The popular musical revival “Kiss Me Kate” arrives at Wharton Center today for eight performances that run through Sunday.
While on Broadway, “Kiss Me Kate” won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Though the company performing this week in East Lansing is not the same as the Broadway cast, this touring company was put together by the same director and creative team.
“It’s basically the Broadway production put into an incarnation for the road,” cast member Kimberly Dawn Neumann said. “It’s a very quality group of performers.”
The musical is divided between a mock performance of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” and the backstage drama the audience is privy to. Behind the scenes, the actors’ lives themselves resemble “The Taming of the Shrew.”
Neumann said entertainment is important now with the ongoing war against terrorism.
“It’s such a respite from everything that’s going on in the world right now, it takes the audience to another place and time,” she said.
Performing isn’t always easy for actors during the current tumult. After the Sep. 11 attacks, “Kiss Me Kate” had to continue.
“It was a very surreal experience because there we were on stage trying to smile ... and there was so much sadness in the world,” said Neumann, whose friend lost her husband in the attack on the World Trade Center.
The show lasts about three hours, but Neumann said the audience won’t be bored.
“We have to put a lot of ourselves into it, but the audience gets a lot out of it,” she said.
“Kiss Me Kate” stars Rachel York and Rex Smith, who starred together in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” on Broadway during the 1998-99 season. They play the roles of Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, the lead actors in “The Taming of the Shrew.”
In the musical, Lilli threatens to leave the show, but because Fred is in debt, gangsters force Lilli to continue with it so Fred can earn money to pay off the debt. The gangsters go as far as to become actors to keep an eye on her.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. today through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $30.50 to $50. For more information, call (517)432-2000, (800)WHARTON or visit www.whartoncenter.com.
