One of my strongest childhood memories is sitting with my grandfather to watch movie musicals on DVD. He had an impressive collection of Broadway gems reworked by the magic of the Golden Age of Hollywood and, at a young age, I learned to appreciate the wit and talent of the great Cole Porter. On Saturday night, Regals Musical Society took me on a trip down memory lane for which I am truly grateful.
"Kiss Me, Kate" is a 1948 classic, full of humour, music and A LOT of energy. It is the story of a theatre troupe staging a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”. It is a fun and self-deprecating take on the cliches of theatre and Hollywood at the time, delighting the audience with a Vaudeville-esque romp full of music and comedic chaos.
To produce such a classic production, with performers and audiences likely unfamiliar with Cole Porter, is no mean feat. Nevertheless, Co-Directors Mel Hogan and Tim Martin did a wonderful job, showcasing a keen understanding of the material and working well with their cast to tie together the many elements of the show. And there were many elements! Everything was fast paced and, wherever you looked, there was energy and excitement.
The lead performers, of both the production and the “play within a play”, were Georgia Kokkoris (Lilli) and John Hogan (Fred). Both seasoned performers attacked their roles with commitment and fervour. Kokkoris commanded the stage with a powerful soprano voice and an energy that portrayed the fierce diva frighteningly well. I’m sure that, in real life, Kokkoris is lovely but, as Lilli, she had a death stare that caused even the audience in the back row to shrivel! Hogan matched, and even surpassed, her energy. His portrayal of the conniving Fred Graham embraced comic timing, physical agility and soaring vocals – all of which he accomplished with apparent ease.
Ably guiding the audience through the story’s sub-plots, were Jasmine Argyropoulos as the bombshell starlet Lois Lane and Benjamin Oliver as trouble-maker Bill Calhoun. Argyropoulos played into the requisite starlet stereotype, but the ditzy nature of her character should not blind audiences to what this performer accomplished on stage. Her role demanded strong vocals and energetic dancing (often at the same time) as well as perfectly timed comic moments. Argyropoulos managed this well and brought her character to life with a mischievous sweetness that aptly echoed the starlets of decades gone by. As an intentional contrast, Oliver brought strength to the stage at every entrance. He sang and danced with precision and power, commanding the stage and offering an engaging portrayal of bad boy Bill.
As impressive as the lead cast were, I was particularly taken with the performances of those with key supporting roles. Christine Forbes, as Lilli’s long suffering assistant Hattie, demonstrated perfect comic timing and impressive vocals. Forbes’ vocal contributions were impressive throughout however in the opening number, "Another Op'nin', Another Show”, her capacity to soar above the layers of movement and melody was a moment of brilliance that brought a roar from the audience. Similarly, Joshua Harrison (Paul), exhibited perfect timing and powerful vocals in every scene. I was so glad that he had the opportunity for a featured moment in Act 2. His performance in “Too Darn Hot” was exceptional. With powerhouse vocals, energetic choreography and charismatic character engagement, Harrison left the audience breathless.
Another highlight, and a definite audience favourite, was the inclusion of the Gangster characters. Veronica Clavijo and Shane Andrews stole the show. These characters were written to be funny, but Clavijo and Andrews took this to a whole other level especially in their Act 2 duet, "Brush Up Your Shakespeare”. Clavijo, in particular, embraced every nuance of the 1940s gangster stereotype and delivered a formidable gangster, never missing a moment to offer an intimidating gaze to cast, orchestra and audience alike. Her portrayal was perfect.
One of the features of musicals of the Cole Porter era is the focus on dance numbers. The amount of stage time devoted to this is something that contemporary musicals have moved away from. Nevertheless, Co-Directors Hogan and Martin chose to embrace this feature and allowed choreographer Chris Bamford a platform to showcase his remarkable skills. Bamford’s choreographic direction was impressive in the key dance numbers but, even more impressive, was the way he incorporated the skills of the entire cast throughout the show. His featured dancers were utilised to the full extent of their ability but the ensemble was also integrated into dance scenes so that every performer was highlighted. That is not to say there were lesser dance moments, for every scene was choregraphed with precision and executed perfectly. The timing and unison were consistently on point, never more evident than in “Were Thine That Special Face”. Bamford’s skill would count for little without the committed cast, and it would be remiss of me to not mention the featured dancers, in particular. Regals Musical Society is blessed with its pool of dance talent.
It would be natural to assume that such an energetic show, with demanding dance numbers, could endanger the quality of the vocal performance. However, this was not the case. Musical Director Jonah Eskander has trained and led the cast beautifully. While it is true that the cast bring their own talent and training to the project, the consistency and blend of sound is a credit to the work of the M.D. Also under Eskander’s direction, the orchestra were very much part of the cast as they engaged with the actors in their scenes as well as providing the musical foundation for the show.
"Kiss Me, Kate" was a joyous celebration of theatre – witty, energetic and fun. The enthusiasm and dedication of the entire cast and crew was evident. So, while this may have been a trip down memory lane for me, I am certain that the entire audience was grateful for an evening filled with laughter and perhaps left with a new appreciation for classic musical theatre. This is a show that anyone of any age can enjoy. So, if you enjoy theatre, need a good laugh and don’t mind “brushing up your Shakespeare”, I recommend a visit to Regals Musical Society’s “Kiss Me, Kate”.
Photos courtesy of Dominic Meler
We went to the Kiss Me Kate musical on Saturday evening. What an amazing show. The talent in this ensemble is quite remarkable. The singing and the choreography were first class. Some of this talent must surely be of the calibre to do this as their career. I highly recommend the show and look forward to going to their next show eagerly. Well done and congratulations.