A collaboration between Théâtre du Châtelet of Paris and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, the 6-performance run of the Braodway musical Kiss Me, Kate opened at the Grand Theatre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg on Saturday evening to a sell-out audience.
A production that premiered in December 1948 has stood the test of decades and can deservedly be compared with more contemporary productions which the Grand Theatre has been encouraging over the past couple of seasons, such as Dreamboats and Petticoats and Mamma Mia!
With the music and lyrics by Cole Porter, the storyline of Kiss Me, Kate is set on a production of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, with libretto by Sam and Bella Spewack and music by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra.
While the diction was a little difficult to catch at the start and the show seemed to take half an hour to warm up, once it gained momentum it was magnificent. The costumes were glorious, the choreography sublime and the singing superb, with a mix of operetta and more modern, popular music.
With the director and lead actor of the Shakespeare production infatuated by the younger of two sisters, his former wife, her (the youngers sister) boyfriend signed an IOU in the director's name, forcing two mobsters to come looking for their money. The elder of the two sisters (Kate) who plays the Shrew (Petruchio), threatens to walk off the production, but is forced to continue by the mobsters as a successful run is the only way they will see their money. And so the main plot and the sub-plots go...
The set was intricate, with the front and back being the stage, dressing rooms and courtyard. Two scenes in particular stood out, one before and one adfter the intermission - the scene in which the four main characters are on mopeds with projected images of Italy behind them, giving the impression of speeding thorugh Italy, and the ballroom scene for the finale.
The lyrics are full of American humour but the story-within-a-story is a bit complicated; but this is a good thing as it keeps the audience on their toes, trying to work out if a particilar scene is from The Taming of the Shoe Production (hint: operetta, Italian setting) or the Kiss Me Kate storyline. Complicated relationships and situations within the cast, both on and offstage.
In essence this is a battle between the sexes, often bickering. Many children were in attendance on Saturday evening.
Some tickets still remain for the Sunday evening and some other performances. See www.theatres.lu for details.
Photo by Marie-Noëlle Robert, copyright Théâtre du Châtelet
