Embrace 'Kiss Me Kate' in Anacortes

Cole Porter, Samuel and Bella Spewack were right: It pays to “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” so you can follow all the ins and outs of a 1940s musical rendition of “A Taming of the Shrew,” at the center of their own “Kiss Me Kate,” which opened last week and plays through May 12 at Anacortes Community Theatre. Stop reading and go online now to get any remaining tickets.

“Shrew” is one of William Shakespeare’s most accessible and enjoyable plays, the story that starts with the beautiful second daughter Bianca, who, while pursued by suitors, cannot marry in ancient Padua until elder sister Katherine, a shrew of record proportions, is wed. Only a cool and calculating Petruchio, seeking his fortune (he will sing “I’ve Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua”) in the dowery the wealthy father, Baptista, offers, can free Bianca. In Shakespeare’s time, women had no rights, or power, but Katherine has both, making “Shrew” a fast-paced, energetic and fun romp. Think of Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows in the 1950s TV show, “The Honeymooners.”

“Kate” is both operetta and a musical comedy, the story of a traveling theatre troupe opening in Baltimore. It is a play within a play, riffing on a common Shakespearean ploy. Cole Porter fills it with jazz, swing and tap dancing numbers.

This production has strong leads with amazing voices.

Fred Graham (Paul Henderson) as theatre producer and director, stars as Petruchio, of course. He dominates as the production’s owner and the male lead. Like Katherine/Lilli Vanessi (Elizabeth Feeney), he has a wonderful voice and strong personality. Feeney has sung opera. She sings beautifully.

Playing in “Shrew,” the two fight a battle of wills. In “Kate” they start the night as former partners, now divorced, both still filled with animosity. As Kate, she sings “I Hate Men” with ferocity, pounding a table repeatedly with her beer stein.

With the supporting cast there are plot twists and over 20 song and dance numbers. The show opens with Hattie (Dulcey Whyte) and the chorus singing “Another Op’nin’, Another Show.” The second half starts with another standard, “Too Darn Hot” sung by Paula (Glynna Goff) and the ensemble.

Lilli hates Fred because he is pursuing Lois Lane/Bianca, wispy and lithe Alexa Soriano, who wiggles and shimmers and fesses up that she is “Always True To You (In My Fashion),” while pursuing at least three men.

Her stage romance, Luccentio is Bill Calhoun (Kyle David Fulton), an actor her age, but with a bad gambling habit. Lucky for us, for two gangsters (Kevin Cobley and Dale Aspelundy) come looking for him. He has signed Fred’s name to his gambling IOU and the Shakespearean mistaken identity allows these two to take center stage, including roles in “Shrew.”

As the gangsters, they have the show stopping number “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” a duet at the front of the stage that includes two encores. After starting wearing fedoras, they come back first with straw skimmers and then top hats and canes.

Katherine and Petruchio take center stage most often. Their anger toward each other fuels energetic and passionate performances. When Petruchio starts to sing “Kiss Me, Kate,” it is with bull whip in hand and it is quite the prop, for besides snapping it, he ropes Kate in. There is no love in this scene, only the cruelty of a divorced couple forced together.

This 1940s plot has Kate escaping with her romantic interest, General Harrison Howell (Ron Wohl). The relationships are true to Shakespeare, as is the ending, but Kate’s touching return is all Samuel and Bella Spewack as in all’s well that ends well.

The cast of 24 is ably directed by Julie Nester. Jennifer Campbell is musical director. Glynna Goff is choreographer. Music by Cole Porter, lyrics and book by Samuel and Bella Spewack.

“Kiss Me Kate” won five Tony Awards in 1949, including Best Author, Composer and Lyricist and Best Musical

For tickets and performances times: acttheatre.com.