High Spirits

By Joseph Cervelli

Back in the late 60's I went to see my first Broadway musical. Could not get into "Funny Girl" nor "Dolly." Being a fan of Carol Burnett it was between "Fade Out-Fade In" and "High Spirits." Settled for the former and loved it. Never got to "Spirits" but always loved the album.  I kept looking regionally where it might be playing and could not find anywhere. 

Needless to say, absolutely thrilled when I heard it was at Encores at City Center. Based on Noel Coward's  delightfully droll "Blithe Spirit" my hope was that the show lived up to my expectations.  Happily, even with almost no scenery and actors on book  I was thoroughly charmed by this underrated musical which never had a long enough run. And the savvy cast makes the most of the material. 

The always fine Campbell Scott comes out and announces he is Noel Coward and immediately I knew we were in for something different. He exudes charm as he gives the stage directions. He doubles as a family friend Dr. Bradman. 

Composers and book writers Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray had tinkered with the book and while it definitely is similar in many ways to Coward's play has some fun changes. Charles Condomine (Steven Pasquale) is a mystery writer and decides to have a seance to get some information for his new book. Charles is married to Ruth (Phillipa Soo) both here and in real life. Pasquale who is known mostly for dramatic roles (brilliant in the shamefully underrated "The Bridges of Madison County) is wonderfully enjoyable as the sometimes sophisticated upper crust Brit and other times just a silly fellow who really hams it up when his dead wife Elvira (Katrina Lenk) appears from the dead during the seance. Lenk who  was a stand out in "The Band's Visit" was a disappointment in the reshaping of the revival of "Company." She just did not convey the humorous and tenderness of Bobby the lead character from that show. I was apprehensive about her playing the flirty and seductive Elvira. I love to be proven wrong and here I definitely was. She was a complete joy.  And Soo perfectly captures the pragmatic Ruth who one moment very authoritarian and the next just being quite amusing. 

The seance is conducted by the completely daffy Madame Arcati played with appropriate lunacy by the always wonderful Andrea Martin. We first see her pedaling on her bicycle her favorite object of affection in "The Bicycle Song" along with the cast members dancing (energetic choreography by Ellenore Scott) with bicycle handlebars. I just wished that when we eventually see Arcati at a cafe with beatniks (remember the time period) the high powered "Go Into Your Trance" reminiscent of "Rich Man's Frug" from "Sweet Charity"  had utilized Martin more. But she hams it up in the daffy "Talking to You." 

And I would be amiss to leave out the hilarious Rachel Dratch as the bemused maid.

Director Jessica Stone has really done wonders with such a spare set--not much than a few chairs and tables. She knows the material as well as the characters and the insouciant quality of the show never falters. 

One of the biggest pluses which always eluded me was why the sometimes gorgeous score with some incredibly witty lines never received its due. Stone has turned  "Where is the Man I Married?" into a fast moving physically funny number with coffee cups. See it to understand how clever it is. The two quite beautiful songs "Forever and a Day"and "If I Gave You" are lovingly sung by Pasquale and Soo.

Lenk is a treasure here. Even though you do not see her flying around the stage there is something so ethereal about her movements you almost conjure up that image. Her voice is glorious and she rips into the stylish and cagey lyrics to "Home Sweet Heaven" with the aplomb the song deserves.

I could easily see this being revived on Broadway and with this cast and a full set it will be the hit it deserved to be 60 years ago.

Tickets are available at City Center 131 West 55th Street. The show runs through February 15. 

Photos: Joan Marcus

Best of First Half of New Season

Best of the First Half of the 2025-2026 Theater Season

By Joseph Cervelli

Since theater awards are given out in May or June the general cut off of nominations is late April. Here are the shows which I considered the best of the first half of the theater season--shows running from May to November. They are generally in the order of viewing. 

1) "Black Wolfe Tone"is an energizing play written and starring in a solo performance the extraordinary Kwaku Fortune. His character suffering possibly from bi-polar disorder is in the courtyard of a mental institution where he is a patient. Wolfe Tone was an Irish separatist and  he considers himself as someone who needs to separate from those who have driven him to a certain madness. Fortune's performance is unforgettable and exhausting. 

2) "Goddess"--A fascinating musical set in Kenya at a club where this mysterious singer, Nadira,  has everyone in rapture. She falls in love with a young man who has returned to his homeland from America. What no one knows is that she escaped her mother who is the goddess of evil.  Amber Imam is glorious as Nadira and the entire cast is vibrant in their singing and dancing. With some revisions in the book would love to see this come to Broadway.

3) "Bus Stop"--William Inge's classic play had a stunningly good revival at Classic Stages this current season. Taking place in a diner in Kansas during a snowstorm it pits people of varied travelers together. Beautifully directed by Jack Cummings III the play boasts an excellent cast.

4) "Marjorie Prime"--I was not a huge fan of this show when I first saw it off Broadway about 10 years ago. But now with AI on the mind of many it is more relevant. The irrepressible 96 year old actress June Squibb portrays Marjorie suffering from dementia. Through the use of a robotic hologram of her late husband she can communicate with him. The cast could not be better with Danny Burstein and especially Cynthia Nixon as standouts. 

5) "Meet The Cartozians"--A total delight and being half Armenian can attest to the authenticity of the characters. The first act which takes place in the early 1920's and deals with the issues of granting citizenship to an Armenian man because he does not really look white. The second act follows his descendants. A joyous cast with the always hilarious Andrea Martin. 

6) "Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York"--The title says it all in this delightful musical about a young Brit and his first time in America hoping to attend his  dad's wedding though his father walked out on him and his mother when he was a child. He meets a young woman who also is attending the wedding. Let's leave it like that. Both Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts could not be more endearing.

7) "Oedipus"--A thrilling and jarring play based on the play by Sophocles. Only here turns into a political thriller created by Robert Icke. Both Mark Strong and the always superb Lesley Manville will have you riveted from start to finish.

8) "Little Bear Ridge Road"--I was astounded that this incredibly moving new play by Samuel D. Hunter cut its limited engagement short. Micah Stock and Laurie Metcalf portray nephew and aunt and their very difficult relationship when he comes to live with her after his father's death. So much is found  here--humor, sadness, loneliness and a hope for the future. A lovely work with uncommonly realistic performances that deserved a much longer run.

9) "The Baker's Wife"--I always found Stephen Schwartz's score quite lovely and tender along with a sweet subject matter about a younger woman whose husband is older and she falls "in love" with a dashing younger man. Is it really love? While "Meadowlark" is the song most known  from the show, my particular favorite in which the wife comes to realize about one finding true love is the beautiful "Where is the Warmth?" A delight having Scott Bakula as the baker back on stage and Ariana DeBose is perfect as his wife. And how could you quibble with two long standing Broadway stalwarts--Robert Cuccioli and Judy Kuhn. I rooted for this to come to Broadway in an expanded version. 

10) "Ragtime"--This is the third and simply best version of three productions I have seen. It focuses on  three groups of people in the early 20th Century hoping to find their American Dream. The score (their best may I add) by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens is among the best of all time. Melodious throughout with lyrics that are pertinent to the story line. And let's not forget the relevant book by the late Terrence McNally. The cast is astounding led by the always brilliant Joshua Henry as Coalhouse Walker Jr. The weaving of historical and fictional figures works perfectly.

11) "Punch"--Will Harrison gives a frighteningly real performance (one of the best of the season) in a play that takes place in England outside a pub among other locations.  Based on a true story Harrison portrays Jacob Dunne who in a drunken stupor punches and kills an innocent young man. Redemption and forgiveness play a big part in this amazing work by James Graham.

12) "Beau the Musical"--This terrific musical never seemed to have taken off as much as I wish it would have. It was brought to a larger theatre and still never succeeded to the extent it deserved. A true shame. It tells the tale of a queer young man superbly played by Matt Rodin and how deep family secrets help to change his life for the better. With book by Douglas Lyons who co-wrote the score with Ethan D. Pakchar it was one of the better scores this season. If on one of the streaming music apps I urge you to give a listen.

13) "Angry Alan"--John Krasinski gives an electrifying performance as an unhappy divorced man in this pertinent and scary show about how he falls into becoming radicalized by listening to some right wing commentator. Not quite a one man show but close to it. 

14)" Lunar Eclipse"--I will be the first on line to see anything that Reed Birney and Lisa Emery are in. And they do not disappoint in Donald Margulies' unusual but tender tale about a long time married couple who speak about their life--good and bad times. It is told in a number of stages. Sweet and loving it stayed with me for a long time thereafter.

15) "The Brothers Size"--A mighty tale about two brothers. Oshooi Size released from prison and spends his time sleeping. The other, Ogun, is  hardworking and finding it hard to accept his brother's laziness. Oshooi is visited by Elegba whom he met in prison and Ogun does not trust. West African mythology plays an important part in this outstanding play by Tarrell Alvin McCraney with two magnificent performances by Andre Holland (Ogun) and Alani iLOngwe (Oshoosi). 

16) "The Honey Trap"--Anything that brings the under appreciated Michael Hayden back on stage is worth a visit. And this play certainly was. Told in flashback it tells about a British soldier in which he and his friend were seduced by two women from the IRA and the death of his friend. Thrilling and edge of your seat suspense throughout it was a stand out. 

17) "Caroline"--Having seen this truly unforgettable play back in October I still cannot forget it. The storyline about a recovering addict, Maddie,  going to visit her wealthy mother she has been estranged from with and her young trans daughter, Caroline, is deeply affecting  and will keep you wondering what will happen throughout. The performances were simply breathtaking. The chemistry between Chloe Grace Moretz as Maddie and River Lipe-Smith as Caroline is extraordinary. 

PHOTO CREDITS:

1) Carol Rosegg

2) Joan Marcus

3) Carol Rosegg

4) Joan Marcus

5) Julieta Cervantes

6) Matthew Murphy

7) Julieta Cervantes

8) Julieta Cervantes

9) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

10) Matthew Murphy

11) Matthew Murphy

12) Valerie Terranova

13) Jonny Cournoyer

14) Joan Marcus

15) Marc J. Franklin

16) Carol Rosegg

17) Emilio Madrid