Did anyone ever see "High Spirits" from 1964 ?

I was just reading the book "Nothing Like A Dame..." by Eddie Shapiro, and in his interview with Carol Channing she mentions an actress named Bea Lillie was starring in a musical called "High Spirits" that season. I Googled it and read the synopsis - sounds rather 'fun' for a musical. I have a few questions..

1. DId anyone here ever see the original, and if so - how was it?

2. I know it had a rather short run, but it was up against some big competition that season: "Hello Dolly" and "Funny Girl". Has it ever been revived in the past 50+ years? Would it be something to be revived today?



Not sure why this musical piqued my interest, but any info on this would be great. (I love hearing opinions and histories about older musicals such as this,)

Gaveston, Ms. Danner is Blythe but the "Spirit" is "Blithe."

It doesn't seem to have been done anywhere in ages. I wish Encores would do it. I would love to see a production.

Updated On: 5/19/19 at 11:06 PM

HIGH SPIRITS' score is one of the first musicals I fell in love with for an odd reason. I spent my 15th year (1971-72) in Israel as an exchange student. Pretty lonely year where my one weekly escape was to take the bus down to the American Embassy library in Tel Aviv to sign out LP's of Bway shows and books on American set design, of which they had a shocking good collection.

Tammy Grimes' HIGH SPIRITS and Barbara Harris' ON A CLEAR DAY were my favorite ladystars in my favorite shows of that year. Nothing will dim Tammy Grimes singing "Love Me While You May".

I can't remember the year or who was in it but I DO remember when I saw it in the Princess Theatre in Melbourne Australia that Noel Coward was there watching it from the box.

I had the LP and adored Tammy Grimes.

Yes to all the above EXCEPT I saw Noel Coward at Sail Away

Updated On: 5/19/19 at 03:37 PM

Welcome back Dollypop!

Hope you are well!

I saw this. Lillie was top billed, so they gave her more time on-stage than in the original and gave her a couple of songs with chorus that added nothing to the show. Louise Troy had the thankless role of Ruth and made it quite clear why Charles would have preferred Elvira. Walter Kerr wrote of Tammy Grimes that she "strides right, strides left, and then strides right again," which was an accurate description of the staging for her "Home Sweet Heaven." By and large I didn't think the songs were strong, which was a shame because if I remember correctly they were by Blaine and Martin.