The Theatre!

Kiss Me Kate adds to one of the many theatre performances that I have attended both at local theaters and on Broadway. I have seen other shows such as Oliver, Brigadoon, The Sound of Music, Les Miserables, and Around the World in 80 Days to list a few. Compared to the other shows I have seen, this one measures up pretty well considering that it was a collegiate level performance. The vocalists I thought had very mature voices and were able to blend very well with one another. In addition to this, the dancing and choreography was outstanding. The whole cast did a really nice job executing all of the difficult moves that were put into the production. All together, the show was more than what I thought it would be. I was more entertained than I had expected mainly due to how well the actors and actresses played their roles. The two gangsters and their song regarding the quoting of Shakespeare make me laugh all of the way through their corny dance. The male lead surprised me as well. It is not often that I hear such a strong voice even in a professional performance. In my opinion, the casting, stage elements, and overall talent that everyone possessed added to the fact that the show was very well done.

The musical theatre genre is one that holds a special place in my heart because of the many

performances that I have taken a part in. In addition, theatre and classical music as a whole is

something that I have been involved with since I was in elementary school. I love and

appreciate all musical productions, but if I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say that

The Phantom of the Opera would most likely come first. Andrew Lloyd Webber is nothing

short of a complete and total genius. The way that the music makes me feel, both

instrumentally and vocally, is something that I believe everyone needs to feel at some point in

their lives. When the final note is uttered by the Phantom, when the strings come in strong

and then fade to nothing; the beauty of the music makes my heart ache. So while this certain

performance of Kiss Me Kate was a great one, I will say that it is simply impossible to beat

the talents of those like Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Emmy Rossem,

or Patrick Wilson.

I have never read "The Taming of the Shrew" even though I have read many other of

Shakespeare's plays. Having said this, the production that I saw on Saturday gave me great

appreciation for the plot regardless of my lack of prior knowledge. It seems as though the

characters and the crew of this musical as well as the writers did a very nice job incorporating

the plot of the "Taming of the Shrew" in with this production. My favorite part of this

experience was simply being able to see a musical theater performance as I have not been able

to attend one in quite some time. I often wish that I could have the musical talent of all those I

saw on stage, however I reckon that I have enough to make me happy and express myself in all

of the ways that I enjoy.