The Peak, Simon Fraser University's Student Newspaper since 1965, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6, e-mail: epeak@mail.peak.sfu.ca, phone: (604) 291-3597 fax: (604) 291-3786
Volume 90, Issue 9 July 4, 1995 Arts 

Spider Woman traps
audience in the
hit musical

By Theresa Cordova

Kiss of the Spider Woman is not for the meek, but for those with a sense of adventure. Fun-seekers will inevitably get caught in the web of explosive music, enthralling dances and witty humour.

Canada has not seen a more captivating show since The Phantom of the Opera. With a star-studded cast consisting of Chita Rivera (Aurora, Spider Woman), Vancouver’s Jeff Hyslop (Molina) and John Dossett (Valentin), the show is full of smashing performances.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical about a compelling friendship between Molina and Valentin, who share a claustrophobic jail cell. Molina is a homosexual window dresser jailed for sexually offending a teenager while Valentin, a macho self-righteous political activist, is in jail for his involvement in the Argentinean revolution.

With personalities as different as oil and water, the two cell mates initially engage in their own war. The performances are so real you can feel the heat emanating from their quarrels. Dosset portrays Valentin with such devotion that he easily convinces the audience of his revolutionary cause. Similarly, Hyslop perfectly captures the essence of a stereotypical drag queen whose every effort is devoted to befriending Valentin and others around him.

The two cell mates, who began with mistrust, quickly develop the need for each other's moral support. Valentin gives strength through his beliefs and Molina brings hope through his recollection of the Big Screen movies. Rivera plays the two characters who give Molina a reason for living: Aurora, the infamous 40s actress, and Spider Woman, the sinister role she played in one of her films. These two characters symbolize the passion and mystery in Molina, who summons them at every opportunity. Rivera gives a knock-out performance as she shimmies with a pack of hard-bodied men to the rhythms of Rumba and Tango.

Based on Manuel Puig’s El Beso de la Mujer Arana, Kiss has been translated into 27 languages, adapted into both a play and a movie, as well as the award-winning musical. Its enchanting spell brings out the best in its performers.


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