John Frayne: 'Kiss Me Kate' a hit with audience | News-Gazette.com John Frayne: 'Kiss Me Kate' a hit with audience Sun, 05/08/2016 - 6:00am | John Frayne On April 24, I attended the final performance of the Lyric Theatre @ Illinois run of Cole Porter's musical comedy, "Kiss Me Kate," which is partly based on William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew." This musical is one of the outstanding works of the golden age of this genre, at its height in the late 1940s and 1950s. Anyone around in those days knew the Porter songs by heart and so was well-equipped to enjoy a new production of this fun piece. Judging from the near-ecstatic reaction of the audience, I would call this production a wild success in the opinion of many, and it could, under other circumstances, run for a long time. The original production ran for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway. This production favored a certain type of realism.

There was no curtain, and one saw a man sweeping the stage when you arrived in the theater. This and other warmup activities made for a slow beginning, but as the show went on, the energetic direction of Sarah Wigley Jonson got a dynamic performance from a young and multitalented cast. In this double drama, combining real American life with the illusion of the Shakespeare play, the principal actors play two roles. In the double role of Lilli and Kate, Ruth Kenney was outstanding in both singing and dancing, especially in her delivery of "I Hate Men." Anson Woodin showed highly promising talents as Fred and Petruchio, with a forceful rendition of "Where Is the Life That Late I Love." The off-stage and on-stage conflict of this love/hate couple generated much of the comedy of the show. Carli Liguori gave a high-energy performance as Lois and Bianca, and she was well matched in comic turns with Bennett Kosma as her off-stage boyfriend. The setting of the show was updated to the present day Hamptons on Long Island, but that aspect of production was soon lost in the hustle and bustle of the multi-layered comedy.

Another updating was the turning of the two male gangsters in the original into women's roles. The tough and tattooed one was hilariously played by Caitlin Richardson, and Ellen Magee was supremely silly as Gangster No. 2. The audience clearly adored them, and their rendering of the hit number "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" could have gone on and on into the night. Also, the original role of politician Harrison Howell was changed into a glory-hound general, energetically played by Chris Anderson. Space prevents me from mentioning all the characters in this strong cast. The dancing, choreographed by Endalyn Taylor, was excellent and at times spectacular. The all-purpose setting of glass rectangles, which could be reshaped for different scenes, had the merit of utility if not of realism. It was designed by Jose Manuel Diaz-Soto. Under Michael Tilley's musical direction, the level of the singing of the Cole Porter hits was quite high, and the orchestral score was well-performed by the University of Illinois Philharmonia, conducted by Louis Bergonzi. They played at the back of the stage area, behind the performers, but their sound came through quite well.

I presume it was members of this ensemble who played as a jazz ensemble at stage right, giving a warm and intimate intro to some scenes. I found the amplified singing too loud for my comfort, and much of the dialogue eluded me. A summary of the stage action in the program would have been helpful. The differences in language and tone between real-life America and Shakespearean England were well-managed. With everyone else, I enjoyed the screen displays of the warring couple on the front pages of tabloids, in many languages, yet. Before the show, Julie Gunn, director of Lyric Theatre Studies, gave a preview of next season's offerings: Claudio Monteverdi's "The Coronation of Poppea," a gala evening devoted to Giuseppe Verdi's music, and the musical "The Light in the Piazza," book by Craig Lucas and music by Adam Guettel. John Frayne hosts "Classics of the Phonograph" on Saturdays at WILL-FM and, in retirement, teaches at the UI. Reach him at frayne@illinois.edu.

Porter, Shakespeare blend in "Kiss Me Kate" Porter, Shakespeare blend in "Kiss Me Kate" Posted: April 14, 2012 0 Comments SHARE J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel Bill Black, professor and associate head of theatre, with a book of drawings for the "Kiss Me Kate" costumes. Black did all of the drawings for the costumes. He is sitting next to a dressing gown worn by "Lilli Vanessi," also Kate in the play. Katy Wolfe Zahn and Neil Friedman play the leads in the Clarence Brown's production of "Kiss Me Kate." J. Miles Cary/News Sentinel Kyle Schellinger works on the dress that Kate will wear near the end of the show. Clarence Brown ends its season with musical flair By Amy McRary of the Knoxville News Sentinel Posted: April 14, 2012 0 Cole Porter and William Shakespeare. A play-within-a-play. Almost 100 costumes; a live orchestra.

Witty dialogue; a romantic comedy with sophisticated flair.The University of Tennessee's Clarence Brown Theatre includes all of the above with its 2011-12 season-ending show "Kiss Me Kate." The theater presents the Porter musical based on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" April 19-May 6. "Kiss Me Kate" opened on Broadway in 1948, becoming Porter's most successful musical. Described as an onstage "Taming of the Shrew" with a backstage "Peyton Place," "Kiss Me Kate" was based on the frequently argumentative backstage relationship of theater legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. What happens on stage is complicated by the characters' offstage lives and romantic entanglements. With its backstage love-hate story, the play also is a love story to the theatrical profession. Porter's original musical won five Tony Awards, including the first given for Best Musical. The play was revived and revised in 1999, tweaked slightly for a contemporary audience. The Clarence Brown production uses that revision. Clarence Brown artist-in-residence Neil Friedman plays director Fred Graham, who acts the lead role of the "Shrew's" Petruchio.

Singer and actress Katy Wolfe Zahn plays Graham's ex-wife and star Lilli Vanessi, who acts the temperamental Kate in "Shrew." "Kiss Me Kate" is directed by Calvin MacLean, the theater department head and the producing artistic director of the Clarence Brown company. MacLean says the production is witty and fun with some modern touches inspired by the chaotic energy of the likes of Mel Brooks and "Spamalot." Porter, says MacLean, "is such a wit and he's a little devil. He likes to mix things up And we have some fun with that." The orchestra in the Clarence Brown orchestra pit will perform 18 Porter tunes. Among them will be "Always True to You in My Fashion," "Too Darn Hot" and "So in Love." "The sounds are terrific; there are beautiful melodies," says MacLean. Because "Kiss Me Kate" is set both in 1948 and in Shakespeare's 16th century, costume designer Bill Black designed wardrobes for two plays. The actors' "street clothes" are done in the 1940s period while the Shakespearean part of the play requires a medieval style.

Ask Black, a UT professor and associate department head, how many costumes he's designed for "Kiss Me Kate." He's likely only half-joking when he deadpans, "Too many." The number of costumes totals close to 100, and all of those for the "Shrew" portion were designed by Black and created in-house. Most characters have three to four different looks. "That's a lot," he says. "This is a very big show. The biggest show in a long time." Costumes for "Shrew" are often created in an Italian Renaissance style, Black says. For "Kiss Me Kate" he designed attire in a "kind of Italian Renaissance styled through the eyes of Dior." The Shakespearean dress is done in bright tones that include reds, greens and peaches. Black often combined various shades of one palette ? red for example for the "Shrew's" fiery Kate ? in a skirt's panels. Designer Christian Dior is an inspiration because Wolfe Zahn's character Lilli comments that all her clothes are done by Dior. "And Dior gives you circular skirts good for dancing," says Black.

One of Wolfe Zahn's 1940s suits is a cream jacket over a black pleated skirt. The outfit was inspired by an iconic Dior suit of the period. Black made the jacket and found the black skirt on eBay. Again as in recent seasons, the theater is ending its season with a big musical. MacLean says there's more than one reason. "Spring sort of asks for something light and renewing. The end of the season asks for a story that you can go into the theater and have a good time," he says. A big year-end show also is a matter of practicality. "You have to have time to build all the scenery and costumes," says MacLean. "I think people are going to have a good time," says MacLean of "Kiss Me Kate." "And see us trying to be ambitious with musical theater." About Amy McRary Amy McRary writes about the arts, people, animals, history and more as a features/entertainment/general assignment reporter for The News Sentinel.

Arts Education / “ALWAYS TRUE TO YOU (IN MY FASHION)”: ADAPTATION AND INTERPRETATION - Shakespeare "Always True To You (In My Fashion)": Adaptation and Interpretation - Shakespeare Adam Garcia (Bill) and Holly Dale Spencer (Lois), The Old Vic, London 2012 As a definitive Cole Porter musical based on a classic Shakespearean play, Kiss Me, Kate uses source material in new ways and offers artists exciting opportunities to “translate” the material for current audiences. Here, we explore the literary and artistic devices of adaptation and interpretation, and how both “recycle” classic material for new audiences.

NOTABLE MOVIE ADAPTATIONS BASED ON SHAKESPEARE: WEST SIDE STORY (1961) … Romeo And Juliet RAN (1985) … King Lear MY PRIVATE IDAHO (1991) … Henry IV & Henry V THE LION KING (1994) … Hamlet 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (1999) … Taming Of The Shrew O (2001) … Othello DELIVER US FROM EVA (2003) … Taming of the Shrew SHES THE MAN (2006) … Twelfth Night TEN BROADWAY MUSICALS INSPIRED BY THE BARD'S PLAYS By David Gewirtzman (Playbill Apr 23, 2014) BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (1938) … Comedy of Errors SWINGIN’ THE DREAM (1939) … Mid Summer Night’s Dream KISS ME KATE (1948) … Taming of the Shrew WEST SIDE STORY (1957) … Romeo and Juliet TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (1971) …

Two Gentlemen of Verona ROCKABYE HAMLET (1976) … HAMLET OH, BROTHER!

(1981) … Comedy of Errors THE LION KING (1994) … inspired by Hamlet PLAY ON! (1997) … Twelfth Night ALL SHOOK UP (2005) … inspired by Twelfth Night & the music of Elvis Presley Scope and Sequence: Grades 9-12 SL. 1, SL. 4, L. 4, RL. 4 ADAPTATION: the process of changing to fit some purpose or situation; especially a movie, book, play, etc., that is changed so that it can be presented in another form or is better suited for a purpose. INTERPRETATION: the act or result of explaining or interpreting something; the way something is explained or understood; a particular way of performing something. ADAPTING SHAKESPEARE Samantha Spiro and Simon Paisley Day in The Taming of the Shrew, The Globe Theater, London (2012) Scope and Sequence: Grade 10 W. 9a OBJECTIVE: To explore how the musical’s writers adapted The Taming of the Shrew in Kiss Me Kate, and why it serves as an effective literary and performance device.

By Jennifer Erin Book SOURCE: Magazine Americana: The Institute for the Study of American Popular Culture “The writer of a theatrical adaptation faces issues particular to that art form: he or she must stay faithful to the source material, while presenting an audience with something new and fresh. Devotees of the original material must be satisfied with the adaptation, and not feel betrayed. A newcomer to the material must be able to follow and understand the adaptation, without having to call back to any prior knowledge or experience. How can a writer take a classic, eloquent, and well-known play by William Shakespeare, and adapt it into a new, emerging, and purely American art form: the integrated musical? [The] musical Kiss Me, Kate, based upon Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, is a successfully refreshing adaptation. It is a product of its time, when integrated musicals were first coming into vogue, and when sexual politics were in flux; and of its place, since its form is distinctly American.” “Porter and Spewack took Shakespeare’s script and tailored it perfectly to the musical tastes of the time… Spewack didn’t want simply to insert music into an adaptation of a Shakespearean script.

Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and George Abbot had already used that stunt in their musical The Boys from Syracuse, which took the characters, location, and plot of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, and adopted a modern setting. She stumbled upon the gimmick of adapting Shrew, into a backstager, as Ethan Mordden puts it, ‘showing the lives of a theatre company putting on someone else’s adaptation of Shrew: thus pulling off a different stunt altogether.’ The gimmick worked.” RESOURCES SHAKING UP SHAKESPEARE: REACHING THE SHAKESPEARE AVERSE WITH ADAPTATION “Why study Shakespeare? What role can his work play in teaching us about ourselves in the 21st century? In this lesson, students will examine their preconceptions about Shakespeare and his work. Then, after reading one theater critic’s case for reading and seeing Shakespeare this year, they will use The Times to explore adaptations of a Shakespearean play they are currently studying. Finally, they will use these as a springboard for staging their own scenes from the play in a new way, using an adaptation they have read about as a model.” Scope and Sequence: Grade 10 SL.

1(a-d), W10 What are the first thoughts and/or images that come to mind when you hear "Shakespeare"?Why do you think that his plays continue to be read and produced almost 400 years after his death? Obviously, in real life people do not break out in song whenever they need to express a thought or feeling. How do you imagine this musical adaptation enhances (or distracts) the audience from soaking in the full theatrical experience? In what ways do you think seeing a musical is different from seeing a play? How does the setting of the theater itself, complete with the complicated relationships of all the players, aid in the overall story telling? While the opening number “Another Op'nin', Another Show” is a virtual love letter to theater folk, it also adds to the excitement, immediacy and rush of live performance where anything can – and does – happen.What was your response to that opening number? Site Navigation Kiss Me Kate the Musical What was your favourite production? Add your thoughts in the comments box Synopsis Twitter Synopsis: Art imitates life as this group of travelling players explore the Taming of the Shrew and a quarrelling couple realise they are so in love.

Add your own Twitter style synopsis (140 characters only!) in the comments box A company of actors are rehearsing for a new musical production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and sing about the drama of life as a performer. Fred Graham is the show’s producer, director and leading man, playing opposite his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi the movie star. The pair are forever arguing and Lilli is jealous of Fred who is pursuing the younger actress Lois Lane. Lois’s boyfriend Bill is a gambler and frequently misses rehearsals. He has racked up multiple debts and has signed an IOU in Fred’s name for $10,000. Backstage, Lilli shows off her engagement ring to the rest of the company and reminds Fred it is the anniversary of their divorce. Gangster show up to demand the money out of Fred who doesn’t understand what they are talking about and the agree to come back after the show. Flowers are mistakenly delivered to Lilli’s dressing room from Fred tries to stop her reading the card which reveals they were actually intended for Lois. Lilli says she will read the card later onstage.

As the performance begins we see the beginning of the musical as Petrucio (Fred) wants to marry Kate (Lilli) but she has no intention of getting married. Despite his efforts to woo her, she refuses. She reads the card and realises that the flowers were not intended for her, and marches on-stage to hit Fred mid performances. She threatens to leave the show, but Fred convinces her to stay so he can pay off the $10,000 gambling debt Bill has left him with. As the show continues on-stage we see Petrucio and Kate’s wedding, with the gangsters now in place to make sure that Lilli doesn’t leave the stage. Petrucio tells Kate to kiss him, but Lilli refuses and he carries her off as she beats him. The second act opens during the intermission from the performance outside of the theatre. The cast and crew lament the heat and break out into a wild dance routine. As the play then continues, Petruchio attempts to tame Kate on-stage whilst backstage Lilli’s fiancé has turned up and Lois recognises him as a past lover. Bill is upset, but Lilli tells him that she will always be faithful in her own special way.

Bill tells Lilli how dull her life will be with her new fiancé. Meanwhile, the gangsters realise that their boss has been killed so the IOU is no longer valid. They are caught on-stage in costume and deliver a rousing tribute to Shakespeare in their own special way. The conclusion of the play then takes place at the wedding of Bianca and Lucentio. Lilli arrives on-stage to deliver Kate’s final speech and reconciles with Fred as the curtain falls. Songs Kiss Me Kate (1953) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great ...

See full summary » Director: From $9.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 35 titles created 20 Feb 2013 a list of 40 titles created 29 Nov 2013 a list of 21 titles created 30 Mar 2015 a list of 35 images created 13 Dec 2015 a list of 34 titles created 1 month ago Title: Kiss Me Kate (1953) 7.2/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination. See more awards » Photos The story of the great sharpshooter Annie Oakley , who rose to fame while dealing with her love/professional rival, Frank Butler. Directors: George Sidney, Busby Berkeley Stars: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern In 1850 Oregon, when a backwoodsman brings a wife home to his farm, his six brothers decide that they want to get married too.

Director: Stanley Donen The story of Calamity Jane, her saloon, and her romance with Wild Bill Hickok. Director: David Butler 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X Billy Bigelow has been dead for fifteen years, and now outside the pearly gates, he long waived his right to go back to Earth for a day. But he has heard that there is a problem with his ... See full summary » Director: Henry King In the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the twentieth century, two young cowboys vie with an evil ranch hand and a traveling peddler for the hearts of the women they love. Director: Fred Zinnemann On a South Pacific island during World War II, love blooms between a young nurse and a secretive Frenchman who's being courted for a dangerous military mission. Director: Joshua Logan Two sailors, one naive, the other experienced in the ways of the world, on liberty in Los Angeles, is the setting for this movie musical. Director: George Sidney Three sailors on a day of shore leave in New York City look for fun and romance before their twenty-four hours are up.

Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly Stars: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett Farm family Frake, with discontented daughter Margy, head for the Iowa State Fair. On the first day, both Margy and brother Wayne meet attractive new flames; so does father's prize hog, ... See full summary » Director: Walter Lang A pretentiously artistic director is hired for a new Broadway musical and changes it beyond recognition. Director: Vincente Minnelli Harold Hill poses as a boys' band leader to con naive Iowa townsfolk. Director: Morton DaCosta A musical remake of Ninotchka: After three bumbling Soviet agents fail in their mission to retrieve a straying Soviet composer from Paris, the beautiful, ultra-serious Ninotchka is sent to ... See full summary » Director: Rouben Mamoulian Edit Storyline Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play.

A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net> See All (76) » Taglines: The Greatest of All Great MGM MUsicals... Bigger, Better Blushin-er than the famed Broadway Smash Hit See more » Genres: 26 November 1953 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)| Mono Color: Did You Know? Trivia Chorographer Hermes Pan makes an appearance as a sailor in the number "Always True to You in My Fashion." See more » Goofs Boom mic shadows very visible in scenes backstage during the performance of the show. See more » Quotes Lilli Vanessi : Do you really think *I* could play the shrew? Fred Graham : You'd make a perfect shrew! Always True to You in My Fashion (uncredited) Two excellent numbers deserve more credit.

30 April 2004 | by jshaffer-1 (United States) – See all my reviews This movie is quite the best musical of the 50's, with more plot and excellent sideplay and bits. Of these bits, my favorites are Howard Keel's rendition of "Where Is the Life that Late I Led", and Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore's clever presentation of "Brush Up Your Shakespeare". Either one could stand alone, but when added to the dancing of Ann Miller, Bob Fosse, Bobby Van and Carol Chaney, you have a real winner. Very clever and upbeat. Kathryn Grayson was never a favorite of mine, but she is acceptable as Lily, and her number "I Hate Men" is a real winner. You know, this movie has so many excellent songs that it is very hard to pick just a few. "Always True to You, Darling, in my Fashion", "Tom, Dick and Harry"--Cole Porter was at the top of his form for this movie. 11 of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes Read More "Kiss me, Kate, we shall be married o’Sunday." It’s "another opening of another show" with Kiss Me, Kate, American musical theatre’s greatest tribute to the Bard. As they try to stage a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, sparks fly on and off stage between Fred Graham, the show's director and star, and Lilli Vanessi, his leading lady—and ex-wife. Add to the mix passionate young lovers, ingénue Lois Lane and her gambler boyfriend Bill, plus a few musically inclined gangsters' heavies, and the result is a sharp and witty night with some of Cole Porter's most immortal tunes.

STC Associate Artistic Director Alan Paul, director of Man of La Mancha and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Helen Hayes Award winner) helms Kiss Me, Kate, the winner of the first ever Tony Award® for Best Musical, featuring such classic numbers as "So In Love" and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." The Performers (Tap for bio) Lilli Vanessi Kiss Me, Kate | Original 1948 | Shows | NYC | Tams-WitmarkTams Witmark Brief History Upcoming “Another Op’nin’ Another Show” welcomes you to Baltimore and to the opening of a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The cast of the play is on stage and receiving final instructions from Fred Graham, the director. A play-within-a-play unfolds, where each of the four main cast members’ onstage performance is complicated by what is happening in his offstage life. Fred takes the roles of director and male lead, Petruchio. His ex-wife Lilli, now a movie star with a reputation for being difficult to work with, plays Katharine, the shrew.

Fred’s current love interest, Lois, plays the role of Bianca, and the other man in Lois’ life, Bill, plays the role of Lucentio. Before the curtain rises on Shrew we find out that Bill has a gambling problem. He tells Lois that he signed a $10,000 IOU for a debt in Fred’s name, instead of using his own name. Not long after Lois begs Bill to stop gambling, two thugs show up at the theater to make it clear that Bill will have to make good on that IOU. But they confront Fred instead of Bill, since Fred’s name is on the gambling debt. Lois asks Bill “Why Can’t You Behave?” Fred and Lilli reminisce nostalgically about their other performances together, and their warm feelings for each other return (“Wunderbar”). When flowers sent by Fred to Lois mistakenly get delivered to Lilli, Lilli falls even more deeply in love with Fred (“So in Love”). The show begins (“We Open in Venice”). Apparently, Lucentio (Bill) may not marry his love Bianca (Lois), until Bianca’s older sister Katharine (Lilli) the shrew is married off.

Till then, Bianca enjoys flirting with her gentlemen callers (“Tom, Dick or Harry”). Fortunately for Bianca and Lucentio, Petruchio (Fred) comes to town looking for a rich wife (“I’ve Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua”), and he is not scared off by Katharine. Katharine makes her feelings clear: “I Hate Men.” Lilli finally discovers that the flowers Fred sent her were actually intended for Lois, and we hear her shriek in outrage from offstage. In “Were Thine That Special Face” Petruchio sings of his strong feelings for Katharine. Lilli threatens to walk out of the show, but is forced to stay. Fred convinces the two gangsters that he will be able to pay them the money he allegedly owes them, if they can make sure Lilli continues to play her role. The gangsters put on costumes and become part of the cast of Shrew to stay close to Lilli. Lilli uses her anger toward Fred to express herself as Katharine for the rest of the show. Fred is forced to get tough with Katharine as he plays Petruchio (“Kiss Me, Kate”).

The second act opens with “Too Darn Hot,” which gives the cast a chance to relax outside the theatre during intermission. Back at The Shrew, Petruchio marries Katharine, and already misses his relatively peaceful single life (“Where Is the Life That Late I Led?”). Lois tells Bill she’s “Always True to You (In My Fashion)” and Bill replies by singing “Bianca.” When the gangsters call their boss to ‘check in,’ they find out that the boss has been killed. This makes Bill’s IOU worthless, so the gangsters can leave. Lilli takes the opportunity to walk off the show, and leaves with her dependable fiance Harrison, as Fred reprises “So in Love.” The gangsters get caught up in the limelight (“Brush Up Your Shakespeare”). Bianca and Lucentio are finally married. As The Taming of the Shrew comes to a close, Lilli unexpectedly returns to the stage, and in Katharine’s words expresses her intention of returning to Fred (“I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple”). Lilli and Fred are reunited, and Lois and Bill are together.

KISS ME, KATE Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Sam and Bella Spewack Authors’ billing shall appear in a size not less than that afforded any other element of the production. All the Authors shall be billed in the same size of type, and no Author shall receive billing credit unless all the Authors are afforded billing credit. In the programs, the credits shall appear on the title page thereof. The title page of the program shall contain the following announcement in type size at least one-half the size of the authors’ credits: KISS ME, KATE is presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC.

560 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022 Full Instrumentation 1 Reed I: Clarinet, Alto Saxophone & Flute II 1 Reed II: Clarinet, Alto Saxophone & Bass Clarinet 1 Reed III: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Oboe & English Horn 1 Reed IV: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Flute I & Piccolo 1 Reed V: Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone & Bassoon 1 Horn 1 Guitar – Mandolin (doubles Violin) Piano-Conductor’s Score sent with rehearsal material. 1 Piano Conductor’s Score 1 Prompt Book for Director 24 Prompt Books for Cast 30 Chorus-Vocal Parts Original Cast CD, if available, is sent with perusal material. Optional Additional Materials 1 Stage Manager’s Guide (In Order of Appearance) Fred Graham – Actor, Producer, Writer Harry Trevor “Taming Of The Shrew” Players Bianca (Lois Lane) Dancing Ensemble The original Broadway production had a cast of 40, including chorus.

KISS ME, KATE played for 1,077 performances on Broadway at the New Century Theatre and for 501 performances in London at the Coliseum Theatre. The original cast included Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang. The original cast album issued in 1948 by Columbia Records had the distinction of being the very first Broadway cast recording to be issued on LP. KISS ME, KATE was revived in 1999 at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway, where it played for 881 performances starring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie, and at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, where it played for about 300 performances starring Brent Barrett and Marin Mazzie. Awards (1949) 5 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Produced Show, Best Script, Best Score and Best Costumes. Find upcoming performances near you. Step 1. Enter your location Step 2. Narrow results by distance H S T Cultural Arts ROCKVILLE, MD City of Tarpon Springs Perf. Arts Ctr.

TARPON SPRINGS, FL Shakespeare/Pop Music: Broadway - shakespeareandpopularmusic shakespeareandpopularmusic INTRODUCTION Although considered part of the classical theatrical canon today, Shakespeare's plays were an important part of the popular culture of Early Modern England. It seems only fitting that Broadway has made these plays part of popular culture again by adapting them into musicals. Very little academic research and/or writing, however, is available on this topic. In order to remedy the situation, this page has compiled a working archive of resources on Broadway musicals based on Shakespeare's plays, in the hopes that this will generate further interest and analysis. Most of the research that went into creating this page is centered on Broadway specifically, but a list of non-Broadway musicals has also been included in order to show that this phenomenon is by no means centered in one locale. To date, this archive includes the names of twenty-two Shakespearean musical productions. These productions have been produced in the United States, England, and Prague and have been performed in numerous other countries. Shakespeare's romantic comedies are the genre of play most often adapted into musical productions. Sixteen of the twenty-two productions included in this archive are based on Shakespearean romantic comedies.

The Comedy of Errors, which was the first Shakespeare play to ever be adapted into a musical, is tied with Twelfth Night for the most number of musical theatre adaptations, at four productions each (Comedy of Errors: The Boys from Syracuse, Oh, Brother! , The Bomb-itty of Errors, and Da Boyz/Twelfth Night: Play On!, Music Is, Love and Let Love, Your Own Thing), while A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet follow close behind with three different musical theatre adaptations (A Midsummer Night's Dream: Swingin' The Dream, Babes in the Wood, and The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night's Dream Disco/Hamlet: Rockabye Hamlet, The Lion King, and Hamlet The Rock Opera). Besides Hamlet, three other Shakespearean tragedies have been adapted into musicals: Romeo and Juliet (West-Side Story and Sensations), King Lear (Pop!) and Macbeth (From a Jack to a King). No evidence has been yet found of a history play having been turned into a musical. Popular music has also been appropriated by many of these productions.

Swing (The Brothers of Syracuse, Swingin' the Dream, Play On!) , Rock and Roll (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Rockabye Hamlet, Your Own Thing, From a Jack to a King and Hamlet The Rock Opera), Hip-Hop/Rap (The Bomb-itty of Errors and Da Boyz), and Reggae (The Big Life) are all examples of musical genres that have been appropriated by Broadway musicals - whose songs, incidentally, also sometimes become the stuff of popular music (Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, Lion King, and so forth). The fluid relationship between Shakespeare and popular music in Broadway productions deserves further consideration, as does the fact that many of these productions are using Shakespeare and popular music not simply to make money, but also to discuss issues of both race (Swingin' the Dream) and gender (Kiss Me Kate) or both (Play On!).

Theatre Royal Stratford East's 2005 production of The Big Life, for example, uses Reggae music and the plot-line of Love Labour's Lost to tell the historically true story of Caribbean immigrants who set sail for England in the 1950s on the SS Empire Windrush because they had been promised both jobs and a better life by the English government who very much needed their help to re-build after the war. Some of the questions that productions like The Big Life require academics to ask of themselves include: 1) Can popular music be used in musical adaptations of Shakespeare to talk-back to colonial/patriarchal imperatives and to de-centralize the hegemonic authority of Shakespeare's works? (And if so how are they able to do this? ); 2) Does the capitalist form of Broadway musical productions make it impossible to de-centralize power of any kind in these musical adaptations of Shakespeare? (And, if so, what are Shakespeare and popular music doing in these productions anyway? i.e. What purpose do they serve?). Hopefully, the information that follows below will help to stimulate interest in these questions and, perhaps, even help to generate a few more. Enjoy!

SHAKESPEARE MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS ON BROADWAY The Muppets and Christopher Reeve sing "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from Kiss Me Kate Creative Team: Music by Richard Rogers, Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Book by George Abbott. Date/Location: November 23, 1938 - June 10, 1939 at Alvin Theatre. (235 Performances). SYNOPSIS: Based on The Comedy of Errors, this is the first known musical production of one of Shakespeare's play. The play was originally devised by Roger and Hart to showcase the talents of Hart's comedian younger brother, Teddy, who looked a lot like another well-known comedian, Jimmy Savo. Both Teddy Hart and Jimmy Savo starred in the production as the twins Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. The plot is relatively faithful to Shakespeare's original (itself an adaption of a play by Plautus) and the play's score is influenced by 1930's swing music. The humour in the play, which was often sexual in nature, was critiqued at the time for being obscene.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived once off-Broadway (Theatre Four: April 15, 1963 - June 28, 1964) and once on Broadway (American Airlines Theatre: July 23, 2002 - August 18, 2002). It was also made into a movie in 1940 (Universal Studios Film) and into a television production in 1986 (Canadian Broadcast Company). In 2003 the Theatre Royal Stratford East in London premiered a hip-hop adaptation of The Boys From Syracuse called Da Boyz. Broadway Revival Info: Film Production Info: The Mamas & The Papas sing "Sing For Your Supper" from The Boys of Syracuse Documentary about 2007 Northwestern University Re-Make of The Boys from Syracuse Producer: Erik Charrell in association with Jean Rodney. Creative Team: Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, Lyrics by Eddie de Lange, Book by Gilbert Seldes and Eri Charrell. Date/Location: November 29, 1939 - December 9, 1939 at Center Theatre. (13 Performances).

SYNOPSIS: Starring Louis Armstrong as Bottom, this musical version of a Midsummer's Night Dream is set in 1890's New Orleans, where the action of the plays moves from the Governor's Mansion to the Voodoo Wood. White actors were cast in the roles of the aristocracy, whereas black actors were cast to play the roles of the fairies and mechanicals. Very little is known about the script, as only a small segment of it has survived, but the songs, similar to The Boys From Syracuse, were influenced by 1930's swing music. The segment of the script that has survived can be found at the following link: . Corrigan, Alan. "Jazz, Shakespeare, and Hybridity: A Script Excerpt from Swinging The Dream." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1 (2005). Online. Teague, Fran. "Swingin' Shakespeare from Harlem to Broadway." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1. (2005). Online. Producer: Saint Subber and Lemuel Ayers.

Creative Team: Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Bella Spewack and Samuel Spewack. Date/Location: December 30, 1948 - July 28, 1950 at New Century Theatre and July 31, 1950 - July 28, 1951 at Shubert Theatre (1077 Performances). SYNOPSIS : Featuring songs by Cole Porter, this musical adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew was nominated for (and won) six Tony Awards when it premiered on Broadway, including the award for Best Musical. Written as an attempt to mimic the new genre of the integrated musical (which was developed by Roger and Hammerstein in their musical Oklahoma!) the play features a play-within-a-play where the drama on-stage mirrors the real-life drama going on off-stage. Featuring a well-known scene, where the male protagonist, Fred Graham, turns the female protagonist, Lilli Vanessi, over his knee and spanks her in an effort to tame his un-ruly ex-wife, Kiss Me Kate has been critiqued by feminists scholars for romanticizing acts of violence towards women.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived on Broadway twice (January 8, 1952 - January 12, 1952 at Broadway Theatre and November 18, 1999 - December 30, 2001 at Martin Beck Theatre). It was also made into a film adaptation in 1953 (MGM) and was adapted twice for television, once in 1958 for Hallmark Hall of Fame and once in 1968 for the American Broadcast Company (ABC). The 1999 play revival was filmed by The Performance Company in 2003 and was presented as part of PBS' Great Performances series on February 26, 2003. Christensen, Ann C. "Petruchio's House in Postwar Surburbia: Reinventing the Domestic Woman (Again)." 17.1. (1997): 28-42. Print. William, Paul. "Breaking the Fourth Wall: 'Belascoism', Modernism, and a 3-D Kiss Me Kate." Film History. 16.3.

(2004): 229 - 242. Print. 2nd Broadway Revival Info: Film Production Info: Hallmark Hall of Fame Info: ABC Production Info: PBS Production Info: Trailer for Film Version of Kiss Me Kate (1953) Part 1 of PBS Special of 1999 Revival of Kiss Me Kate Producer: Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince. Creative Team: Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Arthur Laurents, Conceived by Jerome Robbins. Date/Location: September 26, 1957 - February 28, 1959 at Winter Garden Theatre, March 2, 1959 - May 10, 1959 at Broadway Theatre, and May 11, 1959 - June 27, 1959 at Winter Garden Theate (732 Performances). SYNOPSIS: Based on Romeo and Juliet, this play is a response to actual historical events that were going on in the United States at the time of the play's inception.

Specifically it was a response to an escalation of gang violence in New York due, in part, to widespread immigration of Puerto Ricans to New York in the 1950's. Featuring songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, this play won Best Musical at the Tony Awards in 1958. PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived four times on Broadway (April 27, 1960 - December 10, 1960 at the Winter Garden and the Alvin Theatre, April 8, 1964 - May 3, 1964 at the City Center, February 14, 1980 - November 30, 1980 Minskoff Theatre, and March 19, 2009 - Present at the Palace Theatre). It was made into a movie in 1961 (United Artists). Original Production Info: PRODUCTION INFO: Producer: Mitchell Maxwell, Eric Nederlander, Thomas Hall, Hal Luftwig, Bruce Lucker, Mike Skipper, and Victoria Maxwell. Creative Team: Book by Cheryl L. West with Songs by Duke Ellington.

Date/Location: March 20, 1997 - May 11, 1997 at Brooks Atkinson Theatre. (61 Performances.) SYNOPSIS: Set in the Magical Kingdom of Harlem in the 1940's, this adaptation of Twelfth Night tells the story of Vi, a young woman from the country who dresses up as a man upon arriving in New York to enhance her chances of gaining employment. Vi eventually gains employment with a man named Duke, who is in love with a lounge singer named Lady Liv. The play features songs written by Duke Ellington and Duke Ellington's granddaughter, Mercedes Ellington, provided the choreography for the production. PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was originally produced at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1997 before being produced on Broadway. PBS aired a performance of the play as part of its Great Performances Series in 2000. Producer: Disney Theatrical Productions. Creative Team: Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, and Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi. Date/Location: November 13, 1997 - Present at New Amsterdam Theatre and Minskoff Theatre.

SYNOPSIS: The Lion King is Julie Taymor's re-envisioning of the Disney movie by the same name, which borrows many of its plots elements from Hamlet. Besides the musical score, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, the most notable aspect of this production is Taymor's use of masks and puppets. The Lion King won the 1998 Tony Award for best musical, as well as four other Tonys for best direction, costume design, set design, lighting design and choreography. Gavin, Rosemarie. "The Lion King and Hamlet: A Homecoming for the Exiled Child." English Journal. 85.3. (1996): 55-58. Print. Modenessi, Alfredo Michel. "Disney's War Efforts: The Lion King and Education for Death, or Shakespeare Made Easy for your Apocalyptic Convenience." Ilha do Desterro: A Journal of Language and Literature. 49. (2005): 397-415. Online. (Note that a more recent version of this essay has been published in Apocalyptic Shakespeares, eds. Caroline Jess Cook and Melissa Croteau.

Jefferson N.C and London: McFarland Publishers, 2009: 181-196. Print). The essay focuses primarily on the film. Wickstrom, Maurya. "Commodities, Mimesis, and The Lion King: Retail Theatre for the 1990's." Theatre Journal. 51.2. (1999): 285-299. Print. Part 1 of Documentary About the Making of the Lion King Other Productions Original Production Info: Oh, Brother! is based on The Comedy of Errors. November 10, 1981 - November 11, 1981 at ANTA Playhouse. Original Production Info: SHAKESPEARE MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS OFF BROADWAY Off-Broadway 1. As You Like It based on As You Like It. October 27, 1964 - October 27, 1964 at Lucille Lortel Theatre. Production Info: 2. Babes in the Wood based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.

December 28, 1964 - February 7, 1965 at Orpheum Theatre. Production Info: 3. Love and Let Love based on Twelfth Night. January 03, 1968 - January 14, 1968 at Sheridan Square Playhouse. Production Info: 4. Your Own Thing based on Twelfth Night. January 13, 1968 - April 5, 1970 at Orpheum Theatre. Production Info: 5. Sensations based on Romeo and Juliet. October 25, 1970-November 8, 1970 at Theatre Four. Production Info: 6. Pop! based on King Lear. April 3, 1974 - April 3, 1974 at Players Theatre. Production Info: 7. Return to the Forbidden Planet based on The Tempest. October 13, 1971 - April 26, 1992 at Variety Arts Theatre. Production Info: 8. The Donkey Show: A Midsummer's Night Disco based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.

April 18, 1999 - July 16, 2005. Production Info: 9. The Bomb-itty of Errors based on The Comedy of Errors. December 12, 1999 - June 18, 2000 at 45 Bleecker/Bleecker Street Theatre. Production Info: and Rap Prologue to The Bomb-Itty of Errors West-End 1. From a Jack to a King based on Macbeth at Boulevard Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre (1992). 2. Da Boyz based on The Comedy of Errors at Theatre Royal Stratford East (2003). 3. The Big Life based on Love's Labour Lost at Theatre Royal Stratord East (2005). Scene from The Big Life at Theatre Royal Stratford East (2005) Elsewhere 1. Hamlet The Rock Opera based on Hamlet at the Kalich Theatre in Prague (1999). Interview with Jared Ledecky Creator of Hamlet The Rock Opera Hamlet The Rock Opera in Czech Hamlet The Rock Opera in English Christensen, Ann C.

"Petruchio's House in Postwar Surburbia: Reinventing the Domestic Woman (Again)." 17.1. (1997): 28-42. Print. This article discusses the 1953 film adaptation of "Kiss Me Kate" in relation to the re-domestication of women in post-war American suburbia. After the war, women who worked in factories were forced to vacate their positions for returning soldiers. They were expected, in turn, to marry these soldiers and because suburban housewives. Corrigan, Alan. "Jazz, Shakespeare, and Hybridity: A Script Excerpt from Swinging The Dream." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1 (2005). Online. This article includes a script excerpt from a little known musical adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" starring Louis Armstrong in the role of Bottom. The production only lasted for thirteen performances and most of the script has not survived. Along with the script excerpt, the essay also contains embedded mp3 clips of some of the songs from the show as well as photos of the production. Negron-Munater, Frances.

"Feeling Pretty: West Side Story and Puerto Rican Identity Discourses." Social Text.18.2. (2000): 83-106. Print. This article problematizes the depiction of the Puerto Rican immigrant community of New York in the film version of "West Side Story." The article discusses the fact that the play's creators did very little research before devising the production and that Stephen Sondheim at first was opposed to the idea because he felt that he could not relate to the experiences of the characters that he was writing about. Miller, D. "West Side Story." Theatre Journal. 61.3. (2009): 479-481. Print This is a scholarly review of the 2009 Broadway revival of "West Side Story," which attempted to deal with some of the criticisms against the original work by casting actors of Puerto Rican descent in the roles of the Puerto Rican characters and by translating some of the play's lyrics into Spanish. Sanders, Julie. Shakespeare and Music: Afterlives and Borrowings. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. Print.

Julie Sanders' book is an excellent introduction to anyone interested not only in musical adaptations of Shakespeare on Broadway, but also Shakespeare and popular music throughout history. It contains chapters/information on Shakespeare and Jazz Music, Shakespeare and Classical Music, Shakespeare and the Ballet, Shakespeare and Film Scores/Movie Songs, Shakespeare and the Opera, and Shakespeare and Musicals. Most of the information she provides is simply factual. There is very little attempt by Sanders at deeper analysis and she analyzes Shakespeare films with musical numbers and musical adaptations of Shakespeare together which is confusing and also a little bit naive. Nevertheless, if you do not know much about the topic and are interested in learning more, this is a good place to start. Teague, Frances. Shakespeare and the American Popular Stage. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. This is a fascinating and well researched book that mainly focuses on American musical adaptations of Shakespeare. It also provides information about Shakespeare on the American popular stage before the invention of the stage musical. Especially interesting is Teague's discussion of the use of Shakespeare in Vaudeville and how this inclusion of the high-brow into the low-brow highlights societal tensions that were created in America by the rise of the middle-class.

Teague, Fran. "Swingin' Shakespeare from Harlem to Broadway." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1. (2005). Online. This essay contains a plot outline of the Broadway musical "Play On!", which premiered on Broadway in1997 after enjoying a more successful run at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. As well as an outline of the script, the essay contains photos and embedded mp3 tracks from the musical, which appropriates the music of Duke Ellington to score the story of a young woman named Vi, who travels to the Magical Kingdom of Harlem in the 1940's looking for work. The essay also, briefly, compares the 1997 production of "Play On!" to the 1939 production of "Swingin' the Dream," which starred Louis Armstrong in the role of Bottom and actually used the talents of swing/jazz musicians from the Harlem Renaissance. William, Paul. "Breaking the Fourth Wall: 'Belascoism', Modernism, and a 3-D Kiss Me Kate." Film History. 16.3. (2004): 229 - 242. Print.

According to the abstract, this article "focuses on the effect of the 3-D motion picture "Kiss Me Kate" directed by George Sidney, released in 1953, had on the motion picture industry." William states that this is one of the last films to be produced using the old stereoscopic process of 3D films, which was originally designed to increase audience participation with the media but which eventually became a commercial gimmick used rarely in the film industry (Note: This article was written before the release of "Avatar" ). LINKS This website is a "peer-reviewed, online, multimedia Shakespeare journal" (website) and is also a great resource for anyone interested in the study of Shakespeare and Popular Music. As well as containing articles on musical adaptations of Shakespeare's works, issues of the journal (which are all archived online) contain articles on Shakespeare and Jazz, Shakespeare and Rap, and Shakespeare and Country Music. This is the official website of "Hamlet The Rock Opera" which is a musical that was developed and written (both book, music, and lyrics) by Czech composer Janek Ledecky.

In 1999, the musical opened in Prague in the brand new Kalich Theatre (which was built specifically for the play). It was a huge success, running for 650 performances. "Hamlet The Rock Opera" has since been produced in Slovakia, in Korea, and in the United States (in translation). The website contains information in English on the play's history, design, music, and author, as well as photos, music clips and video clips from the production. This is the official website of PBS's "Great Performances Series," which is a "continuing primetime performance on showcase on American television" that "bring the best in the performing arts across America and around the world to a US [and Canadian] television audience" (website). On February 26, 2003 "Great Performances" aired a filmed version of the 1999 Broadway revival of "Kiss Me Kate." Information about this television performance, the 1999 Broadway revival, and the original production of "Kiss Me Kate" can be found at this website, which also includes information for educators and an Encyclopedia of Composers and Songwriters.

This is the official website of the musical "The Bomb-itty of Errors," which has enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway (1999), as well as successful production in Chicago, London, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This website contains information on the play's authors and current productions, as well as video clips, photos, and reviews. This is an excellent information for anyone interested in the study of Broadway musicals. This website allows users to search for information by show, people, organizations, theatres, or season and contains on producers, locations (theatre spaces), production runs, revivals, awards, cast and crew lists, song lists, and musical recordings for original Broadway productions. The website search engine, however, is not as intelligent as Google is so be careful of your spelling when you try to look up a production. This is IMDB website that most internet users are familiar with. It is useful for gaining just the basic information (name of director, cast, release dates etc.) of film productions that are based on Shakespeare musicals or to look up basic information about film productions in general.

This website allows users to look up similar information that they would be able to look up in The Internet Broadway database but for off-Broadway productions (in New York) instead. This website contains the same issues with its search engine that was mentioned above for the Internet Broadway Database. This is the official website of The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, where the musical "Play On!" was first produced before it was produced on Broadway in 1999. The website is mainly used as a forum for ticket-sales, but it does contain minimal information about past productions under its History webpage. This is the official website of Theatre Royal Stratford East (in London, England) which has produced two recent musical adaptations of Shakespeare's works, "Da Boys" based on "The Comedy of Errors" in 2003 and "The Big Life" based on "Love's Labour Lost" in 2005. The website contains no information of the first production in its online archive (which only goes back to 2004), but the online archive does contain a brief synopsis of "The Big Life." Much like the website of The Old Globe Theatre, however, this website is also mainly a vehicle for ticket-sales to current productions.

LESSON PLANS For information on how to teach Shakespeare to students by having them develop their own musical production of a Shakespearean text, click on Lesson Plans - Broadway for more information. This page contains three lesson plans (one for Language Arts, one for Music, and one for Drama) that are designed to introduce Grade 6 students to Romeo and Juliet. They can easily be adapted, however, to teach other plays or grade levels. All lesson plans on this website are based on the curriculum guidelines developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Question: Which Shakespeare play was the musical Kiss Me Kate based on
Answer: The Taming Of The Shrew