Lisa Kirk
| Lisa Kirk | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Elsie Kirk February 25, 1925 Charleroi, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 1990 (aged 65) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Wells (1949-1990; her death) |
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).
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]
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