Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1993 Broadway musical written by John Kander and Fred Ebb with book by Terrence McNally. It is based on the Manuel Puig novel El Beso de la Mujer Araña. It opened on Broadway on May 3, 1993, played 904 performances, and initially starred Brent Carver, Anthony Crivello and Broadway theatre legend Chita Rivera. It won the 1993 Tony Award for Best Musical. A second New York cast, featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell, Howard McGillin and Vanessa Williams, was also well-received.
Adapted from Manual Puig’s critically acclaimed novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman presents a provocative love story set within the conflicting dualities of love and brutality. Through dialog and lyrical storytelling, the harsh realities of victimization are expertly juxtaposed against illusion and fantasy.
Imprisoned somewhere in Latin America, cellmates Molina, an effeminate homosexual window dresser and Valentin, a militant Marxist revolutionary, share nothing in common except the overwhelming need to escape the daily degradation of prison life. They find this refuge in the telling of a stylized version of Molina’s favorite grade B movie staring an alluring temptress, the Spiderwoman.
Over the course of their confinement, the two come to understand and respect one another. They fall in love and ultimately become lovers. Upon Molina’s release from prison, he agrees to help Valentine’s political cause by passing information to his fellow revolutionaries. These actions result in Molina’s re-imprisonment and death at the hands of his captors.
Cast
- Molina – Bill Harrison
- Warden – Eric Shovah
- Valentin – Shawn Hahn
- Esteban – Bill Depew
- Marcos – David Bacheldor
- Spider Woman / Aurora – Heather D’Arcy
- Molina’s Mother – Gail Garrison
- Marta – Laurie Larson
- Aurora’s Men/Prisoners – Adam M. Coons, Peter Lacijan, Joel Shapiro, Michael Whitney
- Faceless Prisoner – John Sutliff
- Gabriel – Rich Satterlee
- Religious Fanatic – Michael Whitney
- Amnesty International Observer – Aldo Scotto Di Carlo
- Window Dresser at Montoya’s – Adam M. Coons
- Prisoners – Joe Kivlen, Aldo Scotto Di Carlo, Rich Satterlee, John Sutliff
Production Team
- Director -Michael Mensching
- Co-Producers – Michael McDermott, Dawn Ruggles
- Music Director – Valerie A. Lord
- Choreographer – Melissa Lacijan
- Set Designer – Mary Kozlowski
- Set Construction – Mary Kozlowski
- Lighting Designer – Ken Zarnoch
- Costumer – Chris Persans
- Sound – Eric Bello
- Props – Ferne Dutkin
- Make-up – Marcia Lenehan
- Stage Manager – John Sutliff
