HIGH SPIRITS at Encores! — Page 2

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Well, I enjoyed it for the most part. It’s the archetypalEncores! show - creaky and oddball,but endearingnonetheless. As with most Encores! productions, I found the pacing / comedic timing was a bit scattershot and the sound design was wonky (the orchestra sounded somewhat dull and canned). Hopefully they’ll tweak those things as the run continues. Andrea Martin did go up on her lines a couple of times, but that’s the nature of these productions, so I wasn’t bothered.

The standout performance easily came from Katrina Lenk. What a redemptionafter getting so much (unwarranted)flack forCOMPANY. Funny, regal, and in glorious voice. (And 90% off book!)

It’s no PIAZZA orINTO THE WOODS, but overall, a markedimprovement over any of theEncores! offerings from last season."

I wonder if this revival might come to Broadway,maybe next season. It's a great starring or co-starring? vehicle for Katrina Lenk.

Updated On: 2/6/26 at 05:52 PM

fosterfan2 said: "I wonder if this revival might come to Broadway,maybe next season. It's a great starring or co-starring? vehicle for Katrina Lenk."

Not a chance in hell.

ER765 said: "I liked this, too. With $28 ACCESStickets still available, it’s a steal. Hardly perfect, but regardless, awelcome return to form for Encores."

Is there a different code for this show or did I miss the boat? Was just looking to buy now.

Scarywarhol said: "ER765 said: "I liked this, too. With $28 ACCESStickets still available, it’s a steal. Hardly perfect, but regardless, awelcome return to form for Encores."

Is there a different code for this show or did I miss the boat? Was just looking to buy now."

They're still available! I bought one this morning for next weekend. The link WiCkEDrOcKS shared above walks you through the process.

Scarywarhol said: "ER765 said: "I liked this, too. With $28 ACCESStickets still available, it’s a steal. Hardly perfect, but regardless, awelcome return to form for Encores."

Is there a different code for this show or did I miss the boat? Was just looking to buy now."

The code SPIRITS gives a very small discount.

I saw this last evening and so glad I did! I am a big Blithe Spirit enthusiast. I love Coward's original play and I can see how he directed and took part in this musical adaptation back in the 60's. The original creative team did what Hello, Dolly! produced (in the same season); they took solid source material and created musical numbers in place of specific dialogue and/or enhanced what Coward wrote. The musical is campy and fun and very in the sixties style. The songs are delightful and witty in both melody and lyric. I truly enjoyed the score. I'd like to know how this has not been produced more often, even out of NY on more occasions. A wonderful golden age show that holds up, in my opinion. This cast has great chemistry together and perfectly placed in each role. Honestly, I think it is my favorite of Soo's that I've seen and Lenk turns in a wonderful character of a role. She is enchanting.

I was Balcony Row B - about 7 seats off the aisle...did not miss a single thing on house right and had a full view of any action on the raised platform. The last two rows of the musicians in the back were cut off by the proscenium but that was it. The full show was in view...though higher up..I love it...the distance is closer to the stage than most balcony overhangs. Its a steal!

You’ve sold me, Flowerlovestage. I’ll go in with an open mind!

We went with no expectations, and boy, that was a lot of fun. Lots of really good work being done on stage.

Andrea Martin, God bless her, went up on a line later in the show (she has so much material, holy ow) and said, out loud, "It's late, and I'm tired" to much, much applause.

Definitely get tickets if you can.

Unfortunately, I also found this a tedious, largely unfunny bore. I’m a big fan of Blithe Spirit, but this adaptation saps all of the fun from it. What should be a delicious drawing room comedy is rendered an unfocused, Temu Cole Porter slog.

Can we talk about the Noel Coward framing device for a second? Who decided to do this? Did they not think we would understand that Elvira is a ghost or that we wouldn’t be able to tell where we were from moment to moment because of the lack of set? I’ve never had an issue using my imagination on underdesigned Encores concerts before, nor have I thought “It would be nice to have some stage directions read aloud here so we could have more context.” Not only did it feel vaguely condescending to the audience, it continuously brought the show to a complete halt, stepping on what could have been some funny character bits.

That said… I don’t know how funny this cast could have been. Katrina Lenk aside, they all performed with a faint air of embarrassment on Tuesday night. Almost as if they could sense how stale the whole thing is. Genuinely, some of the lowest commitment I’ve seen in an Encores production, right down to the fact that not a single person other than Lenk seems to know their lines. Those binders weren’t just a choice, they’re a necessity. Poor Andrea Martin barely even knew where she was and seemed like she just wanted to get home.

This was a very very strange choice for Encores. I know there are some forgotten gems out there to be uncovered, and this just wasn’t one of them for me. I’m even more eagerly anticipating Wild Party now.

Updated On: 2/16/26 at 07:50 AM

I liked it A LOT!. (as did the group we were with). Have been seeing musicals since I saw Zero Mostel in "Fiddler on the Roof". Was it on the same level as other great musicals? No. Was it fun with some well performed performances? Yes I don't think it requires a lot of thinking and analysis to enjoy oneself. I HIGHLY recommend this, it is unlikely it will be produced again at this professional level.

Enjoyed this last night Fri. the 13th but didn't LUV it.

Someone's listening device was causing me to have to cover one ear sometimes to help block it out & house staff was offering to let me move but I was with someone who didn't want to & who has hearing issues of their own so didn't hear what I was hearing.

Luved the percussionists period bongo playing as well as his glockenspiel work.

Steven could have made more of an effort to win me over to his lounge singer songs while Andrea seemed too buried in her script to make the most of her abilities.

Phillipa Soo showed a very different quality that I luved. Lenk has never sang better. Sometimes I felt I was watching not Tammy Grimes but Barbara Harris. Was thinking of BEWITCHED during much of it only to learn afterwards that Tammy Grimes had been offered the long running TV series but turned it down mainly to do HIGH SPIRITS, instead.

Dratch's physical humor was a real enhancement to the show as well as the ensemble whose modern scene change help was hilarious & clever. The magic was handled well, too.

Updated On: 2/14/26 at 03:13 PM

After reading the posts here, I was curious… When I tried to find the OBC recording, it wasn’t available to stream on Amazon, Apple, Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify. It is free to listen to on YouTube, though…