What was the Kiss me Kate "scandal" Patti mentioned at 54 Below?

[Balcony Bill]

Posted: 1/3/23 at 7:46pm

Forgive my ignorance if this was discussed here at the time of the revival, but I watched Patti's 54 Below concert live streamed. She did a song from Kiss Me Kate and before singing, made a reference, if I caught it correctly, to the last time it was revived and said there was a major scandal. She said SCANDAL it as if it was all capitalized, her eyes wide,  but then said she wasn't going to explain what she was referring to, but would just sing the tune. So of course was naturally curious if anyone here knows what she was referring to?  Multiple people asked on the scroll during the live stream, but nobody had an answer!

[JanMaxwellsBag]

Posted: 1/3/23 at 8:10pm

I was wondering too. Perhaps she’s referring to how the show was edited and updated by Amanda Green to make it less misogynistic?

[Yessica Haircut]

Posted: 1/3/23 at 8:18pm

This was asked and discussed recently on ATC. I'll leave a link to the third post of the discussion, which seems to be the consensus, but basically: A production of Kiss Me, Kate was planned for the Delacorte in 1994 - which would have then transferred to Broadway - with a revised book by Christopher Durang, starring Kevin Kline and either Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio or Patti; it fell apart due to legal reasons. This was all news to me, and I recently found an archived NY Times article announcing the cancellation (link below, as well, though maybe with a paywall).

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat_new/d.php?id=2560537

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/24/theater/kiss-me-kate-is-canceled.html

Updated On: 1/3/23 at 08:18 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/3/23 at 9:08pm

Wow. The Durang Kiss Me Kate has to be up there in “what could have been” along with the RAS “comics tribute version” of It’s Superman that gets rid of the copyright-friendly characters and puts the real ones back in.

[BJR]

Posted: 1/4/23 at 7:59am

Agree. Kline in Kate would have been heaven. I happen to think Patti would have also been great in it, but Kline alone is a shame.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/4/23 at 11:17am

WHAT?? There was going to be a Kline/Mastrantonio production?? God, I’d give anything to hear her sing the score. It’s a crime her voice hasn’t been heard in a new show in over twenty years. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/4/23 at 6:27pm

Jordan Catalano said: "WHAT?? There was going to be a Kline/Mastrantonio production?? God, I’d give anything to hear her sing the score. It’s a crime her voice hasn’t been heard in a new show in over twenty years."

Well Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse in London was 2004. Or did you mean a non-revival?