Brittany McDyer Sashays Away in NJPAC's "Kiss Me Kate"

Cranford High School alumna Brittany McDyer will shake it with the dance ensemble in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center upcoming production of Kiss Me Kate. The musical, a collaboration between NJPAC and the New Jersey Youth Theatre, runs from July 15th through the 24th.

Kiss Me Kate is the classic Cole Porter musical about romantic entanglements, misunderstandings and Shakespeare. The show is a play-within-a-play, following the chaotic personal lives of the cast of The Taming of the Shrew. The musical proved to be Porter’s biggest hit, earning him the first Tony Award for Best Musical. The NJPAC/NJYT production features the talents of 29 New Jersey performers, ranging between the ages of 16 and 23. The production features many involved, complex dance numbers, and McDyer could not be more thrilled to work with a class of such high caliber.

“I think my favorite part is just the experience I’ve been given and working with such amazingly talented people,” she said.

McDyer, a Dance and Psychology major at Rutgers University, became involved in the production at the insistence of teacher and Assistant Director Sherry Alban. McDyer’s dancing shoes have been laced up tight for over 15 years, and her experience has served her well. Kiss Me Kate’s directors demand precision and excellence of their dancers, but McDyer believes that attitude is what keeps the group so motivated.

“It’s great just how much everybody wants to be there,” she said. “Nobody’s ever complaining. This is what they want and what they want to do. This is what they’re really good at.”

The directors are not the only ones who demand success; the cast demands is of each other. Working with a group of such talent has driven McDyer to bring her best to every rehearsal. She says her castmates drive her to maintain their high level of performance and positivity.

“Working with this group has been the best,” she said. “I’ve never worked with such a great group of people before. It’s made it so easier to get up and go to rehearsal every day.”

Of all the show’s numbers, McDyer singles out the rambunctious ‘Too Darn Hot’ as her favorite, saying it is, “so much fun,” to perform.

“It has the most dancing,” she added. “It’s tiring, but fun.”

The show requires a lot from McDyer, but she has few complaints. When the curtain rises on opening night, the thrill of performing with such a fantastic crew will be reward enough.

“I’m mostly looking forward to putting on a show for everybody and being able to be on stage with everybody,” she said.