High Society (musical): History and Key Facts

High Society is a musical comedy with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and additional lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. The stage version adapts Porter's score for the 1956 film of the same name, which was based on the stage comedy The Philadelphia Story. The musical features much of the film's score, augmented by several songs selected from Porter's catalogue. The plot follows a pretentious Oyster Bay socialite who is planning to wed an equally pretentious executive, when her ex-husband arrives to disrupt the proceedings.

The musical premiered in San Francisco in late 1997, transferred to Broadway in early 1998, receiving mixed to unfavorable reviews, and closed after five months. Since then, it has been staged in the West End and elsewhere.

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