Petruchio's first costume

Petruchio's second costume

Shani Nichol's Report

Where do I start? The show was nothing less than SPECTACULAR!!! As we sat in our seats waiting for the curtain to open they made the announcement that the role of Fred that is usually played by Rex Smith will be played by Chuck Wagner. Us Chukkies cheered and some people around us were expecting to see Rex so they seemed a little disappointed when they made the announcement but the disappointment didn't last for long.

From the beginning to the end KMK was full of excitement at every turn. Chuck was terrific!!! From the moment he took his place on stage he was full of charisma. His facial expressions were great. You could feel the chemistry between Chuck & Rachel especially during "Wunderbar", and who wouldn't get a kick out of watching Chuck and some of the other cast dance around to "We open in Venice". The scene at the end of ACT 1 (the spanking) during "Kiss me Kate" was hilarious, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. As a matter of fact I'm surprised I didn't fall out of my seat laughing when Rachel gave Chuck that lovely kick in the gut that you could hear in as it made contact.

Watching Chuck & Rachel with Richard Poe and Michael Arkin was pure pleasure.

By the end of the show the people around us were raving about Chucks wonderful performance... I couldn't agree more.

BRAVO to the whole Cast & Crew, and especially thank you to CHUCK for putting so much heart into the characters that you play.

KISS ME KATE with CHUCK WAGNER
A Fred with Flourish; A Petruchio with Panache
by Elaine Holderness

Since this was my 10th show of the Kiss Me Kate Tour it was easy to imagine Chuck in the lead, and I couldn't wait to see and hear how he put his own interpretation to the part. I knew from the beginning that *this* was the way it should be sung; *this* was the way it should be performed....and he would do it to perfection.

There was no doubt in this case as to *who* was the lead as Fred! Chuck always makes a commanding entrance. He and Rachel seemed to play well off each other, and when they were 'fighting', Fred and Lilli really looked like they were supposed to: two people who still loved each other and didn't know how to resolve it.

"Wunderbar"
Fred and Lilli have for the moment forgetten that they are supposed to hate each other, and fall into the reminiscence of the early days of their marriage. There is a delightful bit with them dancing around the room, through the doors and into the hall; their voices blending well in this duet and they looked like they were having a great time with it. Chuck was in his first costume as Petruchio...very dashing!

"We Open in Venice"
This has always been a cute ensemble piece and I was happy to see how very light on his feet Chuck is, for such a big guy! I always get a kick out of this comical song with its little prancing dance.

"I've Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua"
This is a funny number, and Chuck really put a lot into it! Using his hand gestures to his advantage, he strutted and pranced around the stage showing off his bravado in the fond hope of winning the Bonny Kate! He sang and acted this well, and his expressions were a hoot!

"Were Thine That Special Face"
Petruchio tries to win the cantankerous Katharine. (She was not amused.) Chuck sang this lovely Cole Porter music the way it should be sung and gave it a terrific, strong finish. Ah, that voice!

In places where there was dialogue, Chuck sometimes moved around the stage with little humorous hops that put a different spin on his character than I expected. His posing, posturing and flamboyance was absolutely why he was so perfect for the role, and he truly made it his own. He did well with the Shakespearean verse too, and it fell 'tripingly from the tongue'.

"Where is the Life that Late I Led?"
Chuck had a lot of fun with this! It *is* a very active number so he did a lot of bouncing around the stage, and again his facial expressions to the lyrics really had the audience laughing.

"So In Love"
One of my favorite love songs. I was anxious to hear him sing it, and I was not disappointed. This is definitely a beautiful piece for a baritone, and with that voice of his Chuck gave it just the right touch. Bravo!!

"Kiss Me Kate"-Finale
Fred/Petruchio wins Lilli/Katharine...finally!! But we *knew* he would because how could she resist! However, she has the last word...or wink!

What a perfect match of Chuck and Rachel as the leads. They looked good together both being tall, and their voices blended beautifully. For the first time, I really believed the characters because there was so much chemistry between them. Well done!! Or as Petruchio would say: "...And being a winner, God give you good night."