Meridian Little Theatre will close out its 91st season Thursday through Sunday, May 9-12, with the Cole Porter musical, “Kiss Me, Kate.”

Showtimes for the musical will be 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.

“Kiss Me, Kate” premiered on Broadway in 1948 and gave Porter the greatest hit of his career, running for 1,077 performances and winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The plot centers on a battle of the sexes as former spouses feud onstage and off during out-of-town rehearsals for a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” being spearheaded by Fred Graham and starring his ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi. Local actor Brandon Davidson takes on the role of Graham, while Tiffany McGehee plays Vanessi.

In this production, McGehee, MLT’s artistic director, takes a turn on the other side of her director’s chair, but proves comfortable on the stage and in taking direction from others.

“This role reminds me of how hard these actors and actresses work to bring a character to life,” she said. “As co-stars, we trust each other.

“I have directed and performed with (Davidson). Lydia Meyers has helped direct me when she is not performing. Rachel-Kate Thaggard is home from Starkville where she is majoring in theater, and she is helping direct as well. We are all just like a big family where everyone chips in,” McGehee said.

“Tiffany’s attitude towards this encapsulates an underlying theme in this play-within-a-play: the show must go on,” said Meyers, who plays the role of Lois Lane in the production. “Though Lilli’s character is known for being a diva, Tiffany is a team player who isn’t afraid of rising to any challenge.”

“Tiffany is a great director, one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” Meyers said. “She’s a true gem in Meridian. She brings such thoughtfulness, care and professionalism to her productions, as well as strong leadership.”

Meyers said McGehee excels as a designer and a director, but that it is cool to see her on stage again as a performer.

“All her amazing directing technique is demonstrated in her performance. I’m happy she is getting the opportunity to shine,” Meyers said.

Stephen Thomas, a favorite of past MLT productions, returns to the stage in the role of the habitual gambler Bill Calhoun, who is set to play Lucentio in the Shakespeare production. According to the plot, he misses rehearsal because he was signing a $10,000 IOU in Graham’s name.

Thomas said he is pumped about this funny and fast-paced production.

“I jumped at the chance to audition for a Cole Porter musical. Since being cast for this role, I have learned to tap dance. I have worked on tap fundamentals at (Carol Merrill’s) studio,” he said. “Her choreography for ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ is just amazing, as always. This has been a fun, eye-opening challenge, and so worth it.”

Audiences will remember MLT veteran Clint Brown as he takes on the role of a gun-slinging gangster.

“As an actor, I love this kind of production,” Brown said. “It’s a clever story with great music. My number, ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare,’ is ironic for those who remember my roles in ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare’ earlier in the season.”

As the season comes to a close, MLT Board President Diane Freeman said the theater group is thankful for the community support it has received to complete the roof and lighting project and is excited about its programming for children and teens this summer.

“MLT patrons can look forward to many activities for school-aged children this summer,” Freeman said. “We will focus on our children’s division in June and our teen division in July. Everyone can look forward to purchasing 2024-25 season tickets when they are released in June.”

Tickets for “Kiss Me, Kate” may be purchased at meridianlittletheatre.com or by calling the box office at 601-482-6371.