Old-fashioned, yes, but thoroughly fun
A person might quibble with the relevance of this lighthearted 1948 backstage musical and even – despite its veneer of Shakespeare – with its depth.
Still, the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre version begins with an outstanding production number in Act One; an even better production number in Act Two; and a whole passel of clever songs throughout. And Cole Porter wrote ‘em all.
Now, that’s what I call a formula for success.
“Kiss Me Kate” may be standard CdA Summer Theatre fare, but make no mistake: That standard is very, very high. As in just about every show in this season, it features two national-class leads, a show-stealing supporting cast and a thoroughly polished ensemble. In other words, director Nike Imoru’s cast delivers Cole Porter’s biggest hit with plenty of 1940s-style panache.
Those two big numbers, “Another Op’nin’, Another Show” and “Too Darn Hot” are illustrative of the stylish concept developed by Imoru, choreographer Michael Wasileski and music director Max Mendez.
“Another Op’nin’ ” begins with an empty stage and builds into an exhilarating celebration of the backstage camaraderie of the theater world. Old friends slap one another on the back; newcomers introduce themselves. They’re all sharing in the adrenaline rush of an out-of-town opening.
“Too Darn Hot” also opens with an empty stage and shows what happens when the adrenaline wears off. The cast gathers in the sweltering alley during intermission outside their Baltimore theater, the men wearing tank-top shirts with suspenders. One man keeps time with a pair of drumsticks while Dane Stokinger, as Paul, leads the cast on a sultry, finger-popping foray into the land of Cole Porter double entendres, as in, “When the thermometer goes way up/And the weather is sizzling hot/Mister Adam/For his madam/Is not.”
And there are so many other worthy numbers as well, especially “Bianca,” sung and danced by the terrific Brad Willcuts. He moves like a particularly graceful Olympic gymnast, swinging from railings, performing flips and handstands.
The other standout number belongs to Jennifer Dudley, who plays the red-haired and suitably pyrotechnic Lilli Vanessi/Katharine. She stalks the stage, spitting out the comically venomous lyrics to “I Hate Men,” occasionally breaking into an ironic girlish skip. Dudley has a trained operatic voice – she has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera – which she uses to great effect in “So In Love” and “Wunderbar.”
In the latter number, she is joined by Chris Thompson as Fred Graham/Petruchio, who is a talented comic actor, easily up to the demands of playing both Shakespeare’s domineering character from “Taming of the Shrew” (some scenes come straight from the Bard) as well as the puffed-up actor-director. He, too, has a strong, well-trained, expressive voice, shown off in “Wunderbar,” Porter’s tribute to the old European operetta style.
Darcy Wright makes a welcome return to her hometown as the saucy and fun-loving Lois Lane/Bianca.
The crowd favorites were clearly Bill Rhodes and Jack Bannon, two lovable Runyonesque gangsters, sent to extort a payment out of Graham. When someone begins to spout the cliché that “guns don’t kill people … ,” they immediately pipe up: “We do!”
As you can tell by that line, some of the dialogue has been modernized for the most recent revival. Yet at its core, “Kiss Me Kate” is an old-fashioned Broadway entertainment, less concerned with character motivation than with singing and dancing and having fun.
Oh, it’s also about wearing great costumes. Judith McGiveney’s costumes, ranging from 1540 to 1940, are particularly colorful, stylish and fun to look at.