Kiss Me, Kate
Paper Mill Playhouse
Millburn, NJ
Writers Sam and Bella Spewack earned the first Tony ever awarded for Best Book of a Musical. And Cole Porter’s score is superb—a succession of delights: “Another Op’nin’ Another Show” (one of the best opening numbers you’ll find anywhere—and then Porter came up with something equally effective—”Too Darn Hot”—to open Act Two); the sultry “Why Can’t You Behave;” the pseudo Viennese-waltz, “Wunderbar;” the romantic “So in Love;” the archly witty “Always True to You in My Fashion;” the commanding “Where is the Life that Late I Led?” In terms of melodic richness, variety, humor and inventiveness, Porter was in peak form. And if that weren’t enough, the last number he wrote for the musical, ”Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” turned out to be a comic show-stopper. This show remains a joy.
This is a respectable revival, with a solid ensemble cast, including Mike McGowan, Michelle Ragusa, Amanda Watkins, Eugene Fleming, Gordon Joseph Weiss, and William Ryall. And the full-sized orchestra gets a satisfyingly sumptuous sound.
Minor flaws? At times when I wanted the acting to be a bit broader; the performances by the two leads should ideally be larger than life (they are acceptably life-sized); it serves the interests of the script if they are more like preening divas. The characters are a couple who star together in shows and argue with flair offstage. The show works better the more clearly we see just how large both of their egos are.
While the score boasts an extraordinary number of very strong songs, it also includes a few merely functional ones, including the forgettable title song which closes both acts. The show generates so much momentum, you barely notice the occasional drop-off in energy. And Patti Columbo’s dance numbers—wait till you see “Too Darned Hot”—are a treat.
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
May 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org