'Kiss Me, Kate' has some surprises
Talented singers and dancers shine in energetic production
OGDEN — If you're only acquainted with MGM's 1953 movie version of Cole Porter's Broadway hit "Kiss Me, Kate," you're in for a few surprises with the stage version. And director Bruce Cohen has also added some new touches of his own.
The play-within-a-play (about two feuding, formerly married actors in a New York-bound musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew"), is ingeniously staged, energetically choreographed and features a strong cast of talented singers and dancers.
Justin Ivie, a former Weber State University musical-theater major who is now a professional Equity actor, is playing Fred Graham/Petruchio, with fairly recent Wasatch Front arrival Jennifer Riley-Perry as Lilli Vanessi/Kate.
Both have well-trained voices and — a pleasant surprise — UMT seems to have finally figured out how to fine-tune the Peery's Egyptian Theater sound system. With a couple of minor exceptions, most of the players on Saturday night could be heard several rows back.
The fact that most of the players have dual roles — their characters in "Shrew" and their backstage counterparts — can make things a little confusing.
One subplot has it that Bianca (Kate's younger sister) cannot wed before Kate, but she enjoys juggling an assortment of beaus. Nicely played by Vanessa Cheney, her best songs include choosing between "Tom, Dick or Harry" and — as actress Lois Lane — a duet with her backstage love, gambler Bill Calhoun (an energetic performance by Whit Baldwin), in "Why Can't You Behave?"
The show gets off to a bang-up start with the Broadway anthem, "Another Op'nin', Another Show," lead by Lilli and Fred's dressers, Hattie and Paul (Polly Seale and Robert Anthony Jones).
One odd casting choice is using two women as the gangsters assigned to hold Fred to a $10,000 gambling IOU (unaware that the signature is really a forgery by Bill). Ginger Simons and Jessica Perry do OK with the roles, but they just look out of place.
One big problem with this production is the endless array of built-in encores for some of the familiar showstoppers. "We Open in Venice," "Too Darn Hot" and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" are milked far too long.
This season, UMT has blacked out several rows toward the rear of the venue, which probably helps the acoustics. But be forewarned, the concessions stand is closed and the water fountain outside the men's restroom doesn't work. If you want any bottled water, bring your own.
Sensitivity rating: Youngsters may be bored by all of the romantic entanglements and the excessive length, but this is, by and large, a family-friendly production.
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com
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