VIDEO: Get A First Look at 'Wundebar' from KISS ME, KATE at 5th Avenue Theatre

See brand new footage of the number 'Wundebar' from 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of Kiss Me, Kate. Kiss Me, Kate, a significant work in the canon of great musical theater, features a dynamic cast including the previously announced Cayman Ilika as Lilli Vanessi/Kate,Ben Davis as Fred Graham/Petruchio, Clyde Alves as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio and Robyn Hurder as Lois Lane/Bianca. Joining them is an acclaimed local lineup of 5th Avenue Theatre favorites including Allen Fitzpatrick as General Howell, Allen Galli as Second Man, Sarah Russell as Hattie, Jeff Steitzer as Harry/Batista, Ty Willis as Paul and Richard Ziman as First Man.

The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of Kiss Me, Kate, a story that was written and takes place during the 1940s, is being staged in the era of the #MeToo movement-a time when women are speaking out more loudly and earnestly than ever about sexual harassment, consent and gender equality. Producing a musical that was created during a period when these hurtful behaviors and attitudes were sometimes viewed as acceptable requires a critical and thoughtful approach to the staging, direction and choreography. DirectorAlan Paul and choreographer Michele Lynch, who both worked on a previous production of the show at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2015, return to Kiss Me, Kate with fresh eyes and are excited for the opportunity to make the story even more conversation-provoking and insightful for 2018 audiences.

"At the first rehearsal, choreographer Michele Lynch and I opened up a conversation with the entire cast and creative team about telling this story now, especially with the women in the cast," said Kiss Me, Kate director Alan Paul. "It's important to me that we work together as a team to make this production something we are all proud of and something that represents our values and beliefs. Bella Spewack and Cole Porterintended to write a strong female lead, so that's the spirit in which I'm approaching this production. I wanted to take a hard look at the misogyny that lives in both Shakespeare's work and in musicals of the 1940s and 1950s."

Playing April 6-29, 2018 (opening Friday, April 13, 2018), tickets for Kiss Me, Kate start at $29 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900 or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle.

Kiss Me, Kate is the multi-Tony Award®-winning Cole Porter masterpiece that set the standard for great musicals and then broke the mold. Inspired by the real life story of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, the undisputed king and queen of Broadway from the 1920s to the 1950s, this sparkling sensation is, at its core, a true battle of the sexes. A charming leading man and his superstar ex-wife are starring in a production of Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew. As they swing from love to loathing and back again, their behind-the-scenes battles spill on to the stage and shine a bright light on long-standing historic issues of gender inequality. Kiss Me, Kate is a fantastic evening of amazing entertainment, celebrated music, fabulous dance, Great Performances and a little something more to tell us about how far we have come and how far we still have to go.