I admit it: “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is one of my all-time favorite musicals. I’ve anticipated the big Kander and Ebb “Celebration” at Signature Theatre for months now, and Eric Schaeffer’s sexy, slithery revival does not disappoint.
Packed with equal parts estrogen and testosterone, Schaeffer’s “Kiss” punctures the myth that a decent reproduction can’t be made of Hal Prince’s original, ingenious take. It was 1994 when I first watched Chita Rivera dazzle an incarcerated mob from the hellish pits of despair to the heights of ecstasy, and I instantly fell head over heels, hopelessly in love with Kander and Ebb’s delectably jazzy score of Latin-inspired melodies —not to mention being starstruck with the legend herself.
Since that performance of the national tour, it’s been easy to speculate on why “Kiss” is not as oft-produced as other popular Kander and Ebb creations, and it always comes down to that elusive combination of scrupulous casting and directorial magic.
» The highlights
It’s a lofty expectation to live up to, but Schaeffer is more than up to the task, with a “Kiss” sharply focused on Manuel Puig’s grim story of a revolutionary Argentinean — one of the many “los desaparecidos” gone missing among a torrid political landscape — locked up with an unlikely cellmate, a patsy window dresser with a flair for cinematic escapism. The glorious music of John Kander and Fred Ebb is amplified by a full, lush orchestra led by maestro Jon Kalbfleisch,
with a strong accent on rare instrumentation and crisp aural clarity.
» The lowlights
Though she has the dark, ambient glower down pat — and plenty of glimmery, shimmery presence on stage — Natascia Diaz lacks the powerful pipes to pull off most of Aurora’s bigger, brassier notes. She’s great when delivering lines in her smoky lower register, but ultimately cheats the full, rich belt expected of a soul-sucking spider woman.
» The cast
Diaz is a sexy, playful goddess to Hunter Foster’s effeminate Molina, and Will Chaserounds out the threesome with his well-modulated Valentin. But the evening clearly belongs to Foster with his aching, soulful portrait of a gay man trapped by his destiny.
» The designers
Chris Lee provides all of the stark and shadowy lighting for Adam Koch’s spartan set, in a dim and wholly unique setting that is as versatile as its subject matter.
» Munch on this
At the core of “Kiss” is a very real love story, and thankfully, Schaeffer never loses sight of that. With vivid performances and terrific treatment of the music, his new production is everything you’d want “Kiss” to be. It is, in a word, fabulous.
