Shows H

HIGH SPIRITS Book, Music & Lyrics by Timothy Gray & Hugh Martin Based on the play Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward Alvin Theatre, Broadway - 7 April, 1964 (375 perfs) Savoy Theatre, London - September, 1964 (93 perfs) SYNOPSIS Charles Condomine, a writer, stages a séance conducted by a medium who lives locally. His intention is to learn the medium's "tricks" which he is certain to prove its only real substance. He plans to use the information gained to use in his new novel. Instead the medium, Madame Acarti, falls into a trance during which the apparition of Charles' late wife, Elvira appears to him. She does not, however, appear to the other participants at the séance, Charles' new wife, Ruth, and their mutual friends, Doctor and Mrs Bradman. At first Ruth believes Charles is joking about Elvira's visitation. However, Elvira moves into the Condomine household and proves her presence to Ruth by pranks, such as knocking over furniture. It slowly emerges, through a series of bogus accidents, that Elvira is trying to kill Charles so that he can join her "on the other side". Instead, she mistakenly kills Ruth and the ghosts of the two women alternately bicker and nag Charles until he is driven to dematerialise both of them. Madam Acarti once more comes to Charles' aid by discovering that the Condomine's maid, Edith, has unconsciously raised Elvira's ghost. Edith is hypnotised and, under Mme Acarti's guidance, dematerialises both ghosts. Free of being henpecked for the first time in his adult life, Charles leaves to travel abroad. MUSICAL NUMBERS: Act I 1. Was She Prettier Than I? - Ruth 2. The Bicycle Song - Arcati and ensemble 3. You’d Better Love Me - Elvira 4. Where Is the Girl I Married? - Charles and Ruth 5. The Sandwich Man - Ensemble member 6. Go Into Your Trance - Arcati and Beatniks 7. Where Is the Man I Married? (reprise)- Charles and Ruth 8. Forever and a Day - Charles 9. Something Tells Me - Elvira 10. I Know Your Heart - Elvira and Charles 11. Faster Than Sound - Elvira and Ensemnble Act II 12. If I Gave You - Ruth and Charles 13. Talking to You - Arcati 14. Home Sweet Heaven - Elvira 15. Something Is Coming to Tea - Arcati and Beatniks 16. The Exorcism - instrumental 17. What In the World Did You Want? - Charles, Ruth, and Elvira 18. Faster Than Sound (reprise) - the company

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