The clever 1950s drama, which opens with the song “Another Op’nin’, Another Show,” celebrates the exciting world of the backstage while lifting the curtain on the ugly behind-the-scenes antics of actors. Students sing, dance, fight and argue in Shakespearian and mid-Atlantic accents.

It was the first show to win a Tony award for “Best Musical.” The musical numbers were all written by Cole Porter, a “smart composer” with “great lyrics,” Saranac Lake Music Director Drew Benware said.

“Kiss Me, Kate” has a fair amount of “meta theater” — it’s a play within a play that weaves a performance of the Shakespearian drama, “The Taming of the Shrew,” into a 1950s musical setting.

“It’s cleverly crafted in that sometimes you’re going to see the show they’re putting on, ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ and sometimes you’re going to see backstage,” Benware said.

Clyde Waters as Gremio, Ebin Meissner as Paul, Sam Madden as Fred/Petruchio, and Max Karp. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

As the plot builds and the two storylines intertwine, the student actors’ performances become increasingly nuanced, as the fictional actors they embody try to still perform for the imaginary audience while they grapple, quite literally, with each-others egos.

Sam Madden and Payton Barry play two struggling thespians, the leads of the fictional show, who were at one time married, now divorced, and who find themselves playing opposite each other in the production. These aren’t star-crossed lovers, they’re cross star ex-lovers. Both flaunt their new loves to the other while harboring injured passion for the person they shared four years of disastrous marriage with.

It’s a mature theme, which the students work through with levity and gravity.

The tension between the actors is heightened when, through a case of mistaken identity, flowers are sent to the wrong dressing room — Lois’s, played by Lily Zander. Meanwhile, students Max Hall and Sage Kite-Whidden disappear into the roles of mobsters looking to collect on an IOU written in the wrong name by Nash Carlisto.

“Antics ensue on stage and off stage,” Benware said.

From left to right, Sage Kite-Whidden as “gangster number two,” Sam Madden as Fred/Petruchio and Max Hall as “gangster number one,” rehearse on Thursday ahead of the opening of “Kiss Me, Kate.” (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

As for the students’ on- and offstage antics, Benware gave them high praise. They’ve been working on fight coordination with director Bonnie Brewer. The musical moves through several different styles of songs — 1950s jazz, “straight-up musical theater ballads” and medieval Shakespearian songs. On top of the 1950s lingo, Benware said all the student actors are well-versed in the Shakespearian text, too.

This part came together smoother than he thought it would and Benware said the students caught on quickly.

“It’s clear that they’re not only delivering the words that are written, but that they understand what the text actually means,” Benware said.

“Shakespeare is, I think, not meant to be read,” Benware said. “It’s meant to be performed.”

He said not to be daunted by the Bard’s dense dialogue. When it’s delivered with intent, the meaning of the centuries-old phrases become clear.

Clyde Waters as Gremio, Nash Carlisto as Lucentio and Sam Keating as Hortensio. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

The musical is a “product of its time,” Benware said, particularly in terms of its traditional gender roles. But after two revivals — one in the 1990s and another just before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic — alterations were made to “bring it into the 21st century,” and its outdated 1950s ideas of gender roles are viewed ironically.

The cast features a total of 31 high school students in grades 9-12 with direction by Bonnie B. Brewer, musical direction by Benware, costumes by Kent Streed, choreography by Vanessa Pillen and sound design by Seth Putnam.

Shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are each at 7 p.m. at the Saranac Lake High School auditorium. Tickets cost $10.

Sam Madden as Fred/Petruchio. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Sage Kite-Whidden and Max Hall rehearse their roles of "gangster number two" and "gangster number one," respectively. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Sophie Colarusso, Kayden Glascock and Clyde Waters rehearse “Kiss Me, Kate” on Thursday. (Enterprise photo —Aaron Marbone)

Sam Keating as Hortensio, Clyde Waters as Gremio, Ebin Meissner as Paul, Sam Madden as Fred/Petruchio and Nash Carlisto as Lucentio. (Enterprise photo —Aaron Marbone)

Clyde Waters as Gremio and Nash Carlisto as Bill/Lucentio rehearse. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Payton Barry, as Lily/Katherine, rehearses at Saranac Lake High School Thursday. (Enterprise photo —Aaron Marbone)

Molly Tooker, performing as Hattie, rehearses “Kiss Me, Kate” on Thursday at Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo —Aaron Marbone)

Sam Madden as Fred/Petruchio, left, and Lily Zander as Lois/Bianca, right, rehearse on Thursday, one week ahead of the opening of “Kiss Me, Kate” at Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Sam Madden as Fred/Petrucho and Payton Barry as Lily/Katherine rehearse ahead of the opening of "Kiss Me, Kate." (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)