Bella Spewack News

The Old Globe will celebrate its 80th Anniversary as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration with a 2015 Summer Season featuring Shakespeare onstage and in film. 2014 Tony Award winner for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and former Old Globe Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak returns to direct the spectacular musical classic Kiss Me, Kate, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Sam and Bella Spewack, and choreography by Peggy Hickey, in association with Hartford Stage.

Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate is a timeless, delightful musical romp that can be seen again and again. It's an overblown, joyous account of two egotistical actors, once married to each other, who adore one another but just cannot be around each other very long without catastrophic, calamitous results. It's also a play within a play, as Lilli Vanessi (Merle Dandridge) and Fred Graham (Wayne Brady) are on tour essaying Katharine and Petruchio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Above all, the silly contrived story is overshadowed by Cole Porter's divine score with some of the most glorious tunes ever composed. Kiss Me Kate is a showcase to Porter's genius. The current revival at Pasadena Playhouse, although not any better than any of the other local revivals as of late, does boast the comical presence of Wayne Brady and the stunning talent of Merle Dandridge..

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, which opened earlier this and runs through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street). Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the cast in action!

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, which opened last night, June 16, and runs through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street). Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look back at the opening night celebrations!

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, presents the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, to be presented today, June 11 through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street).

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, has announced the creative team for the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, to be presented today, June 11 through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street).

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, has announced casting for the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, to be presented June 11 through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street).

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, has announced the creative team for the company's 20th Anniversary Season opener - Kiss Me, Kate, to be presented June 11 through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street).

At a press conference held at Barrington Stage Company's Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, Artistic Director Julianne Boyd announced the theater's 20th Anniversary 2014 season of musicals and plays that will take place in downtown Pittsfield in the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, St. Germain Stage and Youth Theatre venues in 2014.

This hilarious and touching story is perfect for the whole family and plays in the Historic Arcade Theatre Dec. 6-22 with four nearly sold out preview performances on Dec. 3-5.

Kiss Me Kate/book by Sam & Bella Spewack/music & lyrics by Cole Porter/directed by Richard Israel/Cabrillo Music Theatre, Thousand Oaks/through October 27

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone the show runs thru November 3, 2013, starring Jeannie Shubitz as KATE /LILLI. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Shubitz onstage below!

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone, the show runs now through November 3, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone, the show will run tonight, September 12 - November 3, 2013.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, has announced two productions for the theater's 20th Anniversary Season - Kiss Me, Kate the musical comedy masterpiece by composer Cole Porter and authors Sam and Bella Spewack and the world premiere romantic comedy Dancing Lessons by Mark St. Germain.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents Kiss Me Kate with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack. Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan with Musical Direction by Leo P Carusone, the show will run September 12 - November 3, 2013.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and Boston Landmarks Orchestra will present a concert version of Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate with Broadway's Marc Kudisch* as Fred Graham/Patruchio and Kerry O'Malley* as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine. Steven Maler, Founding Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and Associate Artistic Director, Adam Sanders, will direct with Boston Landmark Orchestra's Music Director Christopher Wilkins, conducting. The free event will be held tonight, August 21st at 7:00PM at DCR's Hatch Shell on the Esplanade.

Cole Porter's songs are justifiably classic, both the tunes that relate to the backstage story and the numbers for the show within the show, and this company has the voices to put them over sensationally.