Kiss Me, Kate

Summary

For the opening night of BBC2 in 1964, the Radio Times announces ‘the first of its spectacular light-entertainment productions, Kiss Me, Kate, a ninety-five-minute television version of the American musical’ (Radio Times, 16 April 1964, p. 23). This was the first modern American musical to be adapted for television in the UK.

Theatre play

Kiss Me, Kate by Bella Spewack and Sam Spewack and Cole Porter [more information]

Play synopsis

'Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show’s director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul with some gangsters.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Me,_Kate.

Production history

'After a 3½-week pre-Broadway tryout at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia starting December 2, 1948, the original Broadway production opened on December 30, 1948, at the New Century Theatre, where it ran for nineteen months. [...] The original West End production opened on March 8, 1951 at the Coliseum Theatre, and ran for 400 performances. Directed by Sam Spewack with choreography again by Holm, this production starred Patricia Morison, Bill Johnson, Adelaide Hall and Julie Wilson.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Me,_Kate.

Date of transmission

Monday 20 April 1964

Time

8.00-9.35pm

Channel

BBC2

Production company

BBC

Credits

Director

David Askey

Producer

James Gilbert

Playwright

Bella Spewack

Playwright

Sam Spewack

Composer

Cole Porter

Lyrics

Cole Porter

Orchestrations by

Peter Knight

Orchestrations by

Dennis Wilson

Conductor

Harry Rabinowitz (of orchestra)

Singers Directed by

Fred Tomlinson

Designer

Eileen Diss

Costumes

Maureen Muggeridge

Make-up

Maureen Winslade

Choreographer

Paddy Stone

Dancer

Ray Dalziel

Dancer

Sidonie Darrell

Dancer

Fred Evans

Dancer

Janet Hall

Dancer

Nita Howard

Dancer

Ian Kaye

Dancer

Connel Miles

Dancer

Joan Palethorpe

Cast

Tony Adams
Eric Barker
Reginald Beckwith
Irving Davies
Danny Green
David Healy
Howard Keel
Monty Landis
Isabelle Lucas
Millicent Martin
Patricia Morison
Bill Owen
Peter Regan

Additional details

Origination

Recorded in studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Repeated on BBC2 at 8.45pm on 25 December 1964 and on BBC1 at 7.25pm on Monday 19 April 1965.

Notes

Actors’ roles are not listed in the Radio Times.

Play tags

American drama; musical; theatre or acting, as theme

Audiovisual sources

Title

Kiss Me, Kate (BBC, 1964)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

BBC WAC T16/538 Television Policy file. Programme policy: BBC2, 1960-66 (Archive file)

Linking notes

contains internal staff correspondence on the planning of this production

Title

Radio Times, 16 April 1964 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article and photographs, p. 23; listing, p. 29