kiss me kate
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Sam and Bella Spewack
May 9-12, 2024
Two divorced — and flamboyantly egocentric — performers find themselves starring opposite each other in a musical version of Taming of the Shrew in Cole Porter and Sam and Bella Spewack's tribute to the theatre, in all its greasepaint and glory.
“Kiss Me, Kate” is a loosely plotted scenario about the out-of-town tryout of a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” directed by and starring an Orson Wellesian ham named Fred Graham alongside his ex-wife Lili Vanessi. Cole Porter confined himself to the sweeping emotions of the leading characters. Banking on the convention of two lovers “who can’t live with each other and can’t live without each other,” Porter brilliantly captured the self-delusion and overwrought masochism of romantic egotism. Porter’s renderings of the outsized, melodramatic personalities of Fred and Lili were the most truthful things he ever wrote (they were also perfectly embodied by Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison). Thrown together in the out-of-town tryout, Fred and Lili discover the love that binds their considerable egos together, even though Lili is engaged to marry a powerful senator and Fred is involved in a dalliance with a sexy young thing in the show. They realize, much like Kate and Petruchio in the original play, that they are bound to each other.
The show opened in Philadelphia in early December 1948 and worked like a charm from that moment on. It moved practically intact to the New Century Theater on Broadway, premiering only two days before the beginning of 1949. “Kiss Me, Kate” gave Porter the greatest hit of his career; it ran for 1,077 performances and won five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical.
Auditions
March 4-5, 2024
6:30-8:30 PM
Prepare 30-60 seconds of a pre-1970s musical theatre song and dress for movement.
Click here to register to audition: https://forms.gle/aFHTdpjCYttELtbT7
Character Breakdown
Principals - (3 female; 7 male)
Hattie — Lili Vanessi’s dresser
Paul — Fred Graham’s dresser, specialty dancer & leader of solo trio for “Too Darn Hot”
Lois Lane (Bianca) — a nightclub singer in her first featured role on the stage
Bill Calhoun (Lucentio) — a Broadway hoofer, Lois’ partner and a chronic gambler
Lilli Vanessi (Katharine) — a star stage and screen actress, former wife of Fred Graham
Fred Graham (Petruchio) — writer, producer, director, actor and superman; former husband of Lili
First Man — gunman-enforcer & half the donkey for Finale Act Two
Second Man — gunman-enforcer & half the donkey for Finale Act Two
Gremio — first suitor; ensemble dancer & motorcyclist; doubles as Flynt, aide to Gen. Howell
Hortensio — second suitor; ensemble dancer & motorcyclist; doubles as Riley, aide to Gen. Howell
General Harrison Howell — career military officer, politician and Lili’s “new” man
Supporting
Pops (Stage Doorman) — ensemble; doubles as Padua Priest
Ralph (Stage Manager) — ensemble singer
Dance Captain — doubles as Gregory, servant to Petruchio; ensemble dancer & recorder player
Harry Trevor — a veteran character actor; doubles as Baptista Minola
Stagehand #1 (Electrician & Cab Driver — doubles as Nathaniel, servant to Petruchio
Stagehand #2 (Assistant Electrician) — doubles as Philip, servant to Petruchio
Stagehand #3 (Carpenter & Driver for Gen. Howell — doubles as Haberdasher
Wardrobe Lady — ensemble singer
Ensemble Singer — part of female quartet for “Bianca”; doubles as Padua Inn Waitress
Two Women — part of female quartet for “Bianca”
Four Women — ensemble dancers
Ensemble
Company SATB singers and dancers
Citizens of Padua
Book by Sam and Bella Spewack
May 9-12, 2024
Two divorced — and flamboyantly egocentric — performers find themselves starring opposite each other in a musical version of Taming of the Shrew in Cole Porter and Sam and Bella Spewack's tribute to the theatre, in all its greasepaint and glory.
“Kiss Me, Kate” is a loosely plotted scenario about the out-of-town tryout of a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” directed by and starring an Orson Wellesian ham named Fred Graham alongside his ex-wife Lili Vanessi. Cole Porter confined himself to the sweeping emotions of the leading characters. Banking on the convention of two lovers “who can’t live with each other and can’t live without each other,” Porter brilliantly captured the self-delusion and overwrought masochism of romantic egotism. Porter’s renderings of the outsized, melodramatic personalities of Fred and Lili were the most truthful things he ever wrote (they were also perfectly embodied by Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison). Thrown together in the out-of-town tryout, Fred and Lili discover the love that binds their considerable egos together, even though Lili is engaged to marry a powerful senator and Fred is involved in a dalliance with a sexy young thing in the show. They realize, much like Kate and Petruchio in the original play, that they are bound to each other.
The show opened in Philadelphia in early December 1948 and worked like a charm from that moment on. It moved practically intact to the New Century Theater on Broadway, premiering only two days before the beginning of 1949. “Kiss Me, Kate” gave Porter the greatest hit of his career; it ran for 1,077 performances and won five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical.
Auditions
March 4-5, 2024
6:30-8:30 PM
Prepare 30-60 seconds of a pre-1970s musical theatre song and dress for movement.
Click here to register to audition: https://forms.gle/aFHTdpjCYttELtbT7
Character Breakdown
Principals - (3 female; 7 male)
Hattie — Lili Vanessi’s dresser
Paul — Fred Graham’s dresser, specialty dancer & leader of solo trio for “Too Darn Hot”
Lois Lane (Bianca) — a nightclub singer in her first featured role on the stage
Bill Calhoun (Lucentio) — a Broadway hoofer, Lois’ partner and a chronic gambler
Lilli Vanessi (Katharine) — a star stage and screen actress, former wife of Fred Graham
Fred Graham (Petruchio) — writer, producer, director, actor and superman; former husband of Lili
First Man — gunman-enforcer & half the donkey for Finale Act Two
Second Man — gunman-enforcer & half the donkey for Finale Act Two
Gremio — first suitor; ensemble dancer & motorcyclist; doubles as Flynt, aide to Gen. Howell
Hortensio — second suitor; ensemble dancer & motorcyclist; doubles as Riley, aide to Gen. Howell
General Harrison Howell — career military officer, politician and Lili’s “new” man
Supporting
Pops (Stage Doorman) — ensemble; doubles as Padua Priest
Ralph (Stage Manager) — ensemble singer
Dance Captain — doubles as Gregory, servant to Petruchio; ensemble dancer & recorder player
Harry Trevor — a veteran character actor; doubles as Baptista Minola
Stagehand #1 (Electrician & Cab Driver — doubles as Nathaniel, servant to Petruchio
Stagehand #2 (Assistant Electrician) — doubles as Philip, servant to Petruchio
Stagehand #3 (Carpenter & Driver for Gen. Howell — doubles as Haberdasher
Wardrobe Lady — ensemble singer
Ensemble Singer — part of female quartet for “Bianca”; doubles as Padua Inn Waitress
Two Women — part of female quartet for “Bianca”
Four Women — ensemble dancers
Ensemble
Company SATB singers and dancers
Citizens of Padua