Theater Review: A Broadway Kiss Me Kate for the #MeToo Era

Kiss Me, Kate

Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter

Book by Bella and Samuel Spewack

Directed by Scott Ellis

Starring Kelli O’Hara

Studio 54

June 25, 2019

The only reason Kiss Me, Kate (1949) is no longer revived much by major theater companies is its problematic man-woman power relationships, which now seem dated and a little offensive in the era of the #MeToo movement. Cole Porter’s ingenious musical fuses a backstage plot involving romantic and sexual tension between two actor ex-spouses with their play-in-a-play musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Both plots climax to scenes demonstrating woman’s acquiescence to men, while acknowledging that both sexes are flawed. In Shakespeare, the independently unmanageable Kate eventually famously places her hand under her husband’s boot (after his emotional abuse and manipulation), and in the backstage musical Lilli reunites with and submits to her shallow ex-husband. This is awkward in 2019. The plot resolutions aside, this musical is otherwise a wonder, mixing Porter’s timeless songs with literate lyrics unmatched except by Stephen Sondheim years later with a witty book. Porter (below) uses words to express the era’s repressed sexuality: in a song about Italian women one actor rhapsodizes about the hot Lisa, who “gives new meaning to the leaning tower of Pisa”. So is this show worth saving for our generation? Yes--it’s to the credit of the director and producers of this Broadway version that the anachronistic sexual politics became largely irrelevant, allowing us to enjoy this show for all of its strengths.

This was done, as in the current Bartlett Sher My Fair Lady, by using a few key word changes, but mostly with acting emphasis. Lilli, who plays Kate in the play-in-a-play, was portrayed by the fantastic Tony awardee Kelli O’Hara. She brought strength, wit, and nuance to her role, and the ending reunion with her husband felt less like submission than a negotiated merger. Yes, there were word changes to her ending song: “I am Ashamed that Women are so Simple” became “ I am Ashamed that People are so Simple”, but this sort of thing is done all the time these days to plays like The Taming of the Shrew, without undue damage to the play. Ms. O’Hara’s performance made the most out of a role that is mainly written to show Lilli chasing after a pompous Washington general, then returning to her costar and ex-husband Fred. He is really no catch, other than being a famous matinee idol. 

His insecurities and pomposity set up Lilli’s scathing rendition of “I Hate Men”, punctuated by views of crude drunk guys in another room. Ms. O’Hara’s versions of the classics “Wunderbar” and “So in Love”, and above all her comic coloratura evocation of Lucia di Lammermoor (but with gangsters shooting a warbling bird at the aria’s climax) reminded me that there is a role for real vocal pipes on Broadway amidst all the current airy-voiced balladeers. The egocentric and somewhat vapid ex-husband Fred (played by Will Chase) mostly displays Broadway leading man-stereotypes reminiscent of the old “juvenile” pretty boy male leads in Busby Berkeley musicals, and Mr. Chase did not add much in his performance. Why would the substantial Lilli want so much to reunite with this guy? I suppose this is the risk of strengthening Lilli’s role so much. I enjoyed Stephanie Styles in the character role of Lois Lane (and Bianca in Shrew), the sort of perky, dancing, promiscuous soubrette role made famous by Musetta in La Boheme. Her high energy dancing in “Any Tom, Dick, or Harry”, bouncing off three men, was a classic 1940-50’s style number. Another dancing highlight was Corbin Bleu’s upside down tapdancing (while grabbing a stairway railing) in the exciting “Too Darn Hot” second act opener, which begins with laconic griping about the summer heat, then turns into a boiling cauldron of jazz and tap dance.

It was nice to hear a genuine small orchestra, with four strings, four woodwinds, four brass, percussion and piano. It almost evoked the good old days of a full pit orchestra at big Broadway shows (but not quite). Amplification was mostly non-distracting, and sets were traditional. Set changes were crisp, and things moved along well. The classic burlesque number “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” by the two gangsters was a little prolonged, but fun (and who can resist “if she says your behavior is heinous, kick her right in the Coriolanus”). I really appreciated the producers and director figuring out a way to make this funny, entertaining musical politically workable for our era. Cole Porter’s lyrics and music deserve to be heard, and if the rather minor changes to some songs are what this takes, it is worth the effort, even at the risk of offending some purists.