Now to look at the show as a whole. The opening number of “Kiss Me Kate” is Another op’nin’, another show which gave the large cast an opportunity to all join in with dance and song. “Kiss Me Kate” is a play within a play The internal play is a truncated version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, but the main plot is a love story between Frederick Graham and his ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, LUCY CARTER who is playing Katherine, the shrew in the Shakespeare. The sub plot is that Frederick Graham needs the show to be a success because he owes money to a mobster who sends two reminders in the form of KEVIN GAUNTLETT and TIM MAUNDER to collect the debt. The two gangsters, to ensure that they are paid, join in with staging the show and keep the reluctant leading lady there at gun point. The two heavies clad in wigs and frilly white satin frocks with apricot sashes, but with spats and sock suspenders and tattoos provide some of the funniest moments on stage.
All this and COLE PORTER’s lovely music and witty lyrics too! There are classic numbers like Too Darn Hot!, Wunderbar and So in I ove am I and other songs which were less familiar to me but had really good lyrics. Petruchio sings of his old flames in Where is the life that late I led? listing many women whose names rhyme with Italian towns Lisa from Pisa and Becky from Montevecchi! The gangsters sing Brush up on your Shakespeare ..... and all the women you will wow! which has a glorious incongruity as two cultures meet in the lyrics of this song, The dancing too is very good, Petruchio’s song Were thine that special face sees the women dancers, each dancing with a gold mask reflecting the one used by Katherine from her balcony. Choreography is by ANNA BARWICK.
LUCY CARTER has a terrific range for the songs sung by Lilli and Katherine and she has quite the crossest face when she is in a bad mood which both Lilli and Katherine have to be! MICHELLE CROZIER last year’s Maria in West Side Story plays Lois Lane/Bianca and NICK BROWN is her lover Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, but not Superman! They are a delightful couple, both can sing really well and they have two duets together, Why can’t you behave and Blanca. But singling out individuals is an invidious task here. There is evidence of so much hard work and commitment, everyone has at least two costumes a modern day one and a medieval dress and there are several changes of scenery,
The whole cast put so much enthusiasm and energy into the production that it spills over into the audience. West Wickham Operatic Society can be very proud of them.
My best wishes to Chris Arden to get better but tell him not to worry, the show is in good hands!
Reviewed by Lirzie Loveridge
Theatreworld Internet Magazine
Remember the hoary back stage plot of somebody achieving stardom because the lead fell ill? It came true this week when Chris Shaw took over the leading role in the middle of the dress rehearsal. The leading man, Chris Arden, pulled a back muscle while changing in the interval and almost literally couldn’t walk. Shaw had played the part with another company 18 months ago and in the spirit of the theatre stepped in, and acted and sang brilliantly.
West Wickham Operatic Society’s spirited production of Cole Porter’s greatest musical, under the direction of Sheila Arden, brought out the finer points of this witty and sophisticated entertainment.
The book, by Sam and Bella Spewack, complements the Porter lyrics and all those catchy tunes, Wunderbar Too Darn Hot, Always True to you, Darlin, and So Kiss Me Kate. The tunes might not be as good as Gershwin’s but the lyrics are better.
Cleverly, the story involves The Taming of the Shrew, with the backstage spat of the actorproducer Frederick Graham as Petruchio (Chris Shaw) and his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi as Katherine, played by Lucy Carter who showed she could act as well as sing. Michelle Crozier was a raunchy Lois Lane and a demure Bianca with a nice line in romance with Bill Calhoun (Nick Brown).
Brush up your Shakespeare, sung by the gangsters with the “moiderous” accents, is always a show stopper, and the timing of Kevin Gauntlett and Tim Maunder playing these parts was a pleasant upstaging of the rest of the cast.
the choreography by Anna Barwick was imaginative and vital, and Guy Norris the music director had the orchestra well in hand; but joy upon joy, I could hear and understand, whether speaking or singing every single word. This society has a chorus which it should treasure.
The show goes on until tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.45pm, and the plan is for the recovered Chris Arden and the show saviour Chris Shaw to share the lead role
Croydon Adveriser
Peter Steptoe
There was momentary concern when a curtain announcement was made that Chris Shaw had taken over the roles of Frederick / Petruchio at short notice due to the original actor’s illness. Fortunately this vital castin was in capable and experienced hands. The actor, who happily knew Eparts, gave a commanding performance and played the dual on and off stage characters with the bravado they demand.
Particularly impressive was the way he and Lucy Carter, as Lilli/ Katherine conveyed their love-hate relationship and worked together as if they had rehearsed together for weeks. Their biting interchanges were meticulously pointed. Katherine’s ‘I Hate Men’ was delivered with venom although ‘So in Love’ stretched the actress’s range.
Nick Brown, Bill / Lucentio and Michelle Crazier, Lois / Bianca gave excellent support and demonstrated strong stage presence, singing and dancing together with confidence. The show-stopping ‘Brush up your Shakespeare’ was growled in nicely observed Brooklyn accents, with engaging earnestness, by Kevin Gauntlett and Tim Maunder.
Scene changes were slick and well covered by Guy Norris and his orchestra which seemed to have excellent rapport with the cast, throughout. The costumes looked fresh and bright, particularly noticeable in the play within a p!a sequences. Anna Barwick’s choreography was skilfully interpret edy- it was a pleasure to watch the all-singing, alldancing chorus which included several competent male toppers. Alan Bishop’s lighting, always appropriate, created a sweltering atmosphere for’Too Dam Hot’.
It’s to be hoped that Chris Arden, the original male lead, makes a full, early recovery from the back injury that put him out of action, but reassuring that the society was able to give such a high quality production in his absence.
Words and Music
Tony Flook
It was so good to see this show performed right in period and with such panache. he sparkling opening number set the tone, getting the show off to a great start, and was the best staging of this number that I have seen for many a long year. The professionalism of everyone on stage and off was impressive.
One always expects a well directed show from SHEILA ARDEN, and she certainly gave us the goods this time.The pace was terrific and the movement of Principals and Chorus was exemplary. The “Shakespearean” scenes were well acted and both the comedy and the pathos were well brought out.
GUY NORRIS has a quite a reputation to live up to, having been awarded the “Best Musical Director” at the International Festival of Musical Theatre at Buxton this year - for which I send my heartiest congratulations.He proved again what a fine musician he is and gave a spirited reading of the score, both cast and orchestra sounding very good indeed.
It was good to see ANNA BARWICK’s fine choreography, which added significantly to the show, particularly in that great opening number. Her routines were inventive but entirely fitting to the period of the show.
CHRIS ARDEN swaggered magnificently as PETRUCIIIO. He handled all the songs extremely well and delivered the lines with gusto. As FRED he was also very good, hamming it up to his heart’s content but bringing out all the comedy and, it must be said,the pathos.It was a very good performance.
LUCY CARTER prowled the stage as KATE with great effect but also understood LILLI’s character well.Her singing of “So in love” was beautifully and poignantly done and she was quite magnificent in “I Hate Men”.A lovely performance.
NICK BROWN was excellent as BILL CALHOUN.His singing, acting and dancing were great and MICHELLE CROZIER fairly sizzled as BIANCA/LOIS LANE.Between them they lit up the stage in “True to you in my Fashion”.
We had two brilliant performances from TIM MAUNDER and KEVIN GAUNTLETT as the GANGSTERS.Although it was difficult not to look at them, particularly in those silly white dresses, they still contrived not to overplay their hands, with the result that although very funny and inventive they were not intrusive. “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” was superbly done and performed with finesse.
PAUL EMERY, as PAUL, danced and sang well and “Too Darn Hot” was very well done.BRENDA JORDAN was equally effective as HATTIE, really putting heart and soul into “Another Op’nin “‘.
There were good performances also from ROBIN HAZELTON as the put upon SIGNOR BAPTISTA, from CORY WORDLAW and BARRY KNIGHT energetically dancing as CREMIO and HORTENSIO, and from KEN THOMAS as RALPH, the “blind” STAGE MANAGER and TERRY GAUNTLETT as the STAGE DOORMAN, while we had a nicely judged HARRISON HOWELL from DAVID KINCH.
The standard of singing and performing of the CHORUS and DANCERS was very high. They gave everything they had and, when called upon to do so, produced some very nice cameos.
The SCENERY was good and the COSTUMES complemented it very well. The period costumes were just right, particularly the “modern” ones. The LIGHTING was excellent, using wonderful colour to enhance the scenes and STAGE MANAGEMENT was efficient and well done.
Congratulations to everyone on working so hard to produce such a good show. It was well up to the standards expected of the Society and was very enjoyable.
Praise must go, as well, to the designers of the programme and poster, both of which were excellent. Another award in the offing?
Valerie Jarvis
NODA
|
|||||
|
|||||