Review: “Kiss Me, Kate” is Beautiful but Painfully Dated

On a recent episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom’s character is in a revue of classic musical theatre songs, all of which she’s loved and adored since childhood. However, as an adult revisiting (and performing) these songs, she notices how dated, misogynist, and problematic they are. Her discomfort at this realization is very similar to the experience of watching Roundabout’s revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” which despite its glittering costumes, impressive choreography, talented cast, and beloved songs, is irrevocably old-fashioned in all the wrong ways.

To be fair, everything about this revival is gorgeous— as long as you don’t listen too closely to the lyrics. Lines like “taunt me, and hurt me, deceive me, desert me, I’m yours ’til I die,” “baby can be your slave,” “Oh baby will you be mine? You’d better answer yes or papa spanka,” and “If she says your behavior is heinous, kick her right in the Coriolanus” just don’t work, can’t work in 2019. Scott Ellis clearly tries to lean into the farce of it all, but no matter what, domestic abuse just is not funny anymore (was it ever?).

Similarly, the production attempted some slight tweaks to make the musical more palatable. Amanda Green is credited with “additional material,” which mostly comprised of changing the cringe-worthy penultimate song “I Am Ashamed Women Are so…