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Another
Op'nin' Another Show welcomes you to Baltimore and to the opening of a
musical version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." The cast of
the play is on stage and receiving final instructions from Fred Graham,
the director. A play-within-a-play unfolds, where each of the four main
cast members' on-stage performance is complicated by what is happening
in his off-stage life. Fred takes the roles of director and male lead,
Petruchio. His ex-wife Lilli, now a movie star with a reputation for
being difficult to work with, plays Katharine, the shrew. Fred's current
love interest, Lois, plays the role of Bianca, and the other man in
Lois' life, Bill, plays the role of Lucentio.
Before the
curtain rises on "The Shrew" we find out that Bill has a gambling
problem. He tells Lois that he signed a $10,000 IOU for a debt in Fred's
name, instead of using his own name. Not long after Lois begs Bill to
stop gambling, two thugs show up at the theater to make it clear that
Bill will have to make good on that IOU. But they confront Fred instead
of Bill, since Fred's name is on the gambling debt. Lois asks Bill Why
Can't You Behave? Fred and Lilli reminisce nostalgically about their
other performances together, and their warm feelings for each other
return -Wunderbar. When flowers sent by Fred to Lois mistakenly get
delivered to Lilli, Lilli falls even more deeply in love with Fred -So
in Love.
We are
brought into Shakespeare's world with We Open in Venice. It is not long
before we are told that Lucentio (Bill) may not marry his love Bianca
(Lois), until Bianca's older sister Katharine (Lilli) the shrew is
married off. Bianca enjoys flirting with her gentlemen callers in Tom,
Dick or Harry. Fortunately for Bianca and Lucentio, Petruchio (Fred)
comes to town looking for a wealthy wife and is not scared off by
Katharine. Petruchio explains his goal in I've Come to Wive It Wealthily
in Padua and Katharine makes her feelings clear in I Hate Men. Lilli
finally discovers that the flowers Fred sent her were actually intended
for Lois, and we hear her shriek in outrage from offstage. In Were Thine
That Special Face Petruchio sings of his strong feelings for Katharine.
Lilli threatens to walk out of the show, but is forced to stay. Fred
convinces the two gangsters that he will be able to pay them the money
he allegedly owes them, if they can make sure Lilli continues to play
her role. The gangsters put on costumes and become part of the cast of
"The Shrew" to stay close to Lilli. Lilli uses her anger toward Fred to
express herself as Katharine for the rest of the show. Fred is forced to
get tough with Katharine as he plays Petruchio. Kiss Me, Kate closes the
first act.
The second
act opens with Too Darn Hot, which gives the cast a chance to relax
outside the theatre during intermission. Back at "The Shrew" Petruchio
marries Katharine, and already misses his relatively peaceful single
life in Where Is the Life That Late I Led? Lois and Bill sing of their
relationship in Always True to You (In My Fashion) and then Bill sings
Bianca. When the gangsters call their boss to 'check in,' they find out
that the boss has been killed. This makes Bill's IOU worthless, so the
gangsters can leave. Lilli takes the opportunity to walk off the show,
and leaves with her dependable fiance Harrison, as Fred reprises So in
Love. The gangsters get caught up in the limelight and pay an unusual
tribute to Shakespeare in Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Bianca and Lucentio
are finally married. As "The Taming of the Shrew" comes to a close,
Lilli unexpectedly returns to the stage, and in Katharine's words
expresses her intention of returning to Fred -I Am Ashamed That Women
Are So Simple. Lilli and Fred are reunited, and Lois and Bill are
together. |
