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Transcribed and Presented by Greville Watson, 2014
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RUSHDEN AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY
presents
KISS ME, KATE
Music and Lyrics by COLE PORTER
Book by SAM and BELLA SPEWACK
based on William Shakespeare's
"THE TAMING OF THE SHREW"
| THE RITZ, RUSHDEN |
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May 3rd to 8th, 1976 |
Nightly at 7.30 p.m.
Saturday Matinee at 2.30 p.m.
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Direction and Choreography
by
Paul Mead |
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| Our Director and Choreographer - Paul Mead |
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We extend a warm welcome to Paul Mead on his first visit to Rushden. Paul has worked in every branch of “Show Business” but circus – and he still has hopes! His career began on the stage by training as a dancer at the Rambert Ballet School and later as an actor at R.A.D.A. His first professional engagement was in repertory at Coventry. Since that time he has worked with other repertory companies at Nottingham Playhouse, Leatherhead, Dundee and Northampton. At Northampton, apart from acting, he has choreographed over a dozen shows, and played the title role in a Christmas revival of “Chu Chin Chow”.
In London, Paul has appeared in “Share my Lettuce” at the Garrick and Comedy Theatres; “Tom Sawyer” at the Theatre Workshop; “Annie” at The Westminster, and “Pyjama Tops” at the Whitehall Theatre – in which he played the leading role
“Emergency Ward 10”, “The Avengers”, “Z Cars” and “Softly, Softly” are just some of his Television credits.
Paul has travelled to Vienna to appear in and choreograph a production of “Romeo and Juliet” for Austria T.V.
Also recently appeared in the opening production of “Cabaret” at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester. At Eastbourne acting in a series of Agatha Christie plays, followed by Directing for three months. Choreography for “Cinderella” at “The Card” for North Staffs at Stoke-on-Trent.
“Kiss Me, Kate” is Paul’s first production for the Society, and we hope he has enjoyed working with us as much as we have with him.
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| Chairman's Message |
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This is a year of many “firsts” for the Society. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Joan Hart as our Musical Director, Pauline Longland as our Assistant Musical Director and Paul Mead as our Stage Director – all for the first time. It is also my privilege to be writing this message to you for the first time as Chairman.
The choice of “Kiss Me, Kate” for our 1976 Production has been a happy one and, for the first time, this choice has been made by members of the Society by popular vote.
I sincerely hope that you, our patrons, will enjoy “Kiss Me, Kate” as much as the cast have enjoyed rehearsing it.
Finally, I should like to thank everyone who has worked so hard in the preparation of this Production; and in particular the members of the R.A.T.S. Committee and our own Social Committee, without whom it would have been financially impossible to stage this Show.
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| The Story of "Kiss Me, Kate" |
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The play is set in Baltimore, U.S.A.
June is rather a hot month in that part of the world and not the most soothing remedy for nervous temperament on a first night.
This is a musical version of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” and can rightly be described as a play within a play. The principal parts of Katherine and Petruchio are played by a recently divorced couple Lilli and Fred, who fight almost as much off stage as on.
Lois (Bianca) and Bill (Lucentio) are lovers, and Fred’s attentiveness towards Lois doesn’t help matters as far as Lilli (his ex-wife) is concerned.
Bill is an inveterate gambler and is in real trouble with gangsters over an unpaid debt, who hang around the theatre, determined (somewhat mistakenly) to get their money out of Fred. Lilli has a “sugar daddy” by the name of Harrison Howell, and Fred admits to the gangsters his “responsibility” for the debt in order to stop Lilli leaving the Show.
The Show ends on a happy note. The gangsters leave after hearing that their former boss has been “rubbed out”; Lilli and Fred realise they cannot live without each other. When Fred sings “Kiss me, Kate” for the last time, Lilli’s response indicates that the past is forgiven, and one is left with the impression that they will go on fighting like cat and dog forever.
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The Orchestra
(Under the direction of Joan Hart, ALCM)
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Joan Hart,
who we welcome as our Musical Director
after many years as
Assistant.
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| Violins |
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Yvonne Bowness (Leader)
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| Double Bass |
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E. Allen |
| Flute |
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D. Garland |
| Clarinet |
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Barbara Philp |
| Trumpets |
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E. Denton
R. Bayes |
| Sax |
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J. Woodburn |
| Trombone |
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R. Benning |
| Percussion |
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J. Miles |
| Piano |
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Pauline Longland |
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Pauline Longland,
our Assistant Musical Director and Accompanist, whose great patience and help is so invaluable to
the Society.
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| RON COLES |
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It is with sadness we regret to announce the death of Ron Coles who for so many years prior to his recent illness was a valued and active member of the Society.
We shall all miss him very much and we extend our sympathies to his wife and daughter.
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Jenny Towell
Whom we are delighted to
welcome once again as our
Ballet Mistress |
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| Officers of the Society |
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Chairman:
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Peter Carpenter |
Stage Manager: |
Len Gomm |
| Vice-Chairman: |
Graham Ward |
Musical Director:
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Joan Hart, ALCM
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| Treasurer: |
Philip Mould |
Asst. Musical Director: |
Pauline Longland |
| Secretary: |
John Jones |
Accompanists: |
Pauline Longland, Madge Massom and Margaret Neal |
| Business Manager: |
Allen Goulsbra, AIB |
| Publicity Officer: |
Roger Clarke |
Press Officer: |
Mary Boyfield |
Wardrobe Mistress:
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Ena Carpenter |
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Committee:
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Margaret Coleman
Pam Fulcher
Jeanette King
Mike Neville
Phil Smith
Keith Vaughan
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Social Committee:
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Graham Ward - Chairman
Mike Neville - Secretary
Mike Walker - Treasurer
Pam Fulcher
Janet Mould
Keith Vaughan
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| Our Stage Assistants |
Wardrobe
Call Boy
Prompter
Make-up Artists
Costumes by
Scenery by |
Margaret Bland, Phyllis Bryant, Peggy Coles, Rose Drage, Nancy Eady, Nellie Hart,
Pat Horn, Dorothy R Lawrence,
Phyllis Smith, Pam Stock, Jean Wilbur.
Carol Harbour.
Pat Catlin.
Clive Durrant, George Howell and Alf Wager.
W. A. Homburg Ltd., of Leeds.
James Fredricks Ltd., of Weston-super-Mare,
and Rushden Amateur Operatic Society Workshop.
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Stage Staff
Property Masters
Electricians
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Bob Alan, David Basson, Geoff Bradshaw,
Peter Bradshaw, Duncan Clark, David Coleman, George Coleman, Tony Dale, Nick Hart,
Dereck Hobden, Kevin Jackson, Robert Mould, David Pateman, Dereck Peck, Chris Ruff, Tim Ruff, Bill Sinfield, Ken Smith, Brian Toby.
Grace Berrill, Len Berrill
Assisted by: Josie R Brown, Glenys Haynes, Peggy Hobson, Jeff Holloway, Gordon Pateman, Nigel Reynolds.
Trevor Bailey, Stephen Hind, Arthur Hollomon, Peter Longland, Roger Norman, Douglas Pateman, Martin Peake, Peter Sturgess.
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Peter Carpenter
(Petruchio)
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John Stringer
(First Gangster)
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Norman Towell
(Second Gangster)
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| Characters |
| Fred Graham |
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Peter Carpenter |
| Harry Trevor |
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John Jones |
| Lois Lane |
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Pauline Wildman |
| Ralph |
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Mike Neville |
| Lilli Vanessi |
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Joan Vaughan |
| Hattie |
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Margaret Coleman |
| Paul |
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Graham Ward |
| Bill Calhoun |
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Roger Clarke |
| Stage Doorman |
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Gordon Pateman |
| Harrison Howell |
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Paul Blunt |
| First Gangster |
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John Stringer |
| Second Gangster |
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Norman Towell |
| "Taming of the Shrew" players |
| Bianca |
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Pauline Wildman |
| Baptista |
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John Jones |
| Gremio |
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Michael Baish |
| Hortensio |
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Robin Allen |
| Lucentio |
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Roger Clarke |
| Katherine |
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Joan Vaughan |
| Petruchio |
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Peter Carpenter |
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| Musical Numbers |
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ACT ONE
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| Another Op'nin, Another Show |
Hattie and Chorus |
| Why Can't You Behave? |
Lois |
| Wunderbar |
Lilli and Fred |
| So In Love |
Lilli |
| We Open in Venice |
Kate, Petruchio, Lucentio, Bianca and Chorus |
| Tom, Dick or Harry |
Gremio, Lucentio, Hortensio and Bianca |
| I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua |
Petruchio and Male Chorus |
| I Hate Men |
Kate |
| Were Thine That Special Face |
Petruchio |
| I Sing of Love |
Lucentio, Chorus and Dancers |
| Finale Act 1 |
Petruchio, Kate and Chorus |
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ACT TWO
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| Too Darn Hot |
Paul, Male Chorus and Dancers |
| Where is the Life that Late I Led? |
Petruchio |
| Always True to You in my Fashion |
Lois and Bill Calhoun |
| Bianca |
Bill, Ladies' Chorus and Dancers |
| So in Love - Reprise |
Fred |
| Brush Up Your Shakespeare |
1st and 2nd Gangsters |
| I am Ashamed that Women are so Simple |
Katherine, Petruchio, Chorus and Dancers |
| So Kiss Me, Kate |
Katherine, Petruchio, Chorus and Dancers |
| Grand Finale |
Entire Company |
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Margaret Coleman
(Hattie)
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Paul Blunt
(Harrison Howell)
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| Scenes |
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ACT ONE
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Stage of the Ford Theatre, Baltimore |
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The Corridor, backstage |
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Dressing-rooms of Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham |
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Padua |
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Street Scene, Padua |
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Backstage |
| 7. |
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Dressing-rooms of Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham |
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The Church |
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ACT TWO
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The Stage Door alley |
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Before the curtain |
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Petruchio's house |
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The Corridor, backstage |
| 5. |
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Dressing-rooms of Lilli Vanessi and Fred Graham |
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The Corridor, backstage |
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Before the safety curtain |
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Baptista's home |
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| Programme Sellers |
(Arranagements by Hilda House)
Diane Cheasman, Margaret Clark, Jane Neville, Muriel Prout, Mary Wills. |
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| Ladies' Chorus |
| Mary Boyfield, Bettina Curson, Pam Fulcher, Lynne Houghton, Miriam Joyce, Jeannette King, Jane Luff, Dorothy Oakley, Mary Quartermain, Judy Walker. |
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| Men's Chorus |
| David Clarke, John Curson, Mike Neville. |
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| Dancers |
Barbara Carter, Carol Helsdown, Seely Coleman, Kaye Rawlins, Sally Massom, Judy Tomlinson, Jenny Towell, Kim Vaughan.
Robin Allen, Tony Allen, Michael Baish, Bertie Hales, Keith Vaughan, Mike Walker, Graham Ward. |
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| Stewards |
(under the direction of George Mitchell)
Alan Binder, Harold Binder, Ben Catlin, Adrian House, Percy House, Bert Ingram, Cliff Jeffries, Ian Lawrence, Bernard Palmer, Gordon Percival. |
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| Acknowledgments |
| The Committee and members of the Society wish to offer their very sincere thanks to the following, whose assistance and co-operation have made this production possible:- |
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The President and Vice-Presidents for their continued interest and support.
Messrs. Jaffa and Knighton, and the Ritz Staff for their support.
The Rushden Working Men's Club for the use of their premises for rehearsals.
The Northamptonshire Education Committee (Mr. M. J. Henley, MA, County Education Officer), and Mr. John Northwood, Principal of the Rushden Evening Institute.
Mr. D. Clarke, Headmaster of Alfred Street School, and Mr. Dunkley, Caretaker.
All those who have allowed us to display advertising material.
The East Northamptonshire Co-operative Society for the use of their premises for Property-making.
The Stewards and Programme Sellers.
The Nursing Sisters and St. John Ambulance for attendance at the Theatre.
The Stage Staff and all others who have worked behind the Scenes, who have all contributed so much to the success of this Production.
L. A. Whitehead, of Irchester, for the loan of Furniture.
Sherwood Antiques, Little Street, Rushden, for the loan of Stage Properties.
The local traders who have taken advertising space or donated pages in this Programme.
Frank Eady Press Ltd. for their great assistance in producing this Programme.
John George for assistance with some of the photographs.
Allan Richardson, High Street, Rushden, for Window Displays.
To all who have assisted the Society in presenting "Kiss Me, Kate", whether or not mentioned in this Programme, we would like to say a SPECIAL THANK YOU.
Mrs. Nellie Hart for use of site for advertising. |
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