Andrea Martin and Cast Photo by Joan Marcus

High Spirits, with music, lyrics, and book by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, is based on Noël Coward's 1941 comic romp Blithe Spirit, about a séance that goes awry when it conjures up the ghost of a socialite novelist's first wife Elvira, who then proceeds to turn his household upside down. And while this production has been unable to conjure up the ghosts of the musical's original's Elvira (a seductively alluring Tammy Grimes) or its eccentric medium Madame Arcati (the wonderfully off-the-wall Bea Lillie), it has found two terrific performers to take their place in Katrina Lenk and Andrea Martin.

Under Jessica Stone's unflagging sprightly direction, Lenk and Martin bring every ounce of sparkle to the show, with Martin spreading wackadoodle glee with her every move and vocal inflection, whether she is exalting the delights of bicycle riding or cheerily chirping a good morning to her Ouija board or even ad-libbing in character.

Yet while these two are perhaps the star attractions, the rest of the cast members are no slouches by any measure: Steven Pasquale as writer Charles Condomine, Phillipa Soo as his second wife Ruth, and Rachel Dratch as the energetic if somewhat befuddled maid Edith. They, along with the supporting cast and the terrific ensemble, are all on the same page when it comes to delivering the dialog and choreographer Ellenore Scott's spirited dancing. They all exude total confidence in what they are presenting to us, as if they recognize they are part of a sensational production. I love that Rachel Dratch, an outstanding physical comedienne in her own right, makes the most out of the role of Edith without ever throwing in any unnecessary shtick, leaving it to Andrea Martin to make the most of the gloriously conceived medium.

The production as a whole has reverted to what used to be typical of Encores! presentations, namely cast members carrying and discretely referring to scripts and using conveniently placed music stands. Not a lot of fuss and bother to be found, with just a suggestion of a set design by David Zinn, along with a lovely array of Jennifer Moeller-designed formal wear for the upper-class swells and a beatnik casual look for Madame Arcati and her band of followers. Add to that Bradley King's excellent lighting design and just the right amount of stage magic provided by Skylar Fox to remind us we are dealing with the supernatural here. The end result is in perfect balance.

But the best magic is reserved for what has generally been the bailiwick of Encores! production, namely a focus on the original score. And what a pleasure it is to hear what is taking place in that regard (thank you, Megumi Katayama, for your outstanding sound design). Mary-Mitchell Campbell has completely come into her own as the music director since taking over from Rob Berman, and the orchestra has never sounded better, especially in the way it is performing Harry Zimmerman and Luther Henderson's snazzy, jazzy orchestrations. And while none of the songs themselves ever crossed over into the hit parade, they all fill the bill nicely, with one audience pleaser being the folk-like ballad "If I Gave You." Other standouts are "Forever and a Day," which is the show's replacement for Irving Berlin's "Always" that is used in Blithe Spirit, and "Home Sweet Heaven" that Elvira sings to extol the delights of the afterlife.

To dip into the deep well of Stephen Sondheim lyrics, Gods of the theatre are smiling down on us with this first-rate production of High Spirits. You've got the rest of this week and next to see it. Do go, and if you should notice the spirit of a 16-year-old boy floating around, give him a wave for me.