Based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
100-year-old actress Patricia Morison, who originated the role of 'Kate' in Broadway's KISS ME KATE, and took over the role of Anna in the 1954 Rodgers and Hammerstein production of THE KING AND I, shared a special performance of 'Shall We Dance' in honor of her fellow Anna, Kelli O'Hara.
2015 HELPMANN AWARDS ***THIS ARTICLE WILL BE UPDATED LIVE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY 2015***
The brand new production of the beloved musical HIGH SOCIETY presented by Hayes Theatre Co from the 4th of September, today announced the full cast and that the season will be extended - now running until Saturday 3 October.
Tonight, the countdown to the 2015 HELPMANN AWARDS began with the announcement of the 2015 HELPMANN AWARDS Nominees.
Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston continues its 47th consecutive summer season with the hilariously entertaining Kiss Me, Kate, from July 9-19, 2015 at the Robinson Theatre (617 Lexington St. Waltham, MA, 02452). Starring Broadway couple Sarah Pfisterer as Lilli Vanessi/Kate (The Phantom of the Opera, Reagle's My Fair Lady) and Rick Hilsabeck as Fred Graham/Petruchio (Billy Elliot, Reagle's My Fair Lady), Cole Porter's hilarious musical recounts the madcap backstage and onstage antics of two feuding couples during a production of The Taming of the Shrew. Reagle will close out its summer season from August 6-16 with Wonderful Town, starring Katie Anne Clarke and Jennifer Ellis. Individual tickets range from $35 to $63; season subscriptions and group tickets are available at a discount. Tickets can be purchased at www.reaglemusictheatre.com, by calling 781-891-5600, or at the theater box office.
Happy Birthday, Cole Porter! Porter's many musicals include Fifty Million Frenchmen, DuBarry Was a Lady, Anything Goes and Can-Can, and his numerous hit songs include 'Night and Day', 'I Get a Kick out of You', 'Well, Did You Evah!' and 'I've Got You Under My Skin'. 1948's Kiss Me Kate was his most successful show, running for 1,077 performances in its original Broadway run. The production won the Tony Award for best musical (the first Tony awarded in that category), and Porter won for best composer and lyricist.
The Lusty Month of May; like the song says: 'It's time to do a wicked thing or two!' It's May, the time when spring brings that hot-blooded, four letter word: lust. Musicals have had a steady history of lusty musical numbers. There are songs about rolling in the hay, and others extolling the virtues of different (ahem) flavors of man-candy. Some songs are paens to hot, steamy nights, and some are about what you do on those kind of nights.
'If music be the food of love, play on.' Even before the invention of the musical comedy (more on that later), William Shakespeare knew the importance of music in telling stories on stage. For our March feature, my colleague Jeff Walker and I thought that instead of marking the Ides of March with songs about murder, betrayal, and fate, we would focus on the synergy between showtunes and Shakespeare.
Four classic movie musicals are coming to Blu-ray today!
The Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director Sheldon Epps and Executive Director Elizabeth Doran) presents A CONVERSATION WITH PATRICIA MORISON, a 100th Birthday Celebration, on Sunday, March 15, 2015. This special event, honoring Broadway legend Patricia Morison (the original star of KISS ME, KATE) four days before her 100th birthday, takes place from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at The University Club of Pasadena at 175 North Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.
Kiss Me Kate -- Cole Porter's 1953 hit musical filmed with the most advanced 3D technology during the medium's "golden era" - will be released March 3 in a new restored Blu-ray edition by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returned to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate last summer. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman led the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This was the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sang the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.
Check out highlights from the special event below!
Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent.
Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.
Today in 1948, opened at the Shubert Theatre. Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang. Kiss Me, Kate was a response to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and other integrated musicals, and it proved to be his biggest hit and the only one of his shows to run for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway. It won the first Tony Award presented for Best Musical, in 1949.
Ben Davis sings 'So In Love' from Kiss Me, Kate, performed at the 2014 Proms and broadcast on the BBC over Christmas.
The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee is a poignant drama that explores Henry David Thoreau's historic act of civil disobedience. The show runs tonight, November 7-23, 2014 in the Young Theatre on CSUF's campus.
The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee is a poignant drama that explores Henry David Thoreau's historic act of civil disobedience. The show runs November 7-23, 2014 in the Young Theatre on CSUF's campus.
The uniquely glamorous sound and the daredevil skill of the John Wilson Orchestra playing Hollywood and Broadway's most scintillating scores has made them one of the world's most beloved group of musicians.
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..
Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.
Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.
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 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).
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