THEATRICAL THROWBACK THURSDAY: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Opens On Broadway

By: May. 07, 2015
THEATRICAL THROWBACK THURSDAYS
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Today we are revisiting one of Kander & Ebb's most awarded musicals in honor of its opening more than 20 years ago this week, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.

Dear One

Based on Manuel Puig's Argentinian novel of the same name, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN has one of the most unusual production histories of any musical in history, largely owing to the fact that it was originally first presented as part of the SUNY Purchase New Musicals program in 1990, directed by Harold Prince and choreographed by Susan Stroman, starring Kevin Gray, John Rubinstein and Lauren Mitchell. While the program at the arts university was initially intended to be a four-year experiment in which 16 new musicals were to be workshopped - eventual Tony-winner THE SECRET GARDEN among them - only a handful ever ended up actually coming to fruition, largely as a result of the controversy ascribed to the first production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. As history would have it, the Purchase-based out of town workshop production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was reviewed and subsequently panned in The New York Times by top theatre critic Frank Rich against the wishes of the production team and the New Musicals program, prompting the creative team to re-examine the material over the next several years.

Next, the tangled web of the musical's history became even more labyrinth due to the involvement of uber producer Garth Drabinsky, who shepherded the show to an eventual West End and Broadway opening in 1992 and 1993, respectively - keeping two sets of books and running wildly over budget all the while, as would later be revealed in the earth-shattering legal case that led to his imprisonment and disbarment, only being released from prison recently. Premiering first in the West End with iconic leading lady Chita Rivera in the title role, the new musical was heavily retooled and revised for its UK bow following the Purchase run, showcasing leads Anthony Crivello and Brent Carver alongside the dynamite diva at the center of the fantasy-flecked tale of two prisoners who come to intimately understand one another in the worst circumstances imaginable. Prince directed once again, with choreography by Vincent Patterson and Rob Marshall, and the production received several Laurence Olivier Award nominations that year, while also taking home the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.

Six months later, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was previewing on Broadway and a clear frontrunner for top honors in the awards season of 1993, reaping Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical, Best Featured Actor and Best Actress In A Musical. Then, when the Tony Awards rolled around the next month, in a heated competition with THE WHO'S TOMMY (which incidentally played across the street), KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN took home not only Best Musical, but also Best Actress In A Musical, Best Actor In A Musical (Carver), Best Featured Actor In A Musical (Crivello), Best Book (Terrence McNally), Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz) and, in a rare tie, Kander & Ebb for Best Score (along with TOMMY's Pete Townshend). Running for more than two years on the Great White Way, the musical hit boasted a bevy of showstopping stars in the lead role following Rivera's run, as well, including Vanessa Williams, Carol Lawrence and Maria Conchita Alonzo, with Bebe Neuwirth eventually also essaying the part in the West End. And, now Kander & Ebb are back on Broadway in a big way thanks to their final musical collaboration, THE VISIT, starring none other than their favorite diva and iconic interpreter Chita Rivera herself. Will THE VISIT reap similar Tony glory to KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN? Tune in June 7 to find out for sure!

Now, go back to 1993 Tony Awars to see what all the fuss was about for SPIDER WOMAN - and Chita.

What is your absolute favorite element of the poetic and powerful KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN? Furthermore, what major leading lady and talented male twosome would you like to see in the leading roles of the musical in the future? With a show this strong, a score this memorable and parts this juicy, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is a web worth getting caught up in again and again.


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