Kate is a sharp-tongued shrew. Petruchio is the
self-absorbed essence of machismo. The fun in Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the
Shrew,” and Cole Porter’s musical updating of the comedy, is watching the two
battle each other, a battle that, if it is to work, must be of equals.
Unfortunately, in the Summer Theatre of New Canaan’s pleasant production of
Porter’s first true “book” musical, Kate, as played by a fiery Mary McNulty, is
totally up to the task and is ready to take on all comers. David Sattler, as Petruchio,
is blessed with a marvelous voice but, alas, wouldn’t win a swordfight (or a
wrestling match) with the head-strong Kate. He tames her, because that’s what
the script calls for, but I wonder how many people in the preview audience
actually bought into this?
There's a lot to like about this production, starting with
McNulty's performance. However, as directed by Allegra Libonati, it seems to
lack a central focus. This may be that the show has yet to “set” – in other
words, the actors are still finding their ways into their characters. As the
run proceeds, focus may be sharpened. It may also be an inherent problem with
the show’s book, written by Sam and Bella Spewack, which was given a refined
reworking by screenwriter Dorothy Kingsley for the 1953 MGM film (she focused
on the Lilli-Fred story and used Shakespeare’s play as an extension).
Basically, this is a play within a play format, for we have
a troupe of actors set to perform Shakespeare's comedy in Baltimore – so we
have the storyline of Petruchio attempting to woo Kate while Bianca (Rachel Maclsaac),
Kate's younger sister, is more than eager to marry and Kate's father, Baptista
(Bradley Mott) is desperate to get Kate off his hands. Then there's the second
story, for the actors playing Kate (a.k.a. Lilli) and Petruchio (a.k.a. Fred)
were once married and are, to say the least, antagonistic, while the actress
playing Bianca is being romanced by Bill (Tim Falter – who also plays
Lucentio). Bill has a gambling problem and is in debt to a mobster who sends
his two henchmen to the theater to collect on the debt. The only problem is,
Bill signed Fred's name to the IOU. The two storylines interweave, with a happy
resolution to both.
Porter's score is luscious and lyrical, although some of the
numbers seem to be force-fed into the show, chief among them the second act
opener, “Too Darn Hot.” It's a great set-piece well-choreographed by Doug
Shankman, but it has little or nothing to do with advancing the plot of the
musical. There's also a certain split-personality feel to “We Open in Venice” –
the characters are in “Shrew” costumes but their lament deals with the drudgery
of a troupe on tour, but Kate, Petruchio, Bianca and Lucentio aren't actors and
aren’t on tour. All one can do is not question the logic of the number, just
sit back and enjoy the performances.
Other numbers are not head-scratchers, especially “Brush Up
Your Shakespeare,” a duet by the two gangsters, played by Brett Alters and
Brian Stillman, who get involved in the Shakespeare production and become
reluctant thespians. It's witty and evokes a vaudeville style that is always a
crowd-pleaser.
There are some production decisions (an observer never
really knows who has made them) that are peas under the princess's bed. The
first is having Maclsaac play Bianca as if she is Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls”
(all indications are that she would be great in the role). The “Nu Yawk” accent
works when she's playing Lois, but it's off-putting when she's supposed to be a
winsome maid in Padua. Then there's some lighting decisions (apparently made by
lighting designer Devon Allen but, then again…) that are confusing, chief among
them the scene in which Lilli/Kate reads a note that accompanied flowers she
thought were sent to her by Fred but were actually intended for another.
Reading this note drives a lot of the animosity in the second act, so it's
important, but McNulty is blocked extreme stage right and is almost in shadow –
for those not familiar with the musical, Kate/Lilli's subsequent actions might
seem a bit unmotivated. There are other moments when lighting cues seem just a
bit off, but these will probably be ironed out as the run progresses.
STONC’s “Kiss Me Kate” is certainly a pleasant way to spend
a summer's evening. Backed by 11 musicians (a fairly large orchestra for a
local theater), the cast is eager and engaging, and there are moments that
can't help but bring a smile to the face. It's scheduled for a one-month run,
so one can only suppose that focus will be sharpened (perhaps via director's
notes) and minor technical problems resolved. If nothing else, the Cole Porter
score is worth the price of admission, since it offers such classics as
“Wundebar,” “So in Love,” the delightful “I Hate Men” and the saucy “Always
True to You in My Fashion.”
“Kiss Me Kate” runs through
July 29. For tickets or more information call 203-966-4634 or go to
www.stonc.org
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