Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul with some gangsters.Kiss Me, Kate was Porter's response to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and other integrated musicals; it was the first show he wrote in which the music and lyrics were firmly connected to the script, and it proved to be his biggest hit and the only one of his shows to run for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway. In 1949, it won the first Tony Award presented for Best Musical.
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- "I would like to offer my congratulations on another wonderful school show. Sitting in the audience watching 'Kiss me, Kate', it was easy to forget that we were watching secondary school pupils, such was the quality of the production. The acting, singing, dancing, orchestra, sound, lighting and set changes were second to none. Such performances are not possible without months of hard work and commitment from both staff and pupils. I would like to thank staff for their hard work during months of rehearsals and for overcoming any challenges to provide these talented pupils with an opportunity to shine!Just wanted to jump on the band wagon and pass on my congratulations to all involved in the production of Kiss Me Kate. As always totally blown away by the talent - well done!"
- "I had to write to express my grateful thanks for your kind invitation to attend last nights delightful performance of the schools show "Kiss me Kate". I had the loveliest evening. The young people are so talented, so many of them, and it was obvious a lot of hard work and commitment must have been invested by them, and the teachers, in making the production the success it undoubtedly was. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and was quite overawed by the amount and range of acting, singing and dancing talent shown by the whole cast. Your pride in them was also quite obvious and I can see why the school is so successful with the high level of commitment and clear enjoyment expressed by everyone I spoke with."
- "I am lost for words . . . no, not the chest infection back again, but instead my reaction to the school show last night - it's really hard to describe just quite how amazing it was!"
- "An incredibly professional production as usual, could you please pass on my huge admiration and compliments to all involved - the amount of work is just incredible - it always makes me so proud to be part of the school."
- "The dedication and hard work of the staff who become involved and give of their own time to make this happen will have given the pupils something really precious - wonderful memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. The pupils are real stars - so many talented kids, just wonderful. The school should be very proud of them."
- "Very professionally carried off and a most difficult score to master. Connor and Dariann were superb as were all the cast."
- "A short and wholly inadequate note to thank you for the invitation and the whole cast, band and production team for such a wonderful evening."
- "The music was excellent, the singing and dancing tremendous with everything being brought together in a seamless way that would do credit to a professional crew."
- "Many congratulations to all involved. You brought laughs where and when they were due and had feet tapping throughout. A great evening that Cole Porter would have enjoyed."
- "Congratulations to all involved, what a show. From the vocal talents, the quality of acting, the shear presence of principals on stage. The costumes, the sound management, the lighting and the superb stage design. The talented and competent musicians. Mostly to the pupils themselves. An effort for all to be proud of, worthy of a city centre professional production."
- "I just wanted to say a very big thank you for inviting me to the school show last night. It was a tremendous show, every member of the cast was truly amazing. What talent I just couldn't believe all of those kids are school age. It was a very professional performance well done to the teachers, the band and all the kids working in the background. Amazing,well done everyone."
- "The costumes were unbelievable, what skill, I just loved all of them.This Show was way up in the league table like those Shows where the cast earns millions and they cost an arm and a leg for a ticket. It was a tremendous show well done."
- "Well done to all your staff and pupils. Thank you so much for such an amazing night I thoroughly enjoyed every minute."
- "Just had to let you know that last night was another fabulous show and worthy of main stream entertainment within the musical stage."
- "What I saw in the Assembly Hall last night was absolutely knock out. What really impressed me last night were stellar performances by the whole ensemble. Dariann was scarily convincing as the virago Katherine. She really went for it and just occasionally I got hints of the great Ethel Merman in her delivery. Connor was superb: polished and poised and delivering comic asides with great timing. Lauren belted out some great Cole Porter songs with assurance and pizazz. "Always true to you darling" was terrific. Sam was a revelation also. For a boy in S2/3! A star in the making. Great support from the whole cast and the orchestra as well of course. It's unfair to pick out any particular performance in such a brilliant production but, for me, the highlight of a show full of terrific performances, was Franklyn and Euan doing "Brush up your Shakespeare". Thanks to all concerned for a fabulous evening's entertainment. In its own way, every bit as good as Springsteen and the E Street Band the night before. And that's saying something! And, I should have added, Isaac as the General. I remember him as a very quiet lad. A great advert for the role of drama in the curriculum."
