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| Jessica Taylor Stars as Bianca/Lois Lane in "Kiss Me Kate" at The Relevant StageCole Porter's Jazzy take on William Shakespeare's "The Taming of The Shrew", KISS ME KATE - comes to Warner Grand Theatre in February. Its two leading ladies are Kristin Towers-Rowles and Jessica Marie Taylor.
By: Sally Lodge “Kiss Me, Kate” recounts the backstage and onstage antics of two feuding romantic couples during a touring musical production of “Shrewsical” “Kiss Me, Kate” stars Kristin Towers Rowles, Ray Buffer, Jessica Marie Taylor and Drew Fitzsimmons as the bickering couples whose offstage disputes ultimately entangle them with a pair of unexpectedly erudite gangsters (Greg Abbot and Michael Jay Aronovitz) and a megalomaniacal U.S. Army general (Martin Feldman). Creative crew includes: Stephen Tosh, musical direction; Richard Taylor, lighting design and Kara McLeod, costume design. Frequent TRS leading lady, Kristin Towers-Rowles, takes on the role of Lilli/Vanessa, made famous by her screen and stage starlet grandmother, Kathryn Grayson. Grayson is perhaps best known for her roles in “Anchors Aweigh” with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, and “Showboat” Kristin Towers-Rowles grew up with complete strangers telling her how much they loved and worshiped her “Granny” – it wasn’t until she was a teenager that she truly realized how special her family history really is. In Jan. 2010, while rehearsing I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change, Ray Buffer (Producing Artistic Director of The Relevant Stage) offered Kristin the wonderful opportunity to do Kiss Me, Kate in 2011 as an homage to her Grandmother, Kathryn Grayson. A few weeks later, on Feb. 17th, 2010 at the age of 88 years old, her Grandmother passed away. This performance is dedicated to the memory of her beloved Grandmother, whose beauty, talent and spirit touched her family and the world; making an indelible mark on Movie & Broadway musicals for eternity. Since joining TRS in 2010, Kristin has played Woman 1 in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” Muriel Eubanks in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” Playing the coveted role of “Bianca/Lois Lane” - a nightclub performer who makes her stage debut, is Jessica Taylor. A recent UCLA graduate with her musical theater degree, Jessica has been performing across the Southland for several years and has recently been seen in “Singin' in the Rain” (Dance Captain), “Cabrillo's Holiday Spectacular“ “Kiss Me, Kate” plays for 12 performances beginning February 17 and runs Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 and 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets are: $20 adult, $15 senior (55+)/college student, and $5 18 and under; Prestige Seating (first five rows, reserved seat) is $30 adult, $25 senior (55+)/college student, and $10 18 and under. A special Wine Lover’s Package that includes Prestige Seating and wine tasting at Off The Vine across the street from the Warner Grand at 491 6th St. prior to the show is available for $40 per person. Tickets can be ordered by phone at (800) 838-3006 or online at http://www.therelevantstage.com. The Relevant Stage’s fourth season continues with, pending licensing agreements: “Violet;” ABOUT COLE PORTER Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana. His father was a pharmacist and his mother was from a wealthy family. His mother started his musical training at an early age, with violin lessons at 6 and piano at 8. He was also writing music at a young age with his first operetta when he was 10. This was done with with help from his mother. His grandfather wanted Cole to become a lawyer, and saw that he attended Worcester Academy and then Yale University beginning in 1909. He became a member of the famous secret society, Scroll and Key at Yale. He spent a year at Harvard Law School in 1913 where he decided to concentrate on music and transferred to Harvard's School of Music. In 1916, Porter's first Broadway production, See America First, was staged. Based on the book by Lawrason Riggs, the show was a flop and closed after two weeks. After the failure, he moved to a luxury apartment Paris. He would often tell people that he had joined the French Foreign Legion, but he really worked for the Duryea Relief Fund. He lead a playboy lifestyle and in 1918, he met Linda Lee Thomas. She was a Kentucky-born divorcée several years older than Porter and once dubbed the most beautiful woman in the world. They were married in 1919. In the late 1920s, Porter returned to New York and began writing some of his most popular songs, including “Night and Day,” “You're the Top,” “Begin the Beguine” and “Love for Sale.” The next decade was his most productive, working with the biggest stars of the day and writing scores for hits that include Anything Goes, Gay Divorce, and Born To Dance. After moving to Hollywood in the early 1930s, Porter and his wife separated. In 1937, Porter crushed his legs in a riding accident. Although Porter underwent more than forty surgeries on his legs that left him in constant pain, he continued to write hit musicals. Can Can, Silk Stockings and, what many consider to be his finest work, Kiss Me, Kate. He was often in severe depression from the pain and underwent the latest treatment for depression, electric shock therapy, which at that time would be considered barbaric by today's standards. He died in Santa Monica on October 15, 1964 and was interred in the Mount Hope Cemetery, Peru, Indiana. # # # The Relevant Stage Theatre Company performs in residence at The Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA. TRS' mission is to challenge hearts, engage minds and expose truths. TRS tells relevant stories about the contemporary world we share. End
Page Updated Last on: Jan 20, 2011
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