Stagecrafters presents Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical

Two unlikely cellmates in an Argentinean prison become entangled as an atmosphere of despair is juxtaposed with dazzling fantasy sequences in the compelling modern musical drama, Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical. This award-winning show runs January 20 - February 12 at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in downtown Royal Oak.

The prisoners are Molina (John Nowaczyk of Ferndale), an unabashedly flamboyant gay man serving time on a trumped-up deviant behavior charge, and Valentin (Gary Castaneda of Warren), a straight tough revolutionary undergoing torture. To the annoyance of Valentin, Molina copes with prison life by conjuring splashy production numbers from movie musicals featuring his favorite star, Aurora (Maria Tilmos of Novi). One of Aurora’s roles, however, terrifies him: the spider woman, who kills men with her kiss. Slowly a bond builds between the two men as they endure the ravages of prison life together. Soon Valentin looks forward to Molina’s recounting of his favorite Aurora movies. But as the barriers between the two men fall, Valentin’s secrets send Molina directly into harm’s way. Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical, (book by Terrence McNally, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb) is based on the novel by Manuel Puig.

“While rarely performed, Kiss of the Spider Woman has some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking music ever written for the stage and allows me as a director/choreographer to explore some larger questions in life,” says director John Luther of Farmington. “The show addresses the large questions we all have about life, love and the pursuit of fulfillment. One character is hoping to be loved, the other is hoping to change the world and together they cope with the oppressiveness found all around them through the fantasy of movie musicals. Some people go the theatre to escape, some go to be enlightened. Personally, I choose shows that make us think and re-evaluate and therefore I am drawn to other Kander and Ebb shows like Chicago, Cabaret, and The Scottsboro Boys. Ultimately, no matter how dark the material is, in the end the show is about hope, redemption, courage, and love," he says.

Luther saw the original Broadway production twice while living in New York City, first in 1993 with the original cast and again in 1994. “I was totally captured by this show. It plays with our senses and imaginations like few other shows do. We are forced to think about what defines reality, to consider what it means to love and be loved, to think about the things that can imprison us, as well as the things that can set us free,” he says.

The set of "Spider Woman" is a gargantuan fortress. While the stage has been transformed into a raw, dank, prison, the incredible lighting techniques and creative choreography allow Molina’s fantasies to come to life in grand and poetic vignettes.

Stagecrafters’ production has the distinction of featuring an entire family onstage: husband and wife David and Rae McIntosh of Beverly Hills, who play the warden and Molina’s mother respectively, and daughter Elizabeth McIntosh of Clinton Twp, who plays Valentin’s girlfriend, Marta. The three have previously all performed together in a local production of Follies and at Stagecrafters’ Blue Room cabaret.

“We have found the group to be open and inviting and that has nurtured our love of theatre by participating in the shows and being able to express our talents. This activity has added a different dimension to our lives that we can share and enjoy,” says David. While Rae had been involved since the group occupied a performance space in Clawson, the couple first appeared together in An Enchanted Evening at the Baldwin in Fall 1985 during the group’s inaugural season at the Baldwin. “We made friends we still have today and this has been our theatre home since then,” says David.

“I remember when my parents were in An Enchanted Evening at the Baldwin and I would come to rehearsals and fall asleep in a pile of coats in the auditorium. It just seemed natural to want to do Annie (1987) there when the opportunity presented itself. I was ten when I auditioned and got the part of Molly,” says Elizabeth. “I like working with my family. It gives me an excuse to see them more often since I live almost an hour away from them,” she adds.

Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical began as the 1978 novel El Beso de la Mujer Arana by Manuel Puig, which he later adapted as a play in 1983, followed by a London production in English in 1985. It was turned into a feature film starring William Hurt and Raul Julia, which premiered in 1985. This musical version, book by Terrence McNally, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, first appeared in 1990 as a work-in-progress presented in Purchase, New York. Subsequent productions followed in London’s West End and Toronto in 1992, before opening on Broadway featuring Chita Rivera as Aurora on May 3, 1993, at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 904 performances. Along the way it garnered eleven Tony Award ® nominations and won seven, including Best Musical.

Advance tickets for regular performances are $18 and $20. Tickets may be purchased online at www.stagecrafters.org or by phone at 248-541-6430 using Visa and MasterCard. Audience advisory: Mature subject matter and sexual situations. All seats are reserved. If shows have not sold out, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour prior to the performance for an additional $2.00 per ticket.

Show dates and times follow:

Friday, Jan 20 8:00 pm

Saturday, Jan 21 8:00 pm

Sunday, Jan 22 2:00 pm

Thursday, Jan 26 8:00 pm

Friday, Jan 27 8:00 pm

Saturday, Jan 28 8:00 pm

Sunday, Jan 29 2:00 pm

Thursday, Feb 2 8:00 pm

Friday, Feb 3 8:00 pm

Saturday, Feb 4 8:00 pm

Sunday, Feb 5 2:00 pm