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
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. 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." Kirk was active in the early days of television, appearing in such
anthology series as
Studio One, where she co-starred in
The Taming of the Shrew on June 5, 1950. She appeared on
Kraft Television Theatre,
The Colgate Comedy Hour, and
General Electric Theater. In later years she guested on episodes of sitcoms like
Bewitched and ''
The Courtship of Eddie's Father, as well as variety series like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace, and The Dean Martin Show''. Kirk frequently appeared at the Persian Room in the
Plaza Hotel. In addition to Kirk's appearances on original
cast albums and compilations of Broadway performances, she recorded a number of solo
recordings, including ''I Feel A Song Comin' On
and Lisa Kirk Sings At The Plaza'' (1959). Kirk may be best known for her roles in the original Broadway productions of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Allegro and
Cole Porter's
Kiss Me, Kate. Another popular number was the upbeat "
Tom, Dick or Harry", performed with
Harold Lang as Lucentio, Edwin Clay as Gremio and
Charles Wood as Hortensio (suitors to Kirk's Bianca). Lewis Nichols wrote: "Having startled the town last season by singing 'The Gentleman is a Dope' as though she meant it, Miss Kirk is captivating ... this year as a fully accredited hoyden with a sense of humor." ==Personal life==