"High Society"

Snappy dialogue and Cole Porter tunes—such as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and “True Love”—abound in this sparklingly funny musical. Wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Jennifer Lines) is planning a lavish second wedding, but which man will she marry? Her straight-arrow fiancé (Steve Maddock) or the undercover reporter from the society pages (Daniel Arnold) or her dapper ex-husband (Todd Talbot)? Needless to say, it’s complicated—and Tracy has only hours to sort it out!

The stage musical High Society… Show more is based not only on the highly successful 1956 film starring Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Bing Crosby, but also on the 1939 play that inspired it, The Philadelphia Story. The latter was made into an Academy Award–winning film of the same name in 1940 and boasted the all-star cast of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart.

The work of composer and musician Cole Porter (1891–1964) resonates throughout Western popular culture. His oeuvre includes countless pop standards and his musicals are often revived or reinvented on Broadway. He is recognized as a key contributor to the Great American Songbook with a flair for punchy, complex rhymes and rhythms. High Society incorporates the songs that Porter wrote expressly for the 1956 film, but also introduces some of his other famous works, such as “Let’s Misbehave” (1927, popular song) and “Ridin’ High” (1936, from Red, Hot, and Blue). Through May 24. Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday–Saturday at 8 p.m., and Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $29 to $70, inclusive of taxes and fees. Details: artsclub.com.

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