway stage, Another Op'nin', Another Show. Writer Amanda Green has freshen up the show's original material a bit (Sam and Bella Spewack's book, to be exact) to reflect the current society of today's #MeToo era. David Rockwell's sets, Jeff Mahshie's period-era costumes and Donald Holder's lighting help give the show its Technicolor shine.
Among the cast, Chase is a first-rate leading man. Bleu is wonderful and he even does a terrific tap-dance number to woo the woman he loves. As Lois (not to be related with the Superman character of the same name), Styles makes a swell Broadway debut performance and both Pankow (from TV's Mad About You) and Williams are very good as the two gangsters who incidentally gets roped into performing in the Shrew element of the show.
But attention must be paid to Ms. O'Hara, in her first role since winning the Tony Award for her superb work in the revival of The King And I four years ago. Everyone knows that she has one of the best and finest singing voices in musical theatre. But here, she commands the stage with moments such as trying to rebuff the advances of her ex-husband while in character and dancing with him remembering the good times they both had. She's a great comedienne in one of the most finest female roles ever created for a musical. To sum it up, O'Hara is a force to be reckoned with. She's also a sure thing for another Tony win this year.
In a nutshell, this is a perfect night (or matinee) out at the theatre that will be certainly be enjoyed by all. In other words, it's Wunderbar.
The Buzz on Kiss Me Kate:
Rating: ****
Bottom Line: A revival that is indeed nothing short of perfect. But the show's revelation is Kelli O'Hara. A brilliant singer and a great comedienne, with this role, she's the new queen of musical comedy.
Recommend Best for: Ages 10 and up. Contains a brief fighting scene.
Playing at: Studio 54 Theatre on 254 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue) for a limited engagement until June 30th. For tickets, go to www.roundabouttheatre.org, todaytix.com/x/nyc or call 212-719-1300.
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