by Dancin' Dan
“I hate men,” sings Kelli O’Hara in the Roundabout Theater Company’s revival of Kiss Me, Kate, and the audience applauds in agreement. It may be a bit counterintuitive, but right now feels like exactly the right time to revive this golden age musical, about a formerly married, constantly bickering couple starring in a musical version of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. It's the right time to go to the theater and see a farce where a woman gives as good as she gets from a powerful, abusive man. And Scott Ellis’s sparkling revival delivers, with a little bit of help from some “additional script material” by Amanda Green, and a lot of help from its dynamite leading lady.
This is the best Kelli O’Hara has been since her performance as Nellie Forbush in Bartlett Sher’s 2008 revival of South Pacific...
She feels much more comfortable with comedy than she ever has before, and clearly relishes being able to play a firebrand of a character. Her singing voice has never sounded lovelier or livelier than singing Cole Porter’s magnificent score, one of the most perfect collections of songs ever written for a musical (“So In Love”, “Another Op’nin’, Another Show”, “Wunderbar”, “I Hate Men”... and that’s only some of what Ms. O’Hara gets to sing in Act One).
Her Lilli Vanessi is a land mine ready to go off at any moment - step on her, and watch out. But in O’Hara’s hands, Lilli never comes across as, well, a shrew. Her every interaction with a man feels like a waiting game, waiting for the moment when his honey will turn to vinegar, when his adoration will turn to possessiveness, when his disappointment will turn to anger. This is a woman who has been burned too many times, which makes her settling for a high-ranking general (this revival has kept John Guare’s script changes from the 1999 revival), who lives by order and chivalry, make sense. But Lilli is also sharp as a tack, and she needs a partner who can match her in a war of words.
Thankfully, her sparring partner is played by Will Chase, who does comic vanity better than anyone. Though he has some trouble with the range of the songs, Chase gives an hysterical performance of masculine braggadocio, skewering every man who has ever thought his swagger was all he needed to get his way. His scenes with O’Hara when they are performing the show-within-the-show are some of the funniest seen on a stage in months and months.
As the second set of lovers in the show, Corbin Bleu and Stephanie Styles are not quite as well-matched in terms of chemistry, but they breathe new life into their somewhat hokey characters. Bleu gets some fantastic dance showcases, including tap dancing upside down during one of the show’s lesser numbers, “Bianca”. And Styles steals the show with her wonderfully off-kilter line readings and personality-filled singing voice. Her “Always True to You in My Fashion” is a spectacular highlight.
But the best reason to see this Kiss Me, Kate (other than the gorgeous score and whip-smart book) is the choreography by Warren Carlyle. The current style of overly athletic, more-is-more choreography that has been dominating Broadway for the past few years is nowhere to be seen here, favoring instead a classic style that is in keeping with the overall feel of the production. There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout the virtuoso dancing of the three suitors to Bianca in the show-within-the-show’s “Tom, Dick or Harry”, there’s Corbin Bleu’s aforementioned fantastic tap showcase in “Bianca”, and most importantly, there is the Act Two opener, “Too Darn Hot”. One of the greatest ensemble showcases of the golden age, Carlyle’s vision is an explosion of joy and sexiness in the heat of the Baltimore summer. Featured performer James T. Lane is a magnetic presence, always drawing your eye with his infectious smile and come-hither eyes. Everyone gets a chance to shine, and when the ensemble collapses into a pile of sweaty bodies at the end, you’ll do the exact opposite - stand and applaud.
The show as a whole could have used some more of the sexiness on display in “Too Darn Hot”, frankly. While the air crackles with energy, there’s more warmth than heat. Both O’Hara’s and Chase’s takes on “So In Love” sell you on the fact that their characters are meant to be together, but while they’re full of romance, there’s a distinct lack of sex, despite Porter’s famously racy lyrics. But that doesn’t mar this fantastically appointed production much. It's staged with cleverness, energy, and polish throughout, proving that Kiss Me, Kate is more timeless than we may have previously thought.
Tony Awards?
Even in a good year for musicals, this would be a sure big player. In this weaker year, who knows how far it will go? Best Musical Revival, Leading Actress, Leading Actor, Featured Actress, and Choreography feel like sure things, with Director, Lighting Design, Featured Actor, Costumes, and Orchestrations also possible.