Show Finder

Spring was tardy this year, so if you are still suffering from seasonal affective disorder, you might try some therapeutic theater courtesy of the radiant revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” which is spreading high-summer sunshine at Studio 54. Showcasing the golden voice of one of Broadway’s bona fide treasures, Kelli O’Hara, who stars as the actress Lilli Vanessi opposite the terrific Will Chase, playing her ex-husband and current co-star, Fred Graham, the revival — Broadway’s first in two decades — is an effervescent throwback to the years when the musical theater was a reliable non-chemical antidepressant.  

The Roundabout Theatre’s big, boisterous, brawling “Kiss Me, Kate” is a revival to fall for. It stars Kelli O’Hara who lights up the stage with her incomparable talents. No surprise there, but the big revelation in this production is the way the creative team managed to solve the show's inherent sexism. Based on Shakespeare's "Taming Of the Shrew," the idea that any woman needs taming is problematic. But here thanks to some subtle tweaks and re-staging, it's the story that's getting tamed without losing any of its ferocious bite!

Warren Carlyle’s inventive choreography is also showcased to wonderful effect in songs performed by the charming secondary couple: the gambling-prone hoofer Bill (High School Musical alum Corbin Bleu) and the frankly available showgirl Lois (Stephanie Styles). Bleu’s “Bianca” finds him tapping up the stairs of David Rockwell’s backstage set until he’s dancing on the ceiling