©Playbill
Sept. 23, 2001


Company Generosity Resurrects
Broadway’s 'Kiss Me, Kate'
by Robert Simonson
and Kenneth Jones

Like several other shows on Broadway, the Tony-winning musical revival
Kiss Me, Kate decided to close on Sept. 23, smarting from the sudden
lack of tourists and theatregoers in the wake of the murderous Sept. 11
destruction of the World Trade Center. An eleventh hour bid of generosity
and team spirit on the part of the company, however, has extended the Cole
Porter show’s life.

A spokesperson for the show, speaking to Playbill On-Line Sept. 23, said
the entire company—from the actors onstage to the many workers behind the
scene—have agreed to take a 25 percent pay cut, similar to that accepted
by five other Broadway musicals last week. In addition to that, the company
members will voluntarily donate another quarter of their pay for the
purchase of tickets to the show. Those tickets will find their way into
the hands of the many rescue workers who have had a hand in the recovery
effort at Ground Zero.

Last week, while the producers of others shows were busy vying for labor
concessions to keep their flagging productions aloft, Kiss Me, Kate told
the unions it couldn’t get by in the rough economic climate with anything
less than a 50 percent salary cut. Union leaders rejected this as unworkable;
subsequently, Kate posted a closing notice for Sept. 23.

At some point, though, the cast and crew appeared to taken to heart Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani’s pleas that New Yorkers take in a Broadway show as a way
to boost the fortunes of the suffering city. They accepted the pay decrease
of 25 percent (also adopted last week by Chicago, Les Miz, Phantom, Rent
and The Full Monty). They then devised a plan to donate another 25
percent of their paycheck, to be used to buy tickets to Kate. The
tickets will be given the displaced families affected by the tragedy, relief
workers and volunteers. "In addition," read a press release, the company
"felt that by helping to keep Kiss Me, Kate, open - and another
Broadway show lit - that they are taking a stand by not allowing the events
of the crisis to diminish what Broadway and New York has to offer. "

According to the show, "The tickets will be distributed to Broadway Cares
and will be allocated to the Fire Department of New York Family Crisis
Center, American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), NYC
and Company (helping dislocated) and Families Center (set up by NYC at Pier 94)."

The arrangement will keep Kate open another two weeks, after which the
plan will be reassessed, said a spokesperson. On Sept. 23, there were reports
of lines of ticketbuyers snaking down the street in front of the Martin Beck,
hinting that the show may have a life beyond those two weeks.

The World Trade Center attacks brought with them a rash of sudden closings
on Broadway and Off-Broadway. Over the last few days, however, producers
have seemingly regained their courage and endeavored to save their productions.
The Rocky Horror Show closed on Sept. 23, but talk, which Bat Boy,
the Musical, is ending performances Sept. 23, but there was word Sept. 21
from production sources that the darkly comic cult favorite may go on hiatus
for three weeks prior to a mid-October resumption of performances.

Kate, which won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, had
recently announced it would end its more than two-year run Dec. 30, on its
own terms, but the Broadway economy plunged following the Sept. 11 tragedy
in Manhattan, and the producers decided to cut their losses and their perceived
future losses, early. By Sept. 23, the show would have played 28 previews and
769 regular performances. A national tour continues, and Marin Mazzie (who
originated the role of Lilli/Kate in this revival) opens in the London staging
in October. A cast album is on store shelves.

Previews for the Michael Blakemore-directed staging began in New York
Oct. 25, 1999, and opening was Nov. 18 that year. Burke Moses and Carolee
Carmello are the current stars of the show, at the Martin Beck Theatre. Janine
LaManna and Kevin Neil McCready co-star as Lois and Bill, respectively. The
next tenant at the Beck is the new musical, Sweet Smell of Success,
starring John Lithgow, in early 2002.

For Kiss Me, Kate ticket information, call (212) 239-6200.


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