Jump to content

Lisa Kirk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisa Kirk
Kirk in 1951
Born
Elsie Kirk

(1925-02-25)February 25, 1925
Brownsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 11, 1990(1990-11-11) (aged 65)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Spouse
​
(m. 1949)​

Lisa Kirk (born Elsie Kirk; February 25, 1925 – November 11, 1990) was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto (her voice was called a husky alto).[1]

Early life

[edit]

Born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania as Elsie Kirk,[2] she was raised in Roscoe, Pennsylvania.[3]

Kirk enrolled as a law student at the University of Pittsburgh, but abandoned her studies when she was offered a spot in the chorus line at the Versailles nightclub in Manhattan.[4][5]

Career

[edit]

Kirk studied theatre at HB Studio[6] in New York City and made her Broadway debut in Allegro in 1947.[3] In 1948, she gained critical acclaim for her performance as Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate,[3][7] for which Kirk recounted learning the songs (from Cole Porter) and performing them for investors before performing them in the theatre.[8] The reviewer for CastAlbumReviews.com wrote: "As Lois/Bianca, Lisa Kirk acts and sings her numbers impeccably; her performance of 'Why Can't You Behave?' is unsurpassed as her sultry voice pours over great lines such as, 'There I'll care for you forever/Well, at least till you dig my grave'."[9]

In Mack and Mabel (1974), she played an older actress who becomes a star tap dancer, and was noted by Clive Barnes to be "particularly fine".[10] Additional Broadway credits include Here's Love (1963),[11] Me Jack, You Jill (closed during previews in 1976),[12] and a 1984 revival of Noël Coward's Design for Living.[3]

Kirk's only feature film work was dubbing the singing voice for Rosalind Russell's character Rose Hovick in Gypsy (except for "Mr. Goldstone" and the first half of "Rose's Turn").[13][14][15] It was rumored that Kirk had also dubbed Lucille Ball's singing voice in Mame (1974).[16] However, Ball denied this on The Merv Griffin Show, saying, "She's not dubbing my voice because no one can."[17]

Kirk was active in the early days of television, appearing in such anthology series as Studio One, where she co-starred in The Taming of the Shrew on June 5, 1950.[18] She appeared on Kraft Television Theatre, The Colgate Comedy Hour, and General Electric Theater. In later years, she was a guest star on sitcoms such as Bewitched and The Courtship of Eddie's Father, as well as variety series like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace, and The Dean Martin Show.[citation needed]

Kirk frequently appeared at the Persian Room in the Plaza Hotel.[4] She also appeared at New York City's Rainbow and Stars nightclub. In a review of her act at Rainbow and Stars, in April 1989, The New York Times music critic John S. Wilson wrote that Kirk's "long career has given her polish, presence and a solid foundation of songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter and Jerry Herman with which she is associated. She has maintained such a trim structure that she can do justice to a song called 'Is That Really Her Figure?' And although her voice may not be as full-bodied as it once was, she has a warm, easy projection that gives sensitivity and color to her songs."[19]

In addition to Kirk's appearances on original cast albums and compilations of Broadway performances, she recorded a number of solo recordings, including Lisa Kirk Sings At The Plaza (1959) from MGM Records.[20][21] A posthumous complication CD I Feel A Song Comin' On was released in 2004.[22]

Kirk may be best known for her roles in the original Broadway productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro and Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate.[8] Bloom and Vlastnik wrote in their book Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time that Kirk "hit the jackpot again", introducing "Why Can't You Behave" and "Always True to You (in My Fashion)".[23] Another popular number was the upbeat "Tom, Dick or Harry", performed with Harold Lang as Lucentio, Edwin Clay as Gremio and Charles Wood as Hortensio (suitors to Kirk's Bianca). Lewis Nichols wrote: "Having startled the town last season by singing 'The Gentleman is a Dope' as though she meant it, Miss Kirk is captivating ... this year as a fully accredited hoyden with a sense of humor."[24]

Personal life

[edit]

From 1949 until her death, Kirk was married to sketch artist and famed songwriter Robert Wells,[4] who co-wrote "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" with Mel Torme.[3][25] They had no children.

In 1950, Kirk's mother, Elsie Kirk, filed suit against her daughter for failing to abide to what she said was an agreement that the two of them share her earnings. Lisa Kirk insisted no such agreement existed.[26][27]

In 1968, Kirk was involved in an automobile accident, in which she substained whiplash that caused nerve damage in her lower back. In September 1972, after four years of physical and voice rehabilitation, Kirk made a comeback at the St. Regis nightclub in New York City.[28]

Death

[edit]

A non-smoker, Kirk died of lung cancer on November 11, 1990, at the Memorial-Sloan Cancer Center in Manhattan.[3]

Radio appearances

[edit]
Year Program Episode/source
1952 Musical Comedy Theater Yolanda and the Thief[29]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1967 The Monkees Gloria S1:E21, "The Prince and the Paupers"
1967 Bewitched Madame Maruska S3:E30, "How To Fail In Business With All Kinds of Help"

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bloom, Ken; Vlastnik, Frank (2004). Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog Publishing. p. 173. ISBN 1-57912-390-2.
  2. ^ "Broadway Performer Lisa Kirk Dies at 64". Deseret News. November 15, 1990. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Blau, Eleanor (November 13, 1990). "Lisa Kirk, Cabaret Performer, 62; Featured in Broadway Musicals". The New York Times. p. D26.
  4. ^ a b c "Lisa Kirk biography". Big Bands & Big Names. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  5. ^ "Lisa Kirk". Masterworks Broadway. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  6. ^ "HB Studio - Notable Alumni | One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC". HB Studio.
  7. ^ "Kiss Me, Kate". Playbill. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 4, side B.
  9. ^ "Review: 'Kiss Me, Kate'". Cast Album Reviews. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  10. ^ Barnes, Clive (October 7, 1974). "Mack & Mabel and Silent Film Era". The New York Times. p. 54.
  11. ^ "Here's Love". Playbill. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  12. ^ Barry, Ann, ed. (March 7, 1976). "Arts and Leisure Guide". The New York Times. p. 22. Retrieved May 10, 2026. ME JACK, YOU JILL—The story of the mother, wife and mistress of one man. Written by Robes Kossez, directed by Harold J. Kennedy. With Sylvia Sidney, Lisa Kirk, Barbara Baxley. Golden, 232 W. 45th St. (CI 66740)
  13. ^ Batalke, Joe (December 27, 1993). "There's Nothing Wrong With '62 'Gypsy'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  14. ^ "Gypsy (OST)". Sondheim Guide. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  15. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures. University of California Press. 1997. p. 444. ISBN 0-520-20970-2.
  16. ^ Karol, Michael (2004). Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia. iUniverse. p. 295. ISBN 0-595-29761-7.
  17. ^ "Lucille Ball on MAME: "I Can't Sing"". January 26, 2008. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2020 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. June 4, 1950. p. 6-A. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. ^ Wilson, John S. (April 21, 1989). "Review/Cabaret: Lisa Kirk Sings and Jokes". The New York Times. p. C3.
  20. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Liza Kirk Sings at the Plaza". AllMusic. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Disk Signings". Variety. January 14, 1959. p. 76. Retrieved May 10, 2026 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "Lisa Kirk — I Feel a Song Comin' On CD". CD Universe. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  23. ^ Bloom and Vlastnik, p. 173
  24. ^ White, David M. (1975). "Music in the Air". Popular Culture. Ayer Publishing. p. 116. ISBN 0-405-06649-X.
  25. ^ Vosburgh, Dick (October 27, 1998). "Obituary: Robert Wells". The Independent.
  26. ^ "Mother Sues Lisa Kirk for Share of Earnings". New York World-Telegram. January 4, 1950.
  27. ^ "Lisa Kirk Sued by Her Mother". Billboard. January 14, 1950. p. 45. Retrieved May 10, 2026 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ Wilson, John S. (September 28, 1972). "Cabaret: Lisa Kirk Stages a Comeback". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  29. ^ Kirby, Walter (November 23, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lisa Kirk.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lisa_Kirk&oldid=1353556675"