ABOUT A generation ago, youthful Opera North took the plunge to produce the American musical Show Boat.

With music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, it was so successful that it led to further similar productions.

The latest, Kiss Me, Kate, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, opened last week at Leeds Grand, but didn’t quite live up to its famous predecessor.

Cole Porter was a genius, but perhaps made the mistake of using Wagner’s practice of writing both words and music, especially as, in this case, Shakespeare wrote the original words! The first act was too long.

But who could deny the thrill of a host of favourites – Why Can’t You Behave, Wunderbar, Tom, Dick Or Harry, Too Darn Hot, and above all, So In Love.

Jeni Bern as Lilli and Quirijn de Lang as Fred sang well, especially Lilli, who plunged into the ‘Mad Scene’ scene of Donizetti’s Lucia de Lammermoor at her suitor’s ardent passion.

Ashley Day as Bill made an eloquent tap-dancing bid with four Tiffany Graves’s Marilyn Monroe double.

David Charles Arbel conducted and Jo Davies directed. A total of 20 scenes were observed by electrically moving four immense screens.

• Grand Theatre, Leeds, until October 30. Visit leedsgrandtheatre.com or call 0844 8482700 to book tickets.

• John Pettitt.