If the cast of Saturday Night Live ever performed William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, the result might look a lot like the Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s current production of “Kiss Me, Kate”. With humor bordering on the ridiculous, this musical comedy uses every trick in the book to get laughs.

While this is not my favorite Orlando Shakespeare Theater production (see Macbeth), I can happily say that “Kiss Me, Kate” is a whole lot of fun and shouldn’t be missed.

Some of my favorites scenes are the solo musical numbers, including Jean Tafler’s performance of “I Hate Men”, Steven Patterson’s “Where Is The Life That Late I Led?” and Dana Barathy’s “Always True To You (In My Fashion)”, the latter of which gets up-close and personal with the audience.

The best performances, however, are reserved for a couple of very different duets.

Tafler, who plays the role of Lilli (and the role of Katherine in this “play within a play”), joins Patterson, as Lilli’s ex-husband Fred (Petruchio), in “Wunderbar”, a charming song that remembers their past love and the good times gone by. Void of any slapsick or wild humor, it’s a performance unlike any other in the show. It’s the point at which I found myself interested in the characters and believing that there just might be a story behind all the fun.

On the flip side, Bob Dolan and Brandon Roberts - playing the role of gangsters - take their bow near the end of the production with a musical tribute to the works of The Bard in, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” This hilariously smart number typifies the mixture of song, dance and overall goofiness that this production leans on for entertainment. The words of the song remind us that a little “woo” goes a long way, especially when you throw in a few lines of Shakespeare.

If I had to pick my favorite, though, it would have to be “Wunderbar”.

If you’ve never been to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, “Kiss Me, Kate” makes for an excellent first-time visit. The naturally relaxed atmosphere of the theater, combined with this enjoyable musical comedy will put anyone in a good mood. It’s the perfect balance to all of the “scary” events going on around Orlando at this time of year.

For more information on “Kiss Me, Kate”, or the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in general, visit www.orlandoshakes.org.

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