About the work
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel by Manuel Puig. After runs in London and Toronto, the Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1993. The dark, sensual work juxtaposes the brutal reality of a Latin American prison cell with the dazzling fantasy worlds of cinema and is regarded as one of the most unusual and daring musicals of its time.
Plot
In a prison somewhere in Latin America, two very different men share a cell: the gay window dresser Molina, jailed for "indecency", and the tortured political prisoner Valentin. To escape the brutality of daily life, Molina recounts and relives the films of his favourite actress Aurora – who also appears as the mysterious "Spider Woman", whose kiss means death. Amid interrogations, betrayal and growing closeness, mistrust gives way to a deep, unexpected bond between the two men, until Molina is faced with a choice about loyalty, love and his own life.
Cultural significance
With its fusion of political drama, film glamour and tragedy, Kiss of the Spider Woman expanded the thematic boundaries of the Broadway musical. The role of the Spider Woman became a triumph for Chita Rivera, who won a Tony Award for it. Songs such as "Where You Are" and the title number display the Kander-and-Ebb signature of catchy showbiz elegance and underlying menace. The show remains a powerful plea for humanity, solidarity and the liberating power of imagination under inhuman conditions.