Too darn hot Kiss me, Kate & the making and remaking of a Broadway musical Hannah Robbins

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robbins, Hannah Thuraisingam, author.

Series:

Broadway legacies

Broadway Legacies Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. Kiss me, Kate.

Porter, Cole.

Kiss me, Kate (Porter, Cole).

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Kiss me, Kate and the making and remaking of a Broadway musical

Place of Publication:

New York, NY Oxford University Press [2026]

Summary:

In 'Too Darn Hot', author Thuraisingam Robbins traces the remarkable journey of Kiss Me, Kate, charting its development from concept to curtain call, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the artistic decisions that shaped its legacy. Through several case studies - including the lavish MGM film adaptation, a Viennese operetta-style staging, and modern Broadway revivals - Robbins examines how this enduring musical has remained relevant, provocative, and beloved. This text offers a compelling portrait of a show that continues to ignite conversation and captivate audiences

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Kiss Me, Kate: A Commercial Force

The Plot

Unpacking the Story

1 Critical Approaches to a Broadway Hit

The Shakespeare Musical

A Cole Porter Musical

Screwball and the Comedy of Remarriage

Reviving Classic Musicals

Kiss Me, Kate in the Archive

Constructing a Narrative

2 Early Drafts of Kiss Me, Kate

First Beginnings

A Songwriter and a Singer

Backstage: The Musical

A First Complete Draft

3 Adapting The Taming of the Shrew

Sam's Shakespeare

Manipulating the Material

Porter's Taming of the Shrew

Collaborating on Katherine

4 Crafting the Score

Sourcing the Score

Porter's Process

Musical Intertextuality

Porter's Love Songs

Manifesto Music

5 Preparing Kiss Me, Kate for Broadway

Finding Lilli

Creative Tensions

Casting Fred

Choreographing Kiss Me, Kate

The Rehearsal Period

Visualizing Kiss Me, Kate

Testing a Hit

6 Kiss Me, Kate after Broadway

Kiss Me, Kate in London

Kiss Me, Kate in Vienna

Returning to London

7 Kiss Me, Kate on film

Framing Kiss Me, Kate for Screen

Casting Kiss Me Kate

Adapting the Songs

Censoring Kiss Me, Kate

Technological Matters

8 Kiss Me, Kate and the Contemporary

Introducing New Sexisms

Alternative Approaches

A Classic Musical for Modern Times

Notes

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 14, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version :

ISBN:

9780190082437

0190082437

OCLC:

1582164546

Publisher Number:

CIPO000370859

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license