Despite Strong Male Leads, This 'Spider' Lacks Legs

Opening last week at the Baliwick Theatre in Chicago is the Bailiwick Repertory's production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. The musical opened on Broadway in 1993 and features Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb and Book by Terrence McNally. Kiss of the Spider Woman was adapted from Manuel Puig's 1976 novel, which was later produced as an acclaimed, award-winning motion picture in 1984.

The story takes place in a prison in Latin American during the revolution. Valentin, played by Stan Q. Wash, comes to the prison a tortured man who once led the Revolution. His cell mate is Molina, played by Ryan Lanning, who is a blatant homosexual serving time for molesting a minor. Molina repeatedly conveys fantasies to Valentin about an actress named Aurora, played by Katherine Lynne Condit, who sometimes portrayed a Spider Woman who killed with a kiss.

The chemistry between Wash and Lanning is brilliant. These two strangers start off unsure of the other, and you can cut the tension between them with a knife. However, as the story progresses, I was captivated, watching their relationship unfold and seeing how they cared for one another, becoming "close" friends. Wash's voice and stage presence is commanding and I winced every time he was in pain, especially when he suffers from food poisoning. Lanning delivers a performance with great flamboyance that was fun to watch. I even caught myself watching Lanning, instead of the dance ensemble, every time he was describing one of Aurora's movies.

Even with the hauntingly beautiful voices of the ensemble, there were too many other pieces that did not work for me in this show. I was scratching my head about some of the casting choices all night. The guards, played by Manny Sosa and Greg Silva, were dull and had trouble delivering their lines. The Warden, played by Clay Sanderson, failed in his attempt to capture a hardhearted merciless man. I also wondered why Molina's mother, played by Maria Campos, appeared to only be a few years older than him. Most disappointing though, in spite of a beautiful voice, was the lack of sex appeal in the part of Condit's Aurora.

Rebecca Hamlin's set is one of the best I have seen at the Baliwick. It encapsulates the time period seamlessly and "locks" the audience up inside the prison. Conversely, the Direction by Susan Finque did not live up to the memorable set. The torture scenes were all staged down center, practically on top of the audience, which did not help with the suspension of disbelief. I also could not understand why she allowed a cordless telephone to be used as a prop. That instantly took me away from the time period and bothered me the rest of the evening.

The lighting recovered from several early glitches and turned out rather appealing. I only wish the rest of the show could have done the same.

Kiss of the Spider Woman
When: Through February 18
Where: Baliwick Repertory Theatre, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Prices: $30, $35