Kiss Me Kate* |
Autumn 2012 |
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We performed Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate as our Autumn 2012 production. We put on five performances between 31st October and 3rd November 2012, including a matinee and two gala nights. This was our first show in a new venue of Copthall School, Pursley Road, Mill Hill - a move necessary due to the redevelopment of our traditional home, Hartley Hall on Flower Lane. However we rehearse at a separate venue, John Keble Church Hall, meaning there was much pressure as show week approached to maximise the rehearsal time we did have at Copthall! Our leading man, Robert Barker, was also our set designer, so there was also much last-minute set building, and the cast enjoyed seeing new additions appear to the scenery as show week progressed... You can find some behind the scenes pictures here. |
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SYNOPSIS
Kiss Me Kate is a play about a play. A theatrical group is presenting Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in Baltimore, Maryland. The cast includes Fred Graham and his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi, a gambler Bill Calhoun and his on/off girlfriend Lois Lane. Bill is involved with gangsters and owes $10,000 from a crap game but gave Fred’s name on the IOU.
In Act I, Fred and Lilli, though divorced, begin to realise they still have feelings for each other even though Lilli is about to marry General Harrison Howell. Flowers that Fred meant for Lois are sent mistakenly to Lilli before the show, making her think Fred has feelings for her, and she reciprocates. However on reading the card she discovers the flowers were meant for Lois. Lilli hotly announces she is leaving the show, but this is halted by the gangsters wanting their $10,000 from Fred, and she is left to continue under duress. All this is going on whilst trying to perform a play on stage with the chorus not entirely sure of the new dialogue and two new “actors” who have never been to rehearsals before.
In Act II, we return to The Taming of the Shrew to find Fred and Lilli’s characters, Petruchio and Katherine, now married. Meanwhile General Howell has arrived to take Lilli away for their wedding which has been arranged by him with military style. Lilli tries to convince the General that she is being held against her will and must leave. Bill catches Lois flirting with General Howell but she insists that she would always be true to him (in her own way) and deep down he loves her. With a shake-up in the gangster world, Bill’s IOU becomes void and Fred no longer needs to worry about the debt and lets Lilli leave. Lilli is not convinced that she should be with the General and although she left the play before the end of the show she comes back to play out the final scene, much to Fred’s delight.
In Act I, Fred and Lilli, though divorced, begin to realise they still have feelings for each other even though Lilli is about to marry General Harrison Howell. Flowers that Fred meant for Lois are sent mistakenly to Lilli before the show, making her think Fred has feelings for her, and she reciprocates. However on reading the card she discovers the flowers were meant for Lois. Lilli hotly announces she is leaving the show, but this is halted by the gangsters wanting their $10,000 from Fred, and she is left to continue under duress. All this is going on whilst trying to perform a play on stage with the chorus not entirely sure of the new dialogue and two new “actors” who have never been to rehearsals before.
In Act II, we return to The Taming of the Shrew to find Fred and Lilli’s characters, Petruchio and Katherine, now married. Meanwhile General Howell has arrived to take Lilli away for their wedding which has been arranged by him with military style. Lilli tries to convince the General that she is being held against her will and must leave. Bill catches Lois flirting with General Howell but she insists that she would always be true to him (in her own way) and deep down he loves her. With a shake-up in the gangster world, Bill’s IOU becomes void and Fred no longer needs to worry about the debt and lets Lilli leave. Lilli is not convinced that she should be with the General and although she left the play before the end of the show she comes back to play out the final scene, much to Fred’s delight.
CAST
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Fred Graham / Petruchio
Lilli Vanessi / Katherine Bill Calhoun / Lucentio Lois Lane / Bianca Harry Trevor / General Howell / Baptista First Man Second Man Ruth Paul / Gremio Hattie |
Robert Barker
Clare Shah Sean Lilley Janice Edgar Grant Graves Harvey Kesselman Roger Dowlen Urusula Shah Anil Aksay Sharon Brandelli |
Hortensio
Wardrobe Lady Stage Doorman Chorus |
Robert Brown
Nikki Hovsepian James Bingham James Penton Chris Hubbard Celia Lyons Diane Hammond Farhat Dar Emily Schermuly |
ORCHESTRA
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Conductor
Reed 1 Reed 2 Reed 3 Horn Trombone |
Michael Riley
Adam Stoodley Victoria Bell Mark Smith Charlie Cooley Melissa Brown |
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2 Piano Synthesiser Percussion |
Mikey Thomas
Jacob Phillips Gaspar Hunt Danny Wallington Josh Stadlen |
TECHNICAL
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Director
Musical Director Set Construction & Design Lighting Costumes Wardrobe |
Jacqueline Mitchell
Solfa Carlisle Robert Barker James Bingham Leo Brandelli Gam Shah Members of MHAOS Stan Head Rickmansworth Wardrobe Chris Hubbard Pam Erwood |
Dressing Room Assistant
Wigs Make-up Stage Manager Front of House Box Office Prompt Stage Hand Props |
Pam Erwood
Janet Jomain Linda Dowlen Asif Siddiqui Friends of the Society Friends of the Society Carolyn Killen Ben Thompson Janice Edgar |
*Performances by the amateur group Mill Hill Amateur Operatic Society were by arrangement with MusicScope and Stage Musicals Ltd of New York