My Fair Lady

I caught the Cameron Mackintosh/National Theatre of Great Britain production of My Fair Lady—currently touring the U.S.—at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. There are rumors that this production may eventually make it to Broadway. I hope so. My Fair Lady is a virtually perfect show. The book and lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner, and the music of Frederick Loewe (not to mention the crisp, bracing prose of George Bernard Shaw, whose play, Pygmalion, provided the foundation) are about as good as it gets. And this production—directed by Trevor Nunn, choreographed by Matthew Bourne, and designed by Anthony Ward—is terrific. Far more satisfying than most shows currently on Broadway.

My Fair Lady is, at heart, a Cinderella story—a common flower girl is transformed, in effect, into a princess. Professor Henry Higgins teaches Eliza Doolittle how to speak like a lady, and she is accepted as one; what neither one anticipates are the feelings that will develop between them. This production offers solid performances by principals Christopher Cazenove (Prof. Higgins), Lisa O'Hare (Eliza), and Tim Jerome (Alfred P. Doolittle). In an inspired bit of casting, the role of Higgins' mother is played by Marni Nixon; she provided the singing voice of Audrey Hepburn for the film version of My Fair Lady, and it's sweet to have that connection with the history of the show. Justin Bohon, who won acclaim for his portrayal of Will Parker in the last revival of Oklahoma, is a wonderfully endearing Freddy Eynsford-Hill. And like everyone in this ensemble, he sings well. (Even the vocal group work by the servants is impeccable.) I wanted Colonel Pickering (Walter Charles) to have more presence, to be played more broadly; but the show overall is so good, I accepted his low-key performance.

The material here is so strong, the show will work in the hands of any competent artists. But Nunn, Bourne and Ward have added some fresh, witty and imaginative touches of their own, engagingly expanding such numbers as "With a Little Bit of Luck" and "Get Me to the Church on Time." And the extraordinary hats and dresses of the upper-class women are unforgettable; kudos for this droll, creative design work.

I've loved My Fair Lady since I first saw it on stage, in my youth, during its original run. The original production was so well-executed in every respect, I tend to approach most revivals quite critically. But this one is very well done. If I can offer a few minor criticisms of an excellent production, I think Nunn has erred in the way he's staged the final scene; he has Higgins laugh at himself after he asks for Eliza to bring him his slippers; that did not ring true for me; it seemed out of character for Higgins to acknowledge, even by laughing at himself, that he is wrong. I'd rather he kept his pride. And I think it is a mistake to have jettisoned the original overture as originally orchestrated; it's perfectly constructed, it sets up the show well, and is part and parcel of one of the best-selling, best-known original cast albums of all time. I missed not hearing the familiar original overture, which to me is as much a part of the show as any song.

Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
March 21, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org