Kiss me Kate
By Cole Porter
Season September 2006
Venue ANU Arts Centre
TheStory
Kiss Me Kate tells the tale of two once-married, now-divorced musical theatre actors, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, who are performing opposite each other in a Broadway-bound musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, in the roles of Petruchio and Katharina. Already on poor terms, the pair begin an all-out emotional war midperformance when Lilli discovers Fred sent his latest fling, Lois Lane, Lilli's wedding bouquet. (Lois plays the role of Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew.) The only thing keeping the show together are threats from a pair of gangsters.
Lois's steady boyfriend (and the show's Lucentio), Bill Calhoun, loves to gamble, and to avoid the responsibility of paying his debts, has signed Fred's name to an I.O.U. Gangsters have come to collect on it, and this show will provide the money that Fred needs to avoid getting his fingers broken. Fred, in turn, uses the gangsters to prevent the furious Lilli from walking out on the show after she discovers that the wedding bouquet was really meant for Lois and throws a tantrum, prompting Fred to literally spank her onstage. In classic musical comedy fashion, madness ensues, and both pairs of lovers are ultimately reconciled. Fred and Lilli presumably re-marry.
ProductionTeam
| Director | Cathie Clelland |
| Musical Director | Rose Shorney |
| Choreographer | Emma Tattam |
| Production Manager | Liz Methorst |
Cast
| Lilli Vanessi/Katherine | Libby Bancroft |
| Fred Graham/Petruchio | Tom Millhouse |
| Lois Lane/Bianca | Janelle McMenamin |
| Bill Calhoun/Lucentio | Bryn Honeyman |
| Paul | Adrian Flor |
| Hattie | Judith Colquhoun |
| First Man/Gangster | Garry Walbrook |
| Second Man/Gangster | Brian Daly |
| Flynt/Gremio | Scott Osborne |
| Riley/Hortensio | Brendan Hawke |
| Harry/Baptista | Berend Methorst |
| Gen. Harrison Howell | Tony Turner |
| Ensemble Female | Josie Dunham, Margaret Franks, Sarah Hull, Amy Kilpatrick, Eleanor Kirkham, Lucy Shanny, Denise Stephenson, Elda Sutton, Anna Tito, Jessica Bingley, Jane Kellett |
| Ensemble Male | Justin Barrasch, Andrew Clucas, Neil Stevenson, Richard Block, Daniel McMillan, Tom Bingley, Phil Schubert, Berend Methorst, Ron Presswell, Scott Osborne, Brendan Hawke |
| Dancers | Jane Faulder, Marie Le Brun, Zoe Holdenso, Julia Strang |