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I (Olli) have seen Kiss Me, Kate so far two times. One, on December 3rd, was two weeks after their opening, and the second time, May 30, 2000 was a few days prior to the Tonys, so each performance had alot of energy.
I was lucky enough to see all six leads (Marin, Stokes, Michael, Amy, Lee and Michael) both times so far. (I say so far because I intend to see the show again when I am up in NYC this summer).
For the first performance, I sat in the rear mezzanine, which was cheap, and was a nice few. For the second performance, I sat closer, in Orchestra row K (or Row L or N or something), so I could see more detail than I could the first time.
Let me take this space to say that Marin Mazzie was *robbed* of a Tony, and I am talking grand larceny, grand theft auto, whatever you want to call it. *ROBBED*. And Heather Headley, while good in Aida was not near the caliber of Miss Mazzie's performance, and bash me all you want, but I say that Marin is the better one, and she lost a Tony for Mother (Ragtime], and unfortunately, one for her fabulous Lilli Vannessi.
Both times I have seen the show, audiences have been very enthusiastic, which I think makes the performers do better each time. Brian Stokes Mitchell is always great as Fred. He plays off Marin very well, and everytime I hear the "So In Love" reprise, I am amazed. Marin Mazzie. What can I say about this woman that has not already been said? Her voice, her facial expressions, her comedy...*Everything* she does in this show is perfection. Since she lost the Tony, I just want to go see KMK every night with a big sign saying "I Love Marin" and give her standing ovations for "I Hate Men", but since that would scare her, and I don't have that kind of $, I decline. But *everything* about her performance is simply magical. Even "From This Moment On", which, in my opinion, has no business being in the show (but if it was the Fosse version I wouldn't mind], Marin makes the best of the material, and although she knows FTMO is cheesy, she plays it that way, and is always great. Okay, shoot me, but I didn't really like Amy Spanger the first time I saw the show. She was probably having a bad night, or had not grown into the role yet, but I just did not think she was anything special. But the second night -- Wow! Her "Always True To You" is so full of Fosse bumps and grinds, and her singing reminds me of Bernadette Peters, and the wig is reminiscent of a young Judy Garland...How can this girl not become a star very soon? I think she should have gotten a Tony nomination, but I am very glad Karen Ziemba won. But with her performance as Lois Lane, this makes me *really* want to see her as Roxie Hart, a role she played last year opposite Michael Berresse (great segue, eh?). I have been a fan of Michael Berresse since his Busker Alley days (he caught my eye as a dancer], and I was thrilled to hear he would be playing Bill Calhoun. His performance is great, and I have made sure I sit up close every time to catch his acrobatic trick. (I won't spoil it for those of you who have yet to see the show). And I know many of the women in the audience didn't mind when he appeared (albiet briefly] with his shirt off. And the gangsters, Michael Mulheren and Lee Wilkof...they are always so funny. Almost every line they say gets a laugh, and they always get applause when they come on at the end.
I have taken a friend, and my dad to see the show and they both *loved* it. I think it was so deserving of all the Tony Awards it won (and more! Marin and Michael...), and I hope to see it running on Broadway for a long time to come.
