"Kiss Me, Kate", Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON

This afternoon Gord and I saw Kiss Me, Kate, which is part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

As backstage bickering between the co-stars of a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew threatens to sabotage opening night, along come a couple of gangsters with a gambling debt to collect. The result is hilarity on and off the stage – all punctuated by Cole Porter’s unforgettable melodies and wickedly witty lyrics.

With such hits as “So In Love” and “Too Darn Hot,” this classic from the golden age of musical theatre is a fun-filled way to “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”

This is a fun and lively play.

Part of it takes place backstage with the interactions of Fred and Lilli (who are now divorced), Fred and Lois (a slutty not-so-smart actress), Lois and her boyfriend, and Lilli and her fiance (the general).

Then there's the play within the play, the Taming of the Shrew, which is not a good production as the actors either overact or aren't very good. Throw in the tension between Fred and Lilli when she discovers the flowers she received from Fred were actually meant for Lois. The two gangsters who show up to collect a gambling debt were funny.

Though good, I found the lead character of Lilli wasn't as strong as it should have been ... it seems like other characters like Lois and the gangsters outshine her.

I'd recommend this play if you are looking for something fun.