Look, I have to do this for my AP English class. Don't be too mad at me for letting your hopes down. I'm also fully aware of the extreme indents at the beginning of each paragraph. That's what happens when you copy and paste from a Google Doc.
Last year, Taylorsville High School’s musical was Once on This Island. While impressively put on and talently performed, it could really be described in one word: depressing. So this year, upon preparing to see this year’s production of Kiss Me, Kate (written by Samuel and Bella Spewack with lyrics and music by Cole Porter), I unconsciously prepared myself for another downer, albeit a well-performed one. Imagine my surprise when I actually laughed for quite a bit of the show.
The acting was really impressive. The two leads were especially good at some of the quick or extreme moods their characters (or even their characters’ characters) were feeling. They also played very well off each other, fitting perfectly into their roles. The other leads were obviously having a lot of fun with their parts and exhibited that well through their spot-on acting. They weren’t over-the-top but weren’t too subtle either, seamlessly becoming their characters. The ensemble wasn’t silly (as many ensembles tend to be) and filled their parts with the quiet acting needed for such a role (for it truly is a role).
The sets were colorful (again a contrast to last year) and helped bring the audience into the story instead of the other way around. However, there were a couple that were on the border of being distracting. It was nothing too serious, but there were a few that were just a little much. They seemed very well put-together and obviously had effort put into them.
The music was by far my favorite part. The songs were either fun and catchy or emotionally stirring, and either was pleasing. All of the actors had wonderful voices and there were hardly any times when one person would stick out. The orchestra did an excellent job. Live music is difficult, especially when you’ve only been practicing together for a few of the rehearsals--but you wouldn’t have guessed that just by listening. One complaint about the music is that some of the songs were way long, which in and of itself wouldn’t bother me, but it was the slightly annoying songs that didn’t have anything to do with the story that were dragged on. There were multiple songs that would “end,” the audience would applaud, and then it would start up again and play for just as long as before. Besides that, the music was great. Of course, if you had asked me what the lyrics were, I would only be able to respond with a blank look.
The microphones were awful. When they weren’t cutting out, they sounded extremely muffled or even had that horrible screechy feedback (although the latter was considerably more scarce). It was very hard to understand what was being said, especially during the songs. The dialogue was a little bit better, but only because you could hear every one in three words instead of every one in five.
If you’re one of those people that’s sitting on the edge of your seat, pleading with me to talk about the lights, you are about to be severely disappointed because I do not pay attention to lights whatsoever. I could see the actors. There were spotlights sometimes and it went dark sometimes. That’s all I can tell you. I’m fully aware that lighting is important, but I don’t care enough to take notes.
The costumes were...realistic? I don’t know what you expect me to say. The actors were fully clothed (hey, some characters last year were only half so). Their outfits seemed to fit well with the time periods being portrayed. The end.
Now, the basic storyline of Kiss Me, Kate. Two actors, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, were once married (and now no longer are) but are performing Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Lilli is engaged to some general, but she and Fred kind of start falling for each other again until Fred sends the--What’s a good word?--tramp of the story, Lois Lane, a tender note of affection and Lilli’s wedding bouquet, both of which Lilli thinks are hers until she reads the note. They eventually realize that the play is a lot like their current life. At least, that’s the important storyline. (Remember the microphone issue?) Then there were gangsters showing up for some reason (don’t worry, they were my favorites), the tramp looks like she’s going to play a big part and then doesn’t, her boyfriend wants to marry despite knowing she’s a tramp, and Lilli’s general boyfriend comes out of nowhere and does absolutely nothing. As far as I can tell, that is all that happened.
So, what makes a good theater production? According to me, at least, a good theater production needs good talent but also good attitudes. There ought to be minimal technical difficulties, memorization problems, and otherwise other bloopers. The time and effort put in should be impressive, not distracting. It should be fun (notice I didn’t say funny) and interesting to watch. It shouldn’t be too overly dramatic. Really, I just want everyone involved to look like they’re enjoying it. All of the above applied to Kiss Me, Kate, even with the annoying sound problems. I would give it at least four stars. It was definitely worth seeing.
Well, I hope that was informative.
I hope your day is as awesome as you.
