the moment the Kiss Me, Kate overture began, my ears re- opened to a traditional Broadway score. With Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie singing the leads, the music reminded me that this classic sound had a firm place in what I thought to be contemporary music’s landscape. My old friend, sound designer Tony Meola, had done his usual magic, and the show had a pure sonic quality that I knew one day I’d emulate. That this current revival is playing at Studio 54 allows me as a designer to harness the room's classic architecture to compliment the pure orchestrations played by these musicians and sung by this insanely talented cast.


DAVID BRIAN BROWN, HAIR AND WIG DESIGN My research for the hair and wig design is based on two distinctly different time periods: the late 1940s and the 16th century. I consulted numerous historically authentic paintings, films, photographs, books, yearbooks, fashion magazines, retail catalogs, and press/newspapers of those respective periods. My collaboration is mainly with the costume designer, whose work will dictate who these characters are. I also take into consideration the director’s take on individual characters, the actor’s take on her/his character, and Warren Carlyle’s choreography, which is very energetic. When a wig dances, you want it to swing back into place when the movement stops! After receiving and processing all the above information, I choose colors and styles for each character, which I then share with the costume designer. Hair colors need to compliment the colors of the costumes. The wigs are then made, which takes about eight weeks, and there are approximately 24 wigs being made for this show. All the wigs are custom made, with lace fronts, and are completely hand tied. Once the wigs have been made, they are cut and styled, followed by a final fitting with the actor.


NIKKI DILORETO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR My first introduction to Kiss Me, Kate was through my 99-year-old grandmother, a fan of Cole Porter and a regular Broadway audience member during the 1940s. As a new play director, I am thrilled to be working on a giant revival of a beloved 70-year-old musical and to be assisting someone who possesses the mastery exemplified time and again by Scott Ellis. Musical revivals prompt different questions than new musicals for the directing team, namely: how does a company take on a piece from a different perspective than before and make it relevant for a modern audience? We are in a transformative moment in America for gender stereotypes; people are looking more deeply now than ever before at relationships between men and women and at the meaning of gender identity itself. Where we are today in the United States is not where we were in post-WWII America, and it is up to this skillful team to build that link between the cultural milieu of 1948 and 2019 America. Warren and Scott have a history of amazing collaborations, getting inside the pieces, and conveying fluid storytelling throughout. As rehearsals approach, I’m excited to see how Scott, Warren, this unparalleled cast, and the rest of the creative team will penetrate the meaning of this theatrical moment.•


Costume sketches for Kiss Me, Kate


Set design models for Kiss Me, Kate KISS ME, KATE UPSTAGE GUIDE 19


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