The MBHS Drama Department has been hard at work on this year’s spring production, Kiss Me Kate. The show takes place on April 10, 11 and 13 at 7 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m. This drama-packed play within a play stars Bailey Edmonds as Lilli Vanessi, Austin Russell as Fredrick C. Grahm, Allie Cannon as Lois Laine, and Hunter Stanley as Bill Calhoun. There is also a great supporting cast of MBHS drama and choir students who have been working diligently on this musical.
Director Jess Tilton chose this play because he found it very fun as well as difficult, which he thought would be a great teaching opportunity. Because of the difficulty of the music and acting, drama directors often overlook Kiss me Kate, but Tilton said he “felt that we had the skilled students who would perform it well.” A glimpse at an afternoon rehearsal is packed with graceful dancing, beautiful singing and impressive stage combat.
Choir director John Kincaid is working with the chorus on the music. His wife, Dell Kincaid, has choreographed most of the production.
“Mr. [John] Kincaid is doing a great job preparing the students vocally, and Mrs. [Dell] Kincaid is really adding a lot to the show with her fantastic choreography,” Tilton said.
Kincaid said that the music is “very difficult compared to Bye-Bye Birdie,” which was last year’s spring musical. The music is very fast, so the pit orchestra, made up of Mountain Brook students, has a challenging task. This is also the first time in 10 years that a live orchestra will be sitting in the front of the auditorium. Kincaid not only brags on the orchestra, but claims that both leads, Bailey Edmonds and Austin Russell, have to display an amazing range.
As far as his favorite pieces go, he finds the finale of Act 1, “Kiss me Kate,” quite humorous. He also believes that Bailey’s “Still in Love” is very complex emotionally. “It has more emotional layers than most musical theatre pieces do,” he said.
Kiss me Kate tickets will be available at the door before performances April 10-14.
