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Lisa Kirk

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Full Name
  
Elsie Kirk

Role
  
Actress


Name
  
Lisa Kirk

Occupation
  
Actress, singer

Awards
  
Grammy Hall of Fame

Lisa Kirk wwwbigbandsandbignamescomKirkjpeg

Born
  
February 25, 1925 (
1925-02-25
)

Spouse(s)
  
Robert Wells (1949-1990; her death)

Died
  
November 11, 1990, New York City, New York, United States

Albums
  
Sings at The Plaza, The Very Best Of

Similar People
  
Harold Lang, Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Fran Warren, Tony Martin

Lisa kirk travel light sitting on top of the world 1959


Lisa 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).

Contents

Lisa Kirk 1965 Lisa Kirk American actress singer Historic Images

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Career

Lisa Kirk Actress Lisa Kirk Images Reverse Search

Born as Elsie Kirk in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, she was raised in Roscoe, Pennsylvania. Her Roscoe home later became the Hotel Roscoe. She 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.

She made her Broadway debut in Allegro in 1947, and the following year gained critical acclaim for her performance as Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate. for which Kirk recounted learning the songs (from Cole Porter) and performing them for investors before performing them in the theatre. 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". Additional Broadway credits include Here's Love (1963), Me Jack, You Jill (closed during previews in 1976), and a 1984 revival of Noël Coward's Design for Living.

Lisa Kirk's only feature film work was done behind-the-scenes, dubbing all of Rosalind Russell's singing in Gypsy (except for ""Mr. Goldstone" and the first half of "Rose's Turn"). It was rumored that she had also dubbed Lucille Ball's singing voice in Mame, but Ball denied this on The Merv Griffin Show, saying, "She's not dubbing my voice because no one can." [2]

Kirk was active in the early days of television, appearing in such anthology series as Studio One, Kraft Television Theatre, The Colgate Comedy Hour, and General Electric Theater. In later years she guested on 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.

Kirk frequently appeared at the Persian Room in the Plaza Hotel. She also appeared at the Rainbow and Stars, New York, nightclub. In a review of her act at Rainbow and Stars in April 1989, the New York Times critic John S. Wilson opined 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."

In addition to her appearances on original cast albums and compilations of Broadway performances, she recorded a number of solo recordings, including I Feel A Song Comin' On and Lisa Kirk Sings At The Plaza.

Kirk will likely be best known for her role in the original Broadway production of Cole Porter's long-running musical, Kiss Me, Kate. Bloom and Vlastnik wrote in their compendium entitled 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)". 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 writes: "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."

Marriage

She was married to sketch artist and famed songwriter Robert Wells (1922–1998) from 1949 until her death in 1990. They had no children. Wells co-wrote "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" with Mel Torme.

Death

A non-smoker, Lisa Kirk died of lung cancer in New York City.

Filmography

Actress
1971
The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV Series) as
Mrs. Rickles
- The Magic Mrs. Rickles (1971) - Mrs. Rickles
1967
Bewitched (TV Series) as
Madame Maruska
- How to Fail in Business with All Kinds of Help (1967) - Madame Maruska
1962
Gypsy as
Rose Hovick (singing voice, uncredited)
1961
Stagecoach West (TV Series) as
Deborah Cotton
- Come Home Again (1961) - Deborah Cotton
1960
The Man in the Moon (TV Movie)
1958
Suspicion (TV Series) as
Doris
- End in Violence (1958) - Doris
1956
Front Row Center (TV Series) as
Ruth Elliott
- The Human Touch (1956) - Ruth Elliott
1955
General Electric Theater (TV Series) as
Jackie Hilton
- From the Top (1955) - Jackie Hilton
1954
The Motorola Television Hour (TV Series) as
Maria
- Love Song (1954) - Maria
1951
Kraft Theatre (TV Series)
- Yours Truly (1951)
1950
Studio One (TV Series) as
Katherina
- The Taming of the Shrew (1950) - Katherina
1947
The Borden Show (TV Series)
- Borden Club (1947)
Writer
1956
Front Row Center (TV Series) (idea - 1 episode)
- The Human Touch (1956) - (idea)
Music Department
1962
Gypsy (singing voice: Rosalind Russell - uncredited)
Soundtrack
1997
Welcome to Woop Woop (performer: "Allegro", "The Gentleman Is a Dope")
1962
Gypsy (performer: "Small World", "Some People", "Mr. Goldstone, I Love You", "You'll Never Get Away from Me", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Together Wherever We Go", "Small World (Reprise)", "Rose's Turn" - uncredited)
1960
The Man in the Moon (TV Movie) (performer: "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round", "Limehouse Blues")
1959
Music from Shubert Alley (TV Special) (performer: "Why Can't You Behave?", "Shakin' the Blues Away", "Love Me or Leave Me")
1957
The Nat King Cole Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode #2.6 (1957) - (performer: "C'est si bon")
1951
The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode #5.2 (1951) - (performer: "The Gentleman Is a Dope" - uncredited)
Self
1990
American Masters (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (1990) - Self
1975
Dinah! (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.12 (1975) - Self
1975
At Long Last Cole (TV Special) as
Self
1965
The Dean Martin Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #8.23 (1973) - Self
- Episode #1.10 (1965) - Self
1966
The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) as
Self - Actress / Self
- Episode #12.41 (1972) - Self - Actress
- Episode #5.110 (1966) - Self
1972
The 26th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) as
Self - Performer
1972
The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series) as
Self - singer-actress
- Larry Kert, Richard Pryor, Trini Lopez, Betty Jane Rhodes, Lisa Kirk, Peter Argiro, the Honey Cone (1972) - Self - singer-actress
1967
Gypsy (TV Series) as
Self - actress
- Kaye Stevens, Lisa Kirk, Jimmy McHugh (1967) - Self - actress
1967
The Pat Boone Show (TV Series) as
Self - actress
- Lisa Kirk (1967) - Self - actress
1963
Girl Talk (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 2 November 1966 (1966) - Self
- Episode dated 6 March 1963 (1963) - Self
1965
The Hollywood Palace (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.27 (1965) - Self
1963
The April in Paris Ball (TV Movie) as
Self
1963
Password (TV Series) as
Self
- Lisa Kirk vs. Jack E. Leonard - Day 5 (1963) - Self
- Lisa Kirk vs. Jack E. Leonard - Day 4 (1963) - Self
- Lisa Kirk vs. Jack E. Leonard - Day 3 (1963) - Self
- Lisa Kirk vs. Jack E. Leonard - Day 2 (1963) - Self
- Lisa Kirk vs. Jack E. Leonard - Day 1 (1963) - Self
1962
The Tonight Show (TV Series) as
Self - Actress / Self
- Episode #1.128 (1962) - Self - Actress
- Episode #1.5 (1962) - Self
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #5.239 (1962) - Self
- Episode #5.116 (1962) - Self
1961
Here's Hollywood (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.104 (1961) - Self
1960
About Faces (TV Series) as
Self
- Lisa Kirk (1960) - Self
1959
Music from Shubert Alley (TV Special) as
Self
1959
The Big Party (TV Series) as
Self
- Premiere Show - Rock Hudson host (1959) - Self
1959
The Juke Box Jury (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 1 August 1959 (1959) - Self
1959
The Voice of Firestone (TV Series) as
Self
- An Evening with Richard Rodgers (1959) - Self
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Ray Bolger, Lisa Kirk, Elaine May & Mike Nichols (1958) - Self
- Carol Channing, Hugh O'Brian, Tommy Sands, Lisa Kirk (1957) - Self
1949
The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) as
Self / Self - Singer
- Johnny Mathis, Esther Williams, Jacques Tati, Janet Blair, Shecky Greene, Lisa Kirk (1958) - Self
- Episode #6.39 (1953) - Self
- Episode #6.14 (1952) - Self
- Rodgers and Hart Tribute - Part 1 (1952) - Self
- Episode #5.26 (1952) - Self
- The Cole Porter Story (1952) - Self
- Episode #5.2 (1951) - Self - Singer
- Episode #3.11 (1949) - Self
1958
The Big Record (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.29 (1958) - Self
1957
The Nat King Cole Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.6 (1957) - Self
1957
Person to Person (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- Episode #4.38 (1957) - Self
1956
The Walter Winchell Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.13 (1956) - Self
- Episode #1.4 (1956) - Self
- Martha Raye, Red Buttons, Perry Como, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ernie Kovacs (1956) - Self
1955
The Jimmy Durante Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.27 (1956) - Self
- Episode #1.9 (1955) - Self
1955
Frankie Laine Time (TV Series) as
Self
- Lisa Kirk, Alan King, Joan Holloway, Dick Van Dyke, Somethin Smith & the Redheads (1955) - Self
1954
The Dave Garroway Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.23 (1954) - Self
1950
The Milton Berle Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #6.8 (1953) - Self
- Episode #5.25 (1953) - Self
- Episode #4.33 (1952) - Self
- Episode #2.17 (1950) - Self
1953
The Arthur Murray Party (TV Series) as
Self - Singer
- Episode #4.14 (1953) - Self - Singer
1952
The Colgate Comedy Hour (TV Series) as
Self
- Kinescope of an earlier show (1952) - Self
- Host: Donald O'Connor; Guests: Ben Blue, Broderick Crawford, Lisa Kirk, Sid Miller, Andy Clyde, Chester Conklin, Eddie Gribbon, Scatman Crothers, Al Goodman & his Orchestra (1952) - Self
1950
The Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue (TV Series) as
Self
- Lisa Kirk (1952) - Self
- Lisa Kirk, Harold Lang (1951) - Self
- Lisa Kirk (1950) - Self
- Lisa Kirk (1950) - Self
1951
General Electric Guest House (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.2 (1951) - Self
1951
All Star Revue (TV Series) as
Self - Guest Actress
- Host: Danny Thomas; Guests: Lisa Kirk, Arnold Stang, Julie Oshins, Lawrence Fletcher, Corinne & Tito Valdez (1951) - Self - Guest Actress
1950
Star of the Family (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.6 (1950) - Self
1950
Damon Runyan Cancer Fund Telethon (TV Special) as
Self
1950
The Eyes Have It (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.20 (1950) - Self
1949
The Lamb's Gambol (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.10 (1949) - Self

References

Lisa Kirk Wikipedia