FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Woodstock Musical Theatre Company Contact: Laurie Faith Gibson, Publicity Chair Phone: 815-263-7658 Email: info@woodstocktheatre.com Web: www.WoodstockTheatre.com

 

 

PRESS REVIEWS

---

October 20, 2005 - Northwest Herald Style Section

Woodstock Musical Theatre Co. pulls off 'Kate' with a flourish [published on Thu, Oct 20, 2005] WOODSTOCK – Some women just don't know what's good for them. Take the petulant Lilli Vanessi, a woman who's a star in her own mind and an egotistical princess in those of most everyone else. She's set on marrying this old military guy who, while he has access to the White House, isn't the portrait of romance or youth. And all the while, her true love is literally in the next room (in the next dressing room, anyway). She's just too obstinate and self-absorbed to put her pride aside and go back to him. All of this happens while they play Katherine, a mean girl from Padua, and Petruchio, her determined suitor, in a production of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," in which they get to act out their relationship problems and eventually resolve them. Throw in a couple of mobsters looking to collect on a "debt of honor," a flirty blonde staying true in her fashion, and a cast of thousands (OK, more like a couple dozen) and you've got "Kiss Me Kate." You can catch it at the Woodstock Opera House for two more weekends, and you should. Cole Porter's humorous, amorous, ironic music anchors this show. If you were at all awake in the 20th century, you'll recognize the songs "Too Darn Hot" and "Always True to You in My Fashion," at the very least. Just as Porter's music anchors the show, the lead voices anchor this production. Angie Kells-Brandenburg gives her big jazzy voice to the character Lois Lane and delivers sassy performances of "Always True" and "Tom, Dick, or Harry." April Martinez launches the second act into high energy with "Too Darn Hot." And Mary Nigohosian, as Lilli Vanessa and the shrew Katherine, filters her character's building frustration, rage and, well, shrewishness, through her expressive voice and elastic facial expressions, which had the audience laughing out loud. Kyle McCoy and Robert Willbrandt, as two mob thugs sent to collection a fraudulent gambling IOU, steal the stage with "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," a number that elicited louder and louder laughs as it went on. What's deceptive – in a good way – about this particular show is the way it pulls in an audience with diverse expectations. It has got Shakespeare, classic musical theater, slapstick comedy, a love story and Cole Porter all wrapped up in the same package. Which is to say, you should give it a try. You'll probably like it. By KRISTEN TURNER kturner@nwherald.com "Kiss Me Kate" Where: Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Oct. 28-29; 2 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 29; and 6 p.m. Sunday Information: (815) 338-5300 or www.woodstockoperahouse.com

---

'Kiss Me, Kate' delivers — music, laughs, romance ... By DEBORAH SKOZEK October 12, 2005 - The Woodstock Independent - www.inde-news.com Anytime you leave the theater singing one or more of the songs, you know the play was good, the singing was good, the orchestra was good and you had a good time. Who knew Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" included so many familiar hit tunes — "So In Love," "Wunderbar," and "Too Darn Hot." But as soon as the curtain rises on this Woodstock Musical Theatre production directed by Tish Lyon, the magic begins. The well-crafted scenery, the 1940s clothing and the palpable onstage energy immediately transport the audience back in time. An audience member perusing the program before the start of the show remarked, "I can't wait to see how they fit all these people on this stage." The spare but well-constructed two-level set designed by Sue Lewis affords plenty of space and allows for plenty of movement and visual interest. For example, the bits of business in the opening scene, backstage at Baltimore's Ford Theatre — stagehands seeking stars' autographs, the sharing of a flask of booze, and the hanging up of costumes — are all performed as the 28-member cast sing the toe-tapping "Another Op'nin, Another Show." "Kiss Me, Kate," a play-within-a-play comedy, involves actor/producer Fred Graham's efforts to launch a production of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" and to lure his temperamental ex-wife Lilli Vanessi out of retirement by giving her the role of Katherine Minola. Of course, he has also hired nubile nightclub chanteuse Lois Lane, his current romantic interest, to play Katherine's sister Bianca. Lois' boyfriend Bill Calhoun who portrays one of her onstage suitors Lucentio and is a compulsive gambler complicates the storyline by signing "Fred Graham" on his IOU. And the delivery of a bouquet of flowers from Graham to Lilli Vanessi instead of the intended recipient Lois Lane destroys the separation between stage and backstage. Card-carrying professional actor David Meadows who plays Fred Graham and Mary K. Nigohosian who portrays Lilli Vanessi are trodding the boards for the first time in Woodstock. Portraying a couple both on and off stage, Meadows and Nigohosian strike a beautiful balance in every way, physically, emotionally and musically. Both are incredibly talented and share an amazing onstage chemistry. Their voices are as clear and as strong as their performances. Many familiar faces fill the stage and turn in wonderful performances. April Martinez plays Vanessi's personal assistant Hattie. With her powerful yet sultry voice and sensuous shimmy, Martinez puts real sizzle in the musical number "Too Darn Hot." The women's ensemble in silk chemises and tap pants joins April in describing balmy Baltimore. The demure Jennifer M. K. as the wardrobe lady and Beatrice, the towering David Lindquist as Harry and Baptista and the versatile Kyle McCoy as a mobster and onstage aide to Katherine give wonderful and memorable performances. Aside from two musical numbers, the orchestra under the direction of Betsy Stemple never overwhelms the singing. The lighting sets the mood of each scene. In scene five, which takes place in Padua, Italy, lighting designer Jennifer Prise bathes the stage in sunshine, and the Mediterranean heat can be felt. Using the front of the stage and the curtain are effective and allow for the movement of scenery and costume changes. The comedy is occasionally bawdy, but most of the jokes allude to late 1940s events and celebrities. On opening night, feminists in the audience certainly reacted to General Harrison Howell's (Charles Rutherford) remark that "women should be struck regularly like a gong." The most hilarious number is McCoy's and Robert Wilbrandt's performance of "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." The music and singing alone would be reason enough to spend an evening at the Opera House, but "Kiss Me, Kate" is a complete entertainment package.

 

 

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

---

Coming in Mid-October 2005