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Kiss me Kate! Quirijn de Lang as Fred playing Petruchio with Jeni Bern as Lilli playing Kate. Pictures: Richard Hubert Smith Kiss Me, Kate
Welsh National Opera
Birmingham Hippodrome
***** WHEN Welsh National Opera do a musical
they do it big, larger than life big, with one of the biggest, and best
productions of this Shakespeare inspired classic you are ever likely to
see. This really is a fabulous evening of musical
theatre bringing out all of the romance, wit and sheer brilliance of
Cole Porter’s lyrics and score. Without him The Great American Songbook would be
a slim volume indeed and this was his most successful musical, his only
one to top 1,000 performances on Broadway. If you can have Grand Opera then why not Grand
Musicals? Thus the Then there is WNO’s marvellous chorus, providing
an ensemble that is bigger than many a production can muster for a full
company including crew, and did I mention the singing? This is an opera
company after all and standards are maintained so much so that chorus
numbers become choral gems. The plot is simple, like Michael Frayn’s
Noises Off, we have two plays to contend with, the Baltimore
opening of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew on stage, and
the drama of real romance, or lack of it, backstage with a couple of
gun-toting gangsters thrown in. Incidentally the play is based on a real life warring couple, husband and wife actors Alfred Lunt an Lynn Fontanne who battled their way through a production of The Taming of the Shrew in 1935. Amelia Adams-Pearce as dizzy blonde Lois Lane and Bianca in the Shrew And WNO’s warring
couple are Fred and Lilli. Dutch operatic baritone Quirijn de Lang has a
marvellous voice and makes the switch from opera to Cole Porter with
ease in the role of Fred Graham the director, producer and star of the
Shakespeare play, Petruchio. He manages some lovely touches of humour
and gives us a very funny rendition of
Where Is the Life That Late I Led? as,
now married, he laments his lost freedom and the girls he once knew –
amid a succession of Italian landmarks. His co-star is movie star, and ex-wife, Lilli
Vanessi, who plays Katherine, the shrew, on the auspicious occasion of
both the opening and the first anniversary of their divorce. Indisposition of Jenni
Bern meant soprano Claire Wild stepped into the role as if born to play
it. She was sassy, headstrong, had a nice line in anger, mixed with a
bit of hysteria and a voice to die for, whether spitting the words out
in I hate men
or caressing them in the bittersweet
So in love. The pair go well together, with little sparks of
passion and chemistry, which is important; it's not much use having a
musical about a pair of ex-lovers who never really fell out of love if
we never believe they could be have been an item in the first place. Bringing the show down
market is ex-nightclub showgirl Lois Lane in a wonderful performance
from Amelia Adams-Pearce, making her debut with WNO fresh from the West
End. She also plays Bianca in true dumb blonde style, but with a bubbly
personality and lovely voice. Quite a find. Her
Always True to You in My Fashion
is a delight. She has her eye on the
gambling, hard drinking irresponsible, Bill Calhoun, who plays Lucentio
in the Shrew, all played in easy laid back style by Alan Birkitt, who
was last seen in these parts as Jerry Travers in
Top Hat. I
doubt if there is a better tap dancer around anywhere His solo dance is
worth the price of admis Humour comes in stereo from Joseph Shovelton and
John Savournin as the two gangsters charged with getting $10,000 back
from Fred for an IOU gambling debt with his name on it. Now who do we
know who is both irresponsible and gambles? Answers on an IOU please . .
. Our humorous hitmen then have to join the cast,
in suspenders for the fashion conscious – a nice touch that - to prevent
Lilli walking out after a row with Fred so that the show will carry on
and Fred will get paid and can honour the IOU he never signed in the
first place . . . follow that?
The pair are just fun
to watch and finish off with the wonderful
Brush Up Your Shakespeare
and its litany of 13 plays and one poem – count ‘em and see! Good support too from Landu Oshinowo as Hattie,
Max Parker as the tap dancing stage hand Paul, David Peart as would be Lilli suitor Washington insider Harrison Howell,
Rosie Hay as stage manager Ralph as well as Morgan Deare as Harry
Trevor, he of the dental appointment and Baptista, Kate’s father who is
desperate to wed her off an any eligible -i.e. still breathing – man. There is marvellous
singing and dancing from the huge chorus and dancers and Will Tuckett’s
choreography is always lively and interesting with never a hint of a
crowded stage, even when most of the cast are there, as in
Another op’nin. Another show
at the hit the ground running start. Directed with a delightfully light touch by Jo
Davies, allowing the music and humour to shine, things are kept moving
by a very clever set from Colin Richmond which flies, glides and slides
into new scenes as the cast walk on and off. A couple of longer scene
changes are covered, panto style, by front of curtain action. This is a
fast paced delight. It lasts a shade under three hours, but you would
never know it. Time just flies by as you sit back and delight in a night
of musical theatre magic. On not to miss. To 12-11-16 Roger Clarke 10-11-16
Another Op’nin’, another show
***** ALL’S well that ends well in this
glittering production of Cole Porter’s famous musical about a show
within a show. Leading lady Jeni Bern was indisposed so in
stepped award winning soprano Claire Wild to give a stunning performance
as Lilli Vanessi and Katherine. She handled the dual
role superbly, first as superstar Lilli preparing for a company’s
Baltimore staging of Shakespeare’s The
Taming of the Shrew while clashing with
leading man Fred Graham on the first anniversary of their divorce. Then Claire was particularly convincing playing
the fiery Kate whose father is desperate to get her of his hands and
married . . . if only some man would accept the challenge. Any concerns about the
cast switch disappeared as soon as she joined Quirijn de Lang in their
first duet – Wunderbar
– then later when she sang I Hate Men, though for some reason the
explosive hurling of plates and tankards was omitted. de Lang excelled as Fred Graham and Petruchio,
and how the audience enjoyed a rather cheeky view of Kate’s bared
anatomy in the spanking scene! This show was bursting
with good music, singing and delightful humour. Joseph Shovelton and
John Savournin shone as the gun-toting gangsters who threaten to disrupt
the Shrew production but prove a big hit when signing out with
Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Amelia Adams-Pearce is
perfect as Lois Lane and Bianca, while Alan Burkitt (Bill Calhoun and
Lucentio), who has choreographed for
Strictly Come Dancing, scored top marks
for his tap dancing. Great costumes and terrific music from the
orchestra conducted by James Holmes capped a great show, directed by Jo
Davies, It was simply Wunderbar! One of the WNO’s finest
performances in Birmingham. Paul Marston
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pit is home to a full symphony orchestra, under conductor James Holmes,
something beyond Porter’s wildest dreams for his show’s 1948 Broadway
premiere and what a gloriously, rich, deep, full sound they provide to
the wonderful score.
sion
alone. See video below. The man is just phenomenal.