About this production
Set in Ford’s Theatre, Baltimore, in the 1940’s, Kiss Me, Kate is the story of egotistical leading man, director, and producer Fred Graham, who is reunited with his ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, when the two are forced to play opposite one another in a new production of Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’.
The battle of the sexes continues onstage and off, as it becomes clear that, as much as the couple profess to hate each other, they are also still in love. Alongside their bickering liaison, the show’s supporting actress, Lois Lane, helps her gambling boyfriend, Bill, as he attempts to evade the clutches of local gangsters.
Throw into the mix cases of mistaken identity, the mob and comedic routines and you get ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ the first of Cole Porter’s Broadway shows to run for more than 1000 performances and the first Broadway show to win a Tony award for Best Musical.