Cole Porter’s imperishable 1948 musical-within-a-musical follows the Baltimore tryout of a show based on The Taming of the Shrew. Its stars are Lilli and Fred, wrangling exes rekindling their tarnished romance amid smooching hoofers, a careworn theatre crew and, why not, a brace of gun-toting gangsters. In Bartlett Sher’s plushly enjoyable staging, it delivers glorious music and falderol frivolity.
This is a workplace musical – backstage, people smoke and slouch, scampering in their farthingales and scanties (gemstone costumes and witty hats by Catherine Zuber), while Michael Yeargan’s substantial brick reveals a nicely sketchy set for the Shrew.
Broadway’s Stephanie J Block and Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar play the leads. But wonderfully, the ensemble bangers showcase backstage staff. A stentorian Josie Benson kicks off Another Op’nin’, Another Show (“another pain where the ulcers grow”). And the second half ignites the languorously horny Too Darn Hot, sassily choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. Jack Butterworth’s dresser leads a dance of dirty-minded shoulders and hips, until the band rips into the score and Butterworth and Charlie Stemp have a bravura spin-off. Hot in all the good ways.
