Kiss Me, Kate!

B+

Kelli O’Hara (The King and I, South Pacific) reaffirms her status as the reigning queen of the American musical with her wonderful performance in the dual roles of Lilli Vanessi and Katharine in Roundabout’s delightful revival of Cole Porter’s (Anything Goes, Gay Divorce) 1948 classic. Her gorgeous voice comes as no surprise — to hear her version of “So in Love” is bliss— but her skill at slapstick comedy was unexpected. As Fred Graham and Petruchio, Will Chase (Something Rotten!, High Fidelity) makes an excellent partner for her. Corbin Bleu (Holiday Inn), as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio, impresses with a fine voice and fleet feet. Stephanie Styles (Kingdom Come) makes an auspicious Broadway debut as Lois Lane/Bianca. Regarding the rest of the cast, nontraditional casting has resulted in a diversity that is rare for Broadway. Warren Carlyle’s (Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me) energetic, sexy choreography is a major attraction. Under Paul Gemigniani’s musical direction, the classic Porter score sounds great. David Rockwell’s (Lobby Hero, She Loves Me) scenic design includes a realistic three-level backstage set with matching dressing rooms that roll in as well as more fanciful backdrops and an amusing curtain for “Taming of the Shrew.” The colorful costumes by Jeff Mahshie (She Loves Me, Next to Normal) are a delight. Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, Twentieth Century) once again shows a flair for directing a musical revival. The tweaks to Sam and Bella Spewack’s (Leave It to Me, Boy Meets Girl) book may make it more palatable for today’s sensibility, but it remains old-fashioned and clunky even by 1948 standards. However, with its gorgeous score and a splendid production, it is easy to overlook the shortcomings of the book. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Kingdom Come ** C-

Jenny Rachel Weiner’s romantic comedy with poignant overtones is the latest offering at Roundabout Underground’s Black Box Theatre. Somewhat like LCT3, this program offers first-rate productions of works by emerging playwrights at affordable prices. Looking around at the audience, Roundabout seems to be more successful than LCT3 in drawing a younger audience. If you saw “Catfish,” you have an idea of the plot, except that in this instance both people are using deceitful online profiles. The twist is that they genuinely fall for each other. How the situation is resolved isn’t quite what you may expect. The characters are Samantha (Carmen M. Herlihy), a morbidly obese woman who rarely leaves her bed; Dolores (Socorro Santiago), Samantha’s home health aide; Dolores’s studly son Dominick (Alex Hernandez), an actor/busboy in L.A.; Layne (Crystal Finn), a repressed lonely bookkeeper; and Suz (Stephanie Styles), Layne’s younger, prettier, less inhibited coworker. Deceit breeds complications. The personable actors all make the most of their roles. There are some funny moments and clever twists along the way, but the material seemed thin and a bit forced. The set by Arnulfo Maldonado is simple but attractive. Tilly Grimes’s costumes are apt. Kip Fagan’s direction is smooth. Most of the audience reacted enthusiastically. For me, it was one online dating story too many. Running time: one hour 40 minutes, no intermission.