Cole Porter classic coming to the Alhambra

‘Kiss Me, Kate’ to open Aug. 1

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Cole Porter’s 1948 musical “Kiss Me, Kate” will open at the Alhambra Theatre & Dining Aug. 1, offering a modern take on a Shakespearean classic.

Exes Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, both actors in a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” can’t decide if they’re enraged, enamored or enormously confused whenever they cross paths out of character. Throw in some mistaken identity, a pair of surprisingly eloquent gangsters and a whole lot of romantic entanglements, and what you get is “Kiss Me, Kate” — a dazzling classic that earned the first-ever Tony Award for Best Musical.

“Kiss Me, Kate” was Cole Porter’s response to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” and the first show he wrote in which the music and lyrics were firmly integrated into the script. The show proved to be his biggest hit and the only one of his shows to run for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway. In March 2015, it was announced that the 1949 original cast recording would be inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for the album’s “cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy.” This coming February, the show will open its revival on Broadway.

For the duration of the show’s run, Alhambra Executive Chef DeJuan Roy will be cooking up a culinary experience fitting of the longest-running dinner theater in America. For the first course, patrons will have their choice between chilled cucumber bisque with shrimp and dill or caprese salad with diced tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, pesto and balsamic glaze. Second course options will include southern-style pepper steak with white rice; barbecue chicken with baked macaroni and cheese and collard greens; scallops carbonara with penne pasta and sweet peas; and roasted vegetarian kabobs with yellow rice pilaf and smoked tomato sauce. Featured desserts will be sorbet with Meyer lemon cookies and Key Lime pie.

“Kiss Me, Kate” will run Aug. 1 through Sept. 9 at the Alhambra Theatre & Dining, which is located at 12000 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville. Tickets start at $38 and include a three-course meal, a Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking. Tickets can be purchased online at www.alhambrajax.com or by calling (904) 641-1212.