"Cole Porter's 'Kiss Me Kate' at Round Barn Theater" - RBT, Playing Kate/Lilli, 2008

By Jeri Seely
Editor in Cheif
the PAPER

The perfect way to spend a fall evening is by attending Cole Porter's "Kiss Me Kate," now on stage at Amish Acres; Round Barn Theater in Nappanee.

It's entertaining. It's fun. It features great songs by a very talented cast.

The musical is based on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" with Porter's own special touches. It's a play-within-a-play and fetures the antics of two couples during a presentation of the Brd's updated and musical play.

Lilli Vaness/Katherine Minola (Amber Burgess) and Fred Graham/Petruchio (Matthew Sean Callahan) were once married and have been drawn together again for the musical version of "Taming of the Shrew." They fight on stage as Shakespeare's Katherine and Petruchio. And, they fight off stage as former lovers.

This duo is extraordinarily talented as they bicker the night away. Burgess knows how to capture an audience and hold them in the palm of her hand. Likewise, Callahan, compliments her every move and their voices blend to perfection on such numbers as "Wunderbar, " and "Kiss Me Kate."

Lois Land aka Bianca (Emily Thompson) and Bill Calhoun aka Lucentio (Scott Saegesser) are perfect as the inspiring actors who are also a fighting/romantic couple. Thompson shines and gives a super rendition of "Always True to You in my Fashion." Saegesser, who has been at Amish Acres for a number of years, always knows what to do and when to do it. His "Bianca, " is delightful and his tap dancing is fantastic.

When Bill loses a large sum of money while gambling and signs Fred's name to the IOU the fun begins. Gangsters arerive to collect the money and end up as characters in the Shakespearean production.

To complicate matters, Lilli has just become engaged to General Harrison Hoell (Scott Emrick) but whom is she in love with? Harrison? Fred? Only time and the final curtain will tell.

Emrick makes the perfect general. He and Burgess are magnificent as they team up to sing, "From the Moment On."

The two men/Aids to Katarine (David Smith and JD Simper) are nothing but funny. Gangsters, they are not. Shakesperian actors, they are not. But, they can sing. "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" keeps the audience in stitches.

Adding talent and laughter to the production are Hattie (Rachel Black), who brings the house down with her solo in "Another Op'nin', Another Show"; Pups/Padua Priest (Don Johnson; Paul/Nataniel (Sam Brown), who turns in a first-rate performance in "Too Darn Hot"; Ralph/Gremis (Lance Mullins); Harry Trevor/Baptista Minola (Burke Fry); and the ensemble of Karen Courliss nad Kelly F. Geisel, who can stomp grapes with the best of them.