In this episode of “Half Hour”, we take a deeper dive into the New York City Center Encores! production of High Spirits, the 1964 musical adaptation of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit with music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray. We explore how the book, score, and central conceit of a haunted marriage land with contemporary audiences, and how this revival frames the piece within Encores!’s mission to revisit rarely produced shows.
The conversation covers Jessica Stone’s direction, Ellenore Scott’s choreography, and the overall shape and pacing of this concert staging, as well as the Encores! series more broadly and what this production suggests about the musical’s future life. We look closely at the performances from Katrina Lenk as Elvira, Phillipa Soo and Steven Pasquale as Ruth and Charles Condomine, Andrea Martin as Madame Arcati, Rachel Dratch as Edith, Campbell Scott as Dr. Bradman, and Jennifer Sánchez as Mrs. Bradman, considering what’s working within the ensemble and how the casting highlights the show’s humor and tone.
We also discuss David Zinn’s scenic design, as well as the production’s visual and sonic world in the context of City Center’s concert-style approach, and how High Spirits holds up compared with its original 1964 Broadway run. The episode wraps with our “Half-Minute” segment, where each is given one specific moment from this High Spirits to rant about.
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