ANOTHER CLOSIN’ OF ANOTHER SHOW! Today is truly TOO DARN HOT outside but also a very bittersweet and emotional day for Broadway as Roundabout Theatre Company‘s critically acclaimed Tony nominated revival of Cole Porter‘s madcap musical comedy KISS ME, KATE (starring Tony winner Kelli O’Hara, Tony…
WHAT'S UP BROADWAY FANS?! Broadway's biggest night is right around the corner and just 19 DAYS AWAY. However to keep us entertained till the Tony Awards, we at New York Broadway Tours are waking you up each morning with some of the most iconic toe tapping performances from previous telecasts. It's time for another big Musical number on our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
At # 19 on our countdown, we take you on and off stage at a Theater in Baltimore back in the year 1948. There, craziness is happening behind the scenes at a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW including the show's narcissistic director and leading man forced to work with his former temperamental movie star ex-wife. This is the madap play-within-a-play musical comedy KISS ME KATE. The show features a score by Cole Porter along with a book co-written by Samuel and Bella Spewack.
From the 2000 telecast, the company of 1999 Broadway revival perform the Act 2 showstopper which perfectly describes today…. IT'S TOO DARN HOT.
KISS ME KATE was first conceived by rising Broadway producer Arnold Saint-Subber who witnessed the crazy on and off stage fights of real life husband-and-wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne during a 1935 production of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. He asked book writers Samuel and Bella Spewacks (undergoing their own marital woes at the time) to write the script. Bella in turn enlisted Cole Porter to do the music and lyrics.
Following a 3 1/2 week tryout in Philadelphia, the original production opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre in 1948 running for 1,077 performances. Under the direction of John C. Wilson and choreography by Hanya Holm, the cast starred….
Patricia Morison (later Anne Jeffreys and Holly Harris) as "Lilli Vanessi",
Harold Lang (later Danny Daniels and Marc Platt) as "Bill Calhoun",
and Lisa Kirk (later Betty Anne Groove) as "Lois Lane".
The show won all 5 of it's 1949 Tony Awards including becoming the first Broadway show ever to win for the big category that today we all look forward to each year….. Best Musical.
Following the success of the original production, the show went on to make audiences laugh in London's West End, Australia, and around the world becoming an instant hit. The show would late be revived twice on Broadway.
The first Broadway revival happened 1952 playing just 8 performances the Broadway Theatre. Under the direction of John C. Wilson and choreography by Hanya Holm once again, the cast was led by….
Robert Wright as "Fred Graham",
Holly Harris as "Lilli Vanessi",
Frank Derbas as "Bill Calhoun",
and Marilyn Day as "Lois Lane".
The production did not receive any Tony Awards that year.
The last major Broadway revival of KISS ME KATE happened in 1999 at the Martin Beck Theatre (currently the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) running for a total of 909 performances. Under the direction of Michael Blakemore and choreographed by both Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford, the cast was led by
This revival was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2000 winning 5 including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Brian Stokes Mitchell).
Currently this season, KISS ME KATE is back on Broadway with a new production by Roundabout Theatre Company playing to packed houses 8 times a week at Studio 54. The production is a strictly limited run now through June 30th, 2019. Under the direction of Scott Ellis and choreography by Warren Carlyle, this new revival features…
The Roundabout revival is nominated this year for 4 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical. Best Leading Actress in a Musical (for Kelli O'Hara), Best Choreography (for Warren Carlyle), and Best Orchestrations (for Larry Hochman)
KISS ME KATE is now a popular show today still performed in Schools, Community Theaters, Regional Theaters, and even Opera houses.
In addition to its triumph on stage, KISS ME KATE was a smash hit on the big screen numerous times.
The original film version of KISS ME KATE was released in 1953 from MGM. Under the direction of George Sidney, the cast featured…
Howard Keel as "Fred Graham",
Kathryn Grayson as "Lilli Vanessi",
Tommy Rall as "Bill Calhoun",
and Ann Miller as "Lois Lane".
In addition, there were 5 TV productions of the musical. The first version was released in 1958 from Hallmark. Under the direction of George Schafer, the cast featured…
Alfred Drake reprising his original Broadway role of "Fred Graham",
Patricia Morrison reprising her original Broadway performance as "Lilli Vanessi",
Bill Hayes as "Bill Calhoun",
and Julie Wilson as "Lois Lane".
In 1964, a 2nd live TV presentation was made for BBC. Under the direction of David Askey, the cast featured…
Howard Keel reprising his film role of "Fred Graham",
Patricia Morrison reprising her original Broadway performance once again as "Lilli Vanessi",
Irving Davies as "Bill Calhoun",
and Millicent Martin as "Lois Lane".
The 3rd TV production was released for ABC in 1968. Under the direction of Paul Bogart, this cast was led by…
In 2003, PBS released a filmed performance of the London company of the 1999 Broadway revival which is still available today on DVD and Blu-Ray. Under the direction of Michael Blakemore and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford, the cast was led by…
The most recent filmed presentation of KISS ME KATE happened in 2014 for BBC. This version was a filmed performance of a concert adaptation of the show for the PROMS series at London's Royal Albert Hall. Under the direction of Shaun Kerrison, the cast featured…
There is so much hard work that goes into making a show happen 8 times a week. Get a Behind-The-Scenes look at this year's 4 time Tony nominated revival of KISS ME, KATE.
In this video, you will experience the show's iconic opening number ANOTHER OP'NIN, ANOTHER SHOW not just on stage but all the madness that happens off stage.
GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! Are you ready once more for another showstopper on our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN? We are only just 37 DAYS away till The 73rd Annual Tony Awards. This is getting us hyped for Broadway?s biggest night. Anyway, here comes another iconic performance from a previous telecast.
At # 37 on our countdown, we make our way to a prison cell in Argentina. There, we meet an Argentine revolutionary and a gay man who are cell mates. Behind bars, they escape the terrifying reality of jail into fantasies featuring a famous 1940?s movie star. This is the Kiss of the Spider Woman. The musical features a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Terrence McNally (this year?s Tony winning Lifetime Achievement recipient). It?s based on a 1976 Argentine novel by Manuel Puig.
From the 1993 telecast, the legendary Chita Rivera as ?Aurora? (a.k.a. The Spider Woman), Brent Carver as ?Molina?, Anthony Crivello as ?Valentin?, and the cast perform the toe tapping number WHERE YOU ARE.
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was first conceived as a musical in the late 80?s. After early readings, the show went through numerous stages of workshop labs by New Musicals (a non-for-porfit organization creating, developing, and providing a home for 16 new musicals over 4 years) in 1990. Under the direction of the legendary Harold Prince, the 1990 workshop failed to please critics. From there, the idea of the show went back onto the shelf. However, 2 years later, Garth Drabinsky came on board and gave the show a second chance with and his company, Livent.
The show had its World Premiere tryout in Toronto, Canada at the Bluma Appel Theatre (part of St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts) in 1992. A few months later, the show went on to London?s West End playing the Shaftesbury Theatre for an entire year. It became a huge hit. For its London engagement, the show went on to receive 5 Olivier Awards nominations in 1993 winning only 1 for Best Lighting Design (for Howell Binkley).
Following the success of both the Toronto and London engagements, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN officially arrived on Broadway in 1993 playing the Broadhurst Theatre for a complete total of 920 performances. With the original creative team led by Hal Prince and choreography by Rob Marshall and Vincent Patterson,, the cast (who took part with the show?s engagements in Toronto and London) featured….
FUN FACT: The show marked the official triumphant Broadway comeback for Chita Rivera. 7 years prior, Rivera was in a terrifying car accident which she sustained severe injuries included the breaking of her left leg in twelve places, requiring eighteen screws and two braces to mend. People believed that Rivera would never dance again on stage but with a miracle and strong determination, she recovered.
The Broadway production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards that year. It took home 7 for Best Musical, Best Score (for Kander & Ebb), Best Book (for Terrence McNally), Best Leading Actress in a Musical (for Chita Rivera), Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Brent Carver), and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (for Anthony Crivello), and Best Costume Design (for Florence Klotz).
Following the success of its Broadway run, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN went on to wow audiences across North America, in South America, and Australia.
BREAKING NEWS: Roundabout Theatre Company's critically acclaimed revival of the madcap Cole Porter classic KISS ME KATE is set to record its cast album this upcoming Monday. The new recording will be released from Ghostlight Records. The official release dates will be announced soon.
For this new cast album of the acclaimed revival (playing to packed houses at the legendary Studio 54 through June 30th, 2019), get ready to experience new renditions of Cole Porter's iconic songs (including ANOTHER OP'NIN, ANOTHER SHOW, SO IN LOVE, WUNDERBAR, I HATE MEN, TOO DARN HOT, & ALWAYS TRUE TO YOU IN MY FASHION) performed by Tony winner Kelli O'Hara, Tony nominee Will Chase, High School Musical favorite Corbin Bleu, and newcomer showstopper Stephanie Styles.
Ghostlight Records has announced it will record a new cast album of Cole Porter's musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, based on the current hit production from the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO). The show is directed by Scott Ellis, choreographed by Warren Carlyle with musi…
