42nd Street Moon to Present 'High Spirits' in March

Greg MacKellan, artistic director of 42nd Street Moon, today announced that the company would postpone the production of The Baker's Wife scheduled in early spring, and replace it with High Spirits, the musical version of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, opening March 21 and running through April 5, 2009.

"Unfortunately, director Gordon Greenberg, who had delighted audiences on the East Coast with past productions of The Baker's Wife, had a conflicting obligation," statEd Mackellan. "His production of Stephen Schwartz's Working has just been scheduled for the Old Globe Theatre at the same time we would have done The Baker's Wife. We hope to include the show in next season's line-up, and meanwhile we will replace it with High Spirits. As it happens, there will be a major Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit with Angela Lansbury, Christine Ebersole and Rupert Everett at the same time we are doing the musical version."

High Spirits, with a book, lyrics and music by High Martin and Timothy Gray, adheres closely to Coward's original text, which was about a man who is haunted by the mischievous spirit of his dead wife. The playwright was delighted with the adaptation, and agreed to direct the Broadway show, which starred Edward Woodward, Louise Troy, Tammy Grimes and Beatrice Lillie. The show garnered eight Tony nominations in 1964, and proved to be Ms. Lillie's final Broadway appearance.

42nd Street Moon's production will star Megan Cavanagh, of Moon's production of Out of This World the TV series Exes and Ohs, in Lillie's role of the eccentric medium Madame Arcati. Michael Patrick Gaffney, last seen in the company production of Coco, is the harried Charles Condomine; Maureen McVerry, who also appears in the upcoming Wildca,t is his current wife Ruth, and Dyan McBride, who appeared as Venus in Out of This World and Flora in Flora the Red Menace, will be seen as Charles' ghostly former wife Elvira.

Moon's Founding Artistic Director, Greg MacKellan will direct, and Dave Dobrusky holds the reins as musical director, with Nick DiScala accompanying on woodwinds.

George and Ira Gershwin's musical comedy Girl Crazy is now running through November 16. It will be followed by the delightful musical Ben Franklin in Paris, opening November 29. High Spirits will preview on March 19 and 20, and open on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street in San Francisco.

42nd Street Moon celebrates and preserves the art and spirit of the American Musical Theatre, contributing to its evolution and continuing vitality by presenting staged concert performances of classic and rarely performed musical works. Through productions, educational programs, and community outreach, the company is committed to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the rich heritage and cultural perspective of the musical theatre and its vast influence on the world stage. Since 1993 the company has staged more than 90 musicals, as well as several revues celebrating the dazzling legacy of the 20th Century's greatest musical theater composers and lyricists.

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