The actress who found her greatest success as Lilli Vanessi in the original production of Kiss Me, Kate turns 94 today. Her other big credit was a replacement Mrs. Anna in The King and I, which she took on tour and revived regionally over the years. Morison was signed to motion pictures as a rival to Dorothy Lamour, but found herself underused and returned to the stage. She lives in retirement in California and from what I hear, is in excellent health and spirits.
Here’s a clip of Morison and co-star Alfred Drake singing “Wunderbar” in the 1958 telecast of Kiss Me, Kate.
And here is Morison with Yul Brynner performing “Shall We Dance?” on the 1971 Tony Awards.