Lisa Kirk (born Elsie 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).
Career
Born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania as Elsie Kirk, she was raised in Roscoe, Pennsylvania. Her Roscoe home later became the Hotel Roscoe. Kirk 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.
Kirk studied theatre at HB Studio in New York City and made her Broadway debut in Allegro in 1947. In 1948, she 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. The reviewer for CastAlbumReviews.com wrote: "As Lois/Bianca, Lisa Kirk acts and sings her numbers impeccably; her performance of 'Why Can't You Behave?' is unsurpassed as her sultry voice pours over great lines such as, 'There I'll care for you forever/Well, at least till you dig my grave'."
In 1950, Kirk's mother, Elsie Kirk, filed suit against her daughter for failing to abide to what she said was an agreement that the two of them share her earnings. Lisa Kirk insisted no such agreement existed.
