TV on DVD

Kiss Me, Kate's musical fun featured live on PBS Blu-ray

Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate

What is it? Kiss Me, Kate, 2 hours, 27 minutes on one Blu-ray disc from Shout! Factory

How much? $19.97

When? Now

Who is Kate? Kate as in Katherine, the female lead in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. But it's a little more complicated than that.

Here's the story: The cast and crew of a musical version of Shrew are gearing up for their big out-of-town opening in Baltimore. Live theater is always risky, but in this case, there are more potential pitfalls than normal.

The star/director/producer (and world-class egomaniac) Frederick Graham (Brent Barrett) can't seem to keep on the right side of his temperamental leading lady (and ex-wife), Lilli Vanessi (Rachel York). The two are constantly at each other's throats.

It doesn't help that Fred has been wooing the production's ingenue, Lois Lane (Nancy Anderson). For her part, Lois dates the irresponsible dancer/actor Bill Calhoun (Michael Berresse), who has run up an impressive gambling debt.

As the action plays out on- and offstage and art imitates life, a misdelivered love note, a forged IOU and a pair of Shakespeare-admiring gangsters (Teddy Kempner and Jack Chissick) threaten to torpedo the show before it even makes it to Broadway.

So, it's a musical? Yes, one of the classics. The song list is full of Cole Porter numbers like "Another Op'nin', Another Show," "Wunderbar" and "Too Darn Hot."

The musical first opened in 1948 and was a big Broadway hit. This particular production is the 2001 London revival. It was filmed in front of an audience and aired on PBS' Great Performances.

How is it? A fun, high-energy battle of the sexes -- though it helps if you like classic musicals. Some may find the jokes hokey and the songs dated, but that's part of the fun.

This one has a lot of jokes and zany situations as well as some pretty impressive dance numbers and hummable tunes. The acting is "bigger" and more theatrical than modern audiences might be used to, but that should be expected in a filmed stage production.

And since this is a stage production, you will hear the audience's laughter and applause.

Are there extras? No.

New this week: Bunnicula, Season 1, Part 1; Home Movies, complete series; It's About Time, complete series; The Jamie Foxx Show, Season 3; Midsomer Murders, Season 19, Part 1; Prison Break, collector's set (Blu-ray) and event series; The Rockford Files, complete series (Blu-ray); The Strain, Season 3; Striking Out, Season 1; When Calls the Heart:Heart of Truth

Next week: Homicide: Life on the Street, complete series; When Calls the Heart, "Heart of a Teacher"

Style on 06/25/2017

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