Kitty Carlisle Hart: An American Icon

“I love to make people laugh,” says Kitty Carlisle Hart. “It makes me happy.” When she performs at the historic El Portal Theatre, Kitty Carlisle Hart will toast admirers with the classic Butler/Molinary song “Here’s to Life.” This remarkable woman will be singing from the heart: “No complaints and no regrets/I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets./But I have learned that all you give is all you get/So give it all you’ve got.”

Anyone who grew up watching TV from the ’50s to the ’70s probably remembers Kitty Carlisle Hart from her days as a panelist on the long-running game show To Tell the Truth. That’s just the tip of the great lady’s career, as you’ll learn if you catch her appearance at the historic El Portal Theatre.

Three great reasons to see and enjoy Kitty Carlisle Hart:

1) Famous friends: During her days in musical theater, Hart worked with the greats, and she’ll discuss them in her show. When we say greats, we mean the likes of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and her former husband, playwright Moss Hart. On film, her co-stars included the Marx Brothers and Bing Crosby.

2) Witty raconteur: Hart is known to be the ideal cocktail-party guest, and her live show reflects that. Witty and gracious, she talks about her life and growing older while on stage. She says the passage of time sharply accelerates the older you get: “When you pass 50, every 15 minutes, it’s breakfast.”

3) Age matters: Speaking of growing older, something has to be said for a woman who still sings, performs and utterly charms at 95. (She celebrates her 96th birthday on September 3, 2006) If that doesn’t deserve a round of applause, nothing does!