Shakespeare In Love With Cole Porter

Weekly class starting February 24, ending April 13. Price is for ALL dates.

“Brush up your Shakespeare; start quoting him now.” At the same time listen to the music created by and learn more about one of the greatest Broadway composers and lyricists of all time. To explore Cole Porter’s work, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is offering a discussion class of The Taming of the Shrew and films based on or related to Porter’s life and work or describing the development of musical theater in the century between 1850 and 1950. The class will learn about the life and music of Cole Porter and will study Kiss Me Kate, one of Porter’s last and probably his most acclaimed Broadway hit. Based on The Taming of the Shrew, Kiss Me Kate is the modern day story of a divorced couple whose new show opening parallels the Shakespeare comedy.

An early work by Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew has been entertaining audiences in six different centuries.

As part of the course, the class will also get an introduction to the development of musical theater from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. Each week the group will meet to discuss a portion of The Taming of the Shrew as well as a pre announced film (or films). Study materials for Kiss Me Kate and for each film will be available in advance. Each student is encouraged to see the film(s) to be discussed a short time before each class meeting.

Before the first class, students should (a) purchase an annotated copy of The Taming of the Shrew to be read during the course and (b) consider watching a film or taped version of the Shakespeare play (e.g., the 1967 film with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton). The films to be discussed during the course will be selected from: Topsy Turvy, Night and Day, De Lovely, Cradle Will Rock, High Society, Anything Goes, Can Can, Show Boat, Naughty Marietta, Moulin Rouge!, The Philadelphia Story, The Pirate, and Ten Things I Hate About You.

Class taught by Athenaeum member Steven B King.