Kiss Me, Kate!
Music by Cole Porter
Book by Sam and Bella Spewack
Kiss Me, Kate is the Tony Award winning musical comedy that reinvigorated American composer and songwriter Cole Porter’s career with its ridiculous Shakespearean antics and a score of witty, hummable hits.
A play within a play, where passions run high as leading lady, Lilli Vanessi, and her ex-husband, actor/director Fred Graham, clash onstage and off in a musical production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. On opening night, the rekindling of their affection is complicated by misguided flirtations and romantic discord, gambling debts, singing gangsters, and other enjoyable backstage shenanigans.
Kiss Me, Kate combines the irreverent humour of four magnificent writers: William Shakespeare, Sam and Bella Spewack (Tony Award for Best Author – Musical, 1948) and Cole Porter (Tony Award for Best Musical, 1948) with memorable musical numbers including “So In Love,” “Wunderbar,” “Tom, Dick or Harry,” “Too Darn Hot,” “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” “I Hate Men,” “Always True to You (In My Fashion)” and “Another Op’nin, Another Show.”
“Kiss Me, Kate” is presented by arrangement with ORiGiN™ Theatrical on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC, A Concord Theatricals Company.
Cast
Fred Graham (Petruccio) – Ian Woolford
Lilli Vanessi (Katherine) – Lauren Lee Innis-Youren
Bill Calhoun (Lucentio) – Jarrod Ferguson
Lois Lane (Bianca) – Madeleine Magetti
First Gangster – Michael Capon
Second Gangster – Lydia Klimek
Harry Trevor (Baptista) – Stephen Headey
Hattie – Susan Hurley
Paula – Alyssa Sorgiovanni
Rae, Stage Manager of The Shrew – Anna Castle
Pops, Stage Doorman of The Shrew – Hannah Sleeth
Harrison Howell – Philip Liberatore
Gremio, in The Shrew – Holly Haines
Hortensio, in The Shrew – Melissa Hill
Featured Dancers
Lauren Stannard (Dance Captain), Holly Haines, Melissa Hill, Liliana Braumberger, Kate Whitehead, Sarah Hollins, Rianna Shoemaker, Nicole Rotenstein, Kate Strickland, Estelle Lipovetsky, Dana Strickland, Aysha Holmes.
Ensemble
Andrew McGrail, Ariella Berton, Bonnie Hodge, Chelsea Homan, John Kalygyros, Kathleen Judge, Kathryn Adams, Ken Knight, Kevin Yap, Marcel Haj, Robyn Pidcock, Roselyn Kho, Sam Hargreaves, Sara Dimech-Betancourt, Sarah Berry.
Kiss Me, Kate creatives list
Director – Patrick Hill
Musical Director – Trevor Henley
Choreographer – Denique Adlam
Assistant Director – Ben Klein
Assistant Musical Director – Liam Krebs
Assistant Choreographer – Kate Whitehead
Production Manager – Andrew McGrail
Stage Manager – Deana Jacobs
PERFORMANCES
5 Performances at the Alexander Theatre
Ian Potter Centre for the Arts
Monash University
48 Exhibition Walk, Clayton 3800
Thursday 2nd May 2024, 7:30pm
Friday 3rd May 2024, 7:30pm
Saturday 4th May 2024, 2pm
Saturday 4th May 2024, 7:30pm
Sunday 5th May 2024, 2pm
Interview of Director Patrick Hill, and Lauren Lee Innis-Youren (Lilli/Katherine) on 3MBS Arts Weekly by Julie Houghton on 27/04/2024
