Kiss Me Kate

Mary Claire King (Samantha House) and Ralph Meitzler (Bill/Lucentio)
Photo by Samantha House

Looking forward to seeing the long-awaited Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival kick off, Joan and I went to the first show of the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse's 2012 season on Monday June 4th.

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse’s first production Kiss Me, Kate, the 1948 Tony-Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, got the summer season got off on the right foot.

The show opened with a show topper, Another Op’ning... Another Show, sang with gusto by Karen Marie Richardson. The ensemble put forth an energy which they maintained throughout the performance.

Another highlight was a clever rendition of Brush Up Your Shakespeare by the Gangsters, Bruce Warren and Bob Frame.

Joan and I are in total agreement with Tony Curulla's P-S review, our favorite too was the up-tempo, jazz-infused dance sequence to “Too Darn Hot” at the head of Act II, led by Thay Floyd.

Ed Sayles’ direction definitely got the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival off on the right foot.

Other shows of this season:
9 to 5: The Musical
My Fair Lady
Cabaret
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Nunsense