It follows the 1999 Broadway revival—including John Guare's amendments to Sam and Bella Spewack's book, and the swing-era approach to Porter's evergreen score, which music director Michael Paternostro's orchestra treats with red-hot flair. Tom Buderwitz's witty scenic design uses a rotating faux-proscenium to establish various stage perspectives. Garry Lennon's costumes alternate realistic '40s garb with a pastel riot of Renaissance finery, and Jared A. Sayeg lights it all with dense richness.
Kudos to the ace ensemble, responding as one to director Michetti and choreographer Martino's expert drawing of the parallels between the Bard's tale and the divorced stars in a Baltimore tryout of a musical "Shrew." Tom Hewitt as Fred Graham/Petruchio and Lesli Margherita as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine wield their big, bright-edged voices with such heft that the less-than-traditional aspects become irrelevant, and their comic/romantic chemistry is acute. Hewitt, visually suggesting middle-period Orson Welles, has a particular blast in the Petruchio numbers, peaking at "Where Is the Life That Late I Led?" and he embraces the backstage antics with panache. Margherita's unfettered turn here is inspired. Whether launching a full-throated "So in Love," stopping the show cold at "I Hate Men," or delivering Kate's apotheosis with unforced clarity, this is a world-class singing actor.
Meg Gillentine brings a brassy belt, sinuous dancing line, and appropriately kittenish attitude to Lois Lane/Bianca, her variants in "Always True to You (In My Fashion)" especially choice. Seán Martin Hingston as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio doesn't have quite the same opportunities—the role has always been the trickiest of the four principals—but he uses his reedy tenor and top-flight dancing abilities to appealing effect throughout.
Christine Horn as Lilli's dresser grabs the house at the outset with her laser-beam attack on "Another Op'nin', Another Show." Jerald Vincent as her opposite number goes for jazzy broke in "Too Darn Hot," possibly Martino's choreographic high point. Steve Vinovich as the rewritten romantic threat justifies interpolating "From This Moment On," and Mark Capri is most droll as Kate and Bianca's long-suffering father. Roland Rusinek is a hoot as the ever-harried stage manager. Scott Alan Hislop and Ray Garcia as rival suitors join Gillentine and Hingston with airborne ease at "Tom, Dick, or Harry." And, as the two gangsters who provide the show's secret weapon, towering Herschel Sparber and compact Jay Brian Winnick steal scenes by simply showing up. Had Porter written more verses for "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," the audience would be applauding them until dawn, which sums up this lusty, lushly entertaining treat.
Presented by Reprise Theatre Company at the Freud Playhouse, UCLA campus, Sunset at Hilgard, Westwood. May 11–22. Tue.–Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m. (310) 825-2101. www.reprise.org.