Kiss Me, Kate 1948

Ages: 10+
Opened: December 30, 1948

Kiss Me, Kate - 1948 - Broadway History , Info & More

Shubert Theatre (Broadway)
225 West 44th St. New York, NY

Based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Get Kiss Me, Kate Email Alerts

Be the first to get ticket offers, news, photos & more.

Video: Celebrate 75 Years of KISS ME, KATE
by Sidney Paterra - Dec 30, 2023


75 years ago on December 30, 1948, Kiss Me, Kate opened on Broadway. Check out some videos to celebrate the show!

Student Blog: Everybody Loves Shakespeare! (Whether They Know It Or Not)
by Student Blogger: Ellie Weaver - Nov 13, 2023


Shakespeare’s plays have been the inspiration for many beloved movies and musicals. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite movies and musicals that use the plot of various works by William Shakespeare. I encourage you to check out this list and see if you’ve been a secret fan of Shakespeare without even knowing it!

Porchlight to Launch The Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration Of The Man And His Music This October
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 4, 2023


Porchlight Music Theatre is launching the Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration of the Man and his Music this October. The festival includes a production of Anything Goes starring Meghan Murphy. Don't miss this incredible tribute to Cole Porter's career.

Bringing Together a Shakespeare Classic and Songs by Cole Porter KISS ME, KATE! Opens in Sao Paulo
by Claudio Erlichman - Aug 16, 2023


Kiss Me, Kate! is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack ,with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi.

Complete Cast Announced for Oscar Isaac & Rachel Brosnahan Led THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN'S WINDOW
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 12, 2023


BAM (The Brooklyn Academy of Music) has announced the full company and creative team for the first New York revival in 50 years of Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. See how to purchase tickets!

10 curiosidades sobre los Premios Tony
by Elena Díaz-Guerra - Apr 6, 2022


¿Quieres saber todo sobre los premios más conocidos de Broadway? Entra en este artículo.

What Was the Golden Age of Broadway?
by Team BWW - Feb 19, 2022


Just last week, The Music Man marched back to Broadway- the latest revival of a show from musical theatre's most glorious time- the Golden Age. What was the Golden Age of Broadway all about and what years did it cover? Study up!

BWW Review: COLE PORTER IN PARIS at Théâtre Du Châtelet
by Patrick Honoré - Dec 30, 2021


Cole Porter, the most Francophile of the big five American composers of the American songbook, with Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Richard Rodgers, spent almost a decade in Paris just after World War I immersing himself French language and culture and developing his craft as a composer and lyricist of sophisticated and semi-autographical ditties full of double entendre, trying them out as a dilettante pianist in the party scenes of the roaring 20s not only in Paris but also in Venice, before taking on Broadway by storm the following decade.

BWW Exclusive: A History of ANNIE on Broadway and Beyond
by Jeffrey Kare - Dec 2, 2021


Tonight, NBC will air its sixth live musical production. Following in the footsteps of The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz, Hairspray, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the peacock network will be presenting Annie. Based on Harold Gray's comic strip titled Little Orphan Annie, this musical tells the story of a little orphan with equal measures of pluck and positivity who charms everyone's hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in New York City in the year 1933.

Student Blog: Zodiac Signs of Tony-Nominated Musicals
by Student Blogger: Madison Moore - Mar 22, 2021


The criteria are that these shows have been nominated for Best Musical from the 3rd Tony Awards (the ceremony that started the Best Musical category) in 1949 to the nominations of what will now be the 74th Tony Awards in 2021. I will be determining their signs based upon their Broadway premiere date. With those rules in mind, here we go!

UN DÍA COMO HOY: KISS ME, KATE se estrenaba en Broadway
by Cristina Martinez - Dec 30, 2020


Un 30 de diciembre de 1948, el New Century Theatre subía el telón por primera vez para escenificar KISS ME, KATE. Este musical sobre la producción de la obra de Shakespeare THE TAMING OF THE SHEW estaba inspirado en las idas y venidas amorosas del matrimonio formado por  Alfred Lunt y Lynn Fontanne.

The 15 Most Iconic Broadway Dances Through the Decades
by Nicole Rosky - Sep 17, 2020


Tune in tonight (September 17) and tomorrow (September 18) at 8pm ET to find out which contestants made the Next On Stage: Dance Edition Top 8! In the meantime, we're celebrating musical theatre dancing with just a few of the most iconic Broadway dances from decades past.

VIDEO: EVERYBODY DANCE NOW! A Look Back at 'Too Darn Hot' From KISS ME, KATE
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 1, 2020


In this time of social distancing and remaining responsibly indoors, we are all looking for ways to brighten our days and get moving any way we can! In the spirit of celebrating theater and providing motivation to get up and get shakin', we're taking a look back and paying tribute to some of the greatest dance numbers in musical theater history!

#BWWPrompts: If You Could Travel Back in Time, Which Broadway Opening Night Would You Attend and Why?
by BWW Prompts - Mar 30, 2020


We want to hear from you! We're starting #BwayWorldPrompts, where each day we'll be asking our readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram questions to spark some theater conversation.

BWW Exclusive: The 101 Greatest MOVIE MUSICALS of All Time
by Peter Nason - Mar 30, 2020


BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

BWW Review: KISS ME KATE at Leawood Stage Company
by Alan Portner - Jul 15, 2019


Leawood Stage Company, the mainly city supported suburban, community theater program under the Leawood (KS) Park and Recreation District operates in several city controlled locations including the outdoor Ironwoods Amphitheatre. The current production, Cole Porter's "Kiss Me Kate," opened this past weekend and will be performed through July 20 at 8:00 p.m. nightly. Leawood City has provided everything needed to put on a great show. Tickets are free.

BWW Review: A Dynamite Duo Makes KISS ME KATE A Golden Age Delight
by Kelsey Lawler - May 24, 2019


Another op'nin, another show! This time it's a battle of the sexes and a Golden Age musical by Cole Porter. Inspired by the real-life backstage bickering of famous husband-and-wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Kiss Me Kate is both based on real-life events as well as Shakespeare's controversial Taming of the Shrew.

WATCH NOW! Zooming in on the Tony Nominees: Stephanie J. Block
by Nicole Rosky - May 24, 2019


Is the third time the charm for Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block? The star of The Cher Show opens up about what the Tonys mean to her!

Skylight Music Theatre Extends KISS ME, KATE; Full Cast and Creative
by Julie Musbach - Apr 4, 2019


Skylight Music Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Kiss Me, Kate, plus a one-week extension. The musical will now run Friday,

BWW Review: GUYS AND DOLLS at Théâtre Marigny
by Patrick Honoré - Mar 28, 2019


After Michel Le Grand's Donkeyskin, which gave the genius composer one more chance to see his immortal music on the stage and the intimate Sondheim review Marry Me a Little in the Studio, Theatre Marigny and Jean-Luc Choplin are now getting into the real thing by putting on a full production of classic musical with a entirely British creative team and cast playing and singing in English with subtitles. Though Theatre Marigny is much smaller than the Chatelet, similar productions there such as Kiss Me Kate and the Sondheim cycle were scheduled for only few weekd runs, An American in Paris was a Broadway tryout, so it easily sold out its two-month run, thanks in no small part to visitors from abroad. My Fair Lady, 42nd Street, and Singing in the Rain had already played in Paris before, although in French or on tour but were already part of the general public consciousness as movie favourites. Guys and Dolls, on the other hand, which has never been seen in Paris before or not even on tour, has an intrinsically American subject matter and only a now hardly watchable movie version, only known among French cinephiles as the only musical in which Marlon Brando appeared, teaming up with Frank Sinatra.

BWW Review: Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase Star in a KISS ME, KATE That Offers Another Rewrite, Another Show
by Michael Dale - Mar 15, 2019


Buried amongst the over twenty names receiving the smallest-sized billing for their contributions to Roundabout Theatre Company's hot new revival of Cole Porter and Sam & Bella Spewack's masterpiece of kick-back musical comedy entertainment, Kiss Me, Kate, is the credit 'Additional Material' with the name of the accomplished Broadway lyricist Amanda Green written below.

Review Roundup: Were Critics So In Love With KISS ME, KATE On Broadway?
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 14, 2019


Roundabout Theatre Company presents the new Broadway production of the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, starring Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, opening tonight!

The Philly POPS Is 'Too Darn Hot' With Cole Porter's Broadway
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 8, 2019


Principal Guest Conductor David Charles Abell returns to his hometown of Philadelphia for Cole Porter's Broadway: Too Darn Hot, the explosive penultimate performance of The Philly POPS 40th Anniversary Season, April 12-14 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. 

BWW Review: KISS ME, KATE Audiences Are 'So In Love' With Chaffin's Barn's Stunning Revival
by Jeffrey Ellis - Feb 15, 2019


Crafting a musical theater hit is a lot like alchemy - the ancient study focused primarily on creating gold from baser elements - and oftentimes no matter the ingredients, directors never quite achieve the outcome for which they strive. But in the case of director/choreographer Everett Tarlton's production of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate (now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre through March 7), he has crafted something so special that it essentially defines the theatrical gold standard.

The Legendary Carol Channing Dies at 97
by Stephi Wild - Jan 15, 2019


BroadwayWorld is deeply saddened to report the passing of the legendary Carol Channing. Channing died at 12:31am on Tuesday, January 15th, 2019, at home in Rancho Mirage, CA of natural causes.

Kiss Me, Kate FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What productions of Kiss Me, Kate have there been?
Kiss Me, Kate has had 15 productions including Broadway which opened in 1948, Broadway which opened in 1948, US Tour which opened in 1949, West End which opened in 1951, Broadway which opened in 1952, Broadway which opened in 1952, Off-Broadway which opened in 1965, West End which opened in 1987, Broadway which opened in 1999, Broadway which opened in 1999, West End which opened in 2001, West End which opened in 2012, New York which opened in 2016, West End which opened in 2018 and Broadway which opened in 2019.
What Tony Awards has Kiss Me, Kate been nominated for?
Kiss Me, Kate has been nominated for several Tony Awards. It was nominated for Best Musical, Best Costume Design for Lemuel Ayers, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre for Cole Porter, Producer (Musical) for Saint-Subber, and Producer (Musical) for Lemuel Ayers.
What Tony Awards has Kiss Me, Kate won?
Kiss Me, Kate has won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Costume Design for Lemuel Ayers, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre for Cole Porter, and Producer (Musical) for Saint-Subber and Lemuel Ayers.

Videos