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KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is the beautifully haunting tale of two prisoners incarcerated in the most terrible of places. But out of their despair, they weave a touching tale of life, love, and loss. Molina begins to share his fantasies of Aurora, the actress of his dreams. Much to Valentin’s surprise, Molina’s stories begin to appear, transporting them into a world of vibrant color and feeling, a far cry from their dreary prison cell.

Molina a homosexual who is serving a sentence for allegedly corrupting a minor, sits in a prison cell in an unnamed Latin American country. The time is the recent past Lonely and tormented, he hears he seductive, beckoning voice of the Spider Women VaIentin, a Marxist revolutionary, is brought to the prison as a suspected terrorist. Severely beaten and unconscious, Valentin is thrown into Molina's cell. Horrified by Valentin's condition, Molina conjures up the screen goddess Aurora and escapes into one of his cinematic fantasies.

While the prisoners long for freedom Valentin regains consciousness. Despite Molina's efforts to engage him in conversation, Valentin ignores Molina and rudely rejects him. Undaunted Molina flamboyantly introduces himself and tells Valentin about his expertise as a window dresser. Valentin angrily tells Molina to leave him alone.

Molina tells Valentin to think of a woman in his life, that the memory will help him cope with his loneliness. Molina says he thinks of his mother. Thus encouraged, Valentin thinks of his girlfriend, Marta.

The prisoners also wonder what their friends and families are doing without them.

Molina teases Valentin about his girlfriend Marta. As cries of tortured prisoners echo throughout the prison, Molina tells Valentine how, as a child, he spent hours watching movies at a local cinema where his mother worked as an usherette. He confides in Valentine about his passion for movies, especially his love of the beautiful movie star Aurora. He admired every movie she made except one, where she played the Spider Woman, a figure of death. Molina believes the Spider Woman is real and he claims he has seen her in the prison. Valentin calls him a fool. Yet, escaping into these imaginary, glorious moves helps Molina cope with the cruelty and terror surrounding him.

In another part of the prison, the Warden denies reports of torture in the prison. We know, however, that the accusations are true. In the midst of these tortures, Valentin tries to cope by remembering the love of his girlfriend.

After additional torture, Valentin's crippled body is thrown into the cell. Molina again calls on Aurora who appears and helps him minister to Valentin's wounds. Marta also materialises. That night, during their meal, Molina tells Valentin about his fondness for a waiter named Gabriel while Valentine reminisces about his first love.

Molina begins gasping with cramp. He is taken to the infirmary where he hallucinates. Molina sees his mother, wearing a movie usherette's uniform and seeks her forgiveness. She tells him she would only be ashamed if he did something cruel or uncaring. Then the Spider Woman appears and she and Molina converse.

Molina recovers and is taken back to his cell. The guards bring more food to Valentin who has not eaten for three days. After he eats the food, Valentin is wracked with pain and cramp. As Molina comforts him, Valentin utters Marta's name and faints. Molina wishes he could experience the love that Valentin feels for Marta.

The Warden increases the pressure on Molina to betray Valentin by telling Molina that his mother is ill. Valentin begs Molina to recount a movie story because it will help take his mind off the pain. Molina tells the story of Amazon Love, set in a South American jungle. Molina's telling of the story carries Valentin further into the fantasy world to save both of them from the stark, deadly reality of the prison. Molina continues to entertain Valentin by telling of a film in which Aurora sacrifices herself for her lover. Valentin say he has a movie of his own, which does not have a part for Aurora, no singing, no dancing .... just the truth.

Molina becomes increasingly torn between his love for Valentin and his worries about his mother's health. He also remains unwilling to get politically involved. The Warden summons Molina and tells him his mother's health is worsening. He allows Molina to speak to her on the telephone. By so doing, Molina agrees to get the names of of Valentin's comrades for the Warden.

Back in the cell, Molina tells Valentin he is being released in the morning. Valentin asks him if he could make a few vital telephone calls for him. Molina refuses, despite his longing for Valentin and desire to please him. The Spider Woman appears, knowing this web of intrigue, fate and betrayal that will soon bring Molina to her. In order to manipulate him Valentin seduces Molina so that he will do his political bidding. As the two men are entangled further into her web, the Spider Woman reappears.

The next morning, Valentin again asks Molina to deliver a message. Molina refuses to get involved because he is too weak to carry out the assignment. Valentin kisses him and thus emboldened, Molina finally agrees to deliver Valentin's message.

As Molina leaves the prison, the Warden asks him one last time for the names. Molina writes several down and leaves. The Warden knows the names are false and orders guards to follow him. On the streets, Molina realises he is a stranger to the life he once knew. He visits his mother and, after gaining the reluctant permission, makes the fateful call for Valentin.

In the prison, Valentin is being interrogated by the Warden. Molina, his face bloody and body beaten, is dragged in. The Warden pulls out a revolver and threatens to kill Molina if Valentin does not reveal the names. Molina warns Valentin that he he obeys the Warden's order, Valentin will have betrayed him. As Molina proclaims his love, the Warden shoots him. In the moment before his death, Molina experiences his ultimate Technicolor fantasy in which he dances a joyful tango with the Spider Woman, celebrating his release from pain. Aurora gives him that fateful kiss.

1 Kiss Of The Spider Woman est un musical abordant de manière centrale l'homosexualité.

Based on El Beso de la Mujer Arana, a novel by Manuel Puig

Kiss of the Spider Woman was given a workshop by New Musicals, whose goal was to create, develop, and provide a working home for sixteen new musicals over four years, at the Performing Arts Center, State University of New York at Purchase in May 1990. It was directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Susan Stroman and featured John Rubinstein, Kevin Gray, Lauren Mitchell, and Harry Goz. An attempt to persuade New York critics not to review this initial production (given its workshop status) failed, with Frank Rich in The New York Times, followed by other critics covering the production and filing mostly negative reviews. New Musicals folded after Spider Woman.

Two years later, the producer Garth Drabinsky became involved, and his company, Livent, produced the show in Toronto at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Bluma Appel Theatre in June 1992. The cast starred Brent Carver as Molina, Anthony Crivello as Valentin and Chita Rivera as Spider Woman/Aurora.

Kiss of the Spider Woman premiered in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 20, 1992, where it ran for 390 performances. Directed by Harold Prince with choreography by Rob Marshall, it starred Brent Carver as Molina, Anthony Crivello as Valentin, and Chita Rivera as Spider Woman/Aurora. The production won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.

It opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on May 3, 1993 and closed on July 1, 1995 after 904 performances. It was again directed by Harold Prince, with choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, scenic design and projection design by Jerome Sirlin, costume design by Florence Klotz, and lighting design by Howell Binkley. The cast included Brent Carver, Anthony Crivello and Chita Rivera repeating their roles, as well as Merle Louise and Kirsty Carnahan. Carver, Crivello, and Rivera won Tony Awards for their performances. Notable replacements included: Brian Stokes Mitchell (Valentin), Howard McGillin and Jeff Hyslop (Molina); and, as Aurora: María Conchita Alonso, Vanessa L. Williams, and Carol Lawrence. The teaming of McGillin, Williams, and Mitchell was so strong that many critics felt they were superior to the original cast, and in a rare step a second cast album was recorded featuring these principles.

It opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Lola Membrives Theatre on May 2, 1995. Directed by Harold Prince, with choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, the cast included Valeria Lynch in the title role, Juan Darthes and Anibal Silveyra. It was translated into Spanish by Pedro Orgambide and Alberto Favero.

Act I
Prologue – Spider Woman and Prisoners
"Her Name is Aurora" – Molina, Aurora, Aurora's Men and Prisoners
"Over the Wall" – Prisoners
"And the Moon Grows Dimmer" – Aurora
"Bluebloods" – Molina
"Dressing Them Up" / "I Draw the Line" – Molina and Valentin
"Dear One" – Molina's Mother, Marta, Valentin and Molina
"Over the Wall II" – Prisoners, Molina and Valentin
"Where You Are" – Aurora, Aurora's Man and Prisoners
"Over the Wall III" / "Marta" – Valentin and Prisoners
"Come" – Spider Woman
"I Do Miracles" – Aurora and Marta
"Gabriel's Letter" / "My First Woman" – Gabriel and Valentin
"Morphine Tango" – Orderlies
"You Could Never Shame Me" – Molina's Mother
"A Visit" – Spider Woman and Molina
"She's a Woman" – Molina
"Gimme Love" – Aurora, Molina and Aurora's Men

Act II
"Russian Movie" / "Good Times" – Aurora, Molina and Valentin
"The Day After That" – Valentin and Families of the Disappeared
"Mama, It's Me" – Molina
"Anything for Him" – Spider Woman, Molina and Valentin
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" – Spider Woman
"Over the Wall IV" / "Lucky Molina" – Warden and Prisoners
"Only in the Movies" / "His Name was Molina" – Molina and the People in His Life

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