Stage musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
My Fair Lady
is a
musical
with a book and lyrics by
Alan Jay Lerner
and music by
Frederick Loewe
. The story, based on the
1938 film adaptation
of
George Bernard Shaw
's 1913 play
Pygmalion
, concerns
Eliza Doolittle
, a
Cockney
flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a
phonetician
, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her.
The musical's 1956
Broadway
production was a notable critical and popular success, winning six
Tony Awards
, including
Best Musical
. It set a record for the
longest run
of any musical on Broadway up to that time and was followed by a hit London production.
Rex Harrison
and
Julie Andrews
starred in both productions. Many revivals have followed, and the 1964
film version
won the
Academy Award for Best Picture
.
Plot
[
edit
]
Act I
[
edit
]
In
Edwardian
London, Eliza Doolittle is a flower girl with a thick
Cockney
accent. The noted
phonetician
Professor Henry Higgins encounters Eliza at
Covent Garden
and laments the vulgarity of her dialect ("Why Can't the English?"). Higgins also meets Colonel Pickering, another linguist, and invites him to stay as his houseguest. Eliza and her friends wonder what it would be like to live a comfortable life ("
Wouldn't It Be Loverly
?").
Eliza's
dustman
father, Alfred P. Doolittle, stops by the next morning searching for money for a drink ("
With a Little Bit of Luck
"). Soon after, Eliza comes to Higgins's house, seeking
elocution
lessons so that she can get a job as an assistant in a florist's shop. Higgins wagers Pickering that, within six months, by teaching Eliza to speak properly, he will enable her to pass for a proper lady.
Eliza becomes part of Higgins's household. Though Higgins sees himself as a kindhearted man who merely cannot get along with women ("I'm an Ordinary Man"), to others he appears self-absorbed and
misogynistic
. Eliza endures Higgins's tyrannical speech tutoring. Frustrated, she dreams of different ways to kill him ("Just You Wait"). Higgins's servants lament the stressful atmosphere ("The Servants' Chorus").
Just as Higgins is about to give up on her, Eliza suddenly recites one of her diction exercises in perfect upper-class style ("
The Rain in Spain
"). Though Mrs Pearce, the housekeeper, insists that Eliza go to bed, she declares she is too excited to sleep ("
I Could Have Danced All Night
").
For her first public tryout, Higgins takes Eliza to his mother's box at
Ascot Racecourse
("Ascot Gavotte"). Though Eliza shocks everyone when she forgets herself while watching a race and reverts to foul language, she does capture the heart of Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Freddy calls on Eliza that evening, and he declares that he will wait for her in the street outside Higgins' house ("
On the Street Where You Live
").
Eliza's final test requires her to pass as a lady at the Embassy Ball. After more weeks of preparation, she is ready. ("Eliza's Entrance"). All the ladies and gentlemen at the ball admire her, and the Queen of
Transylvania
invites her to dance with the prince ("Embassy Waltz"). A Hungarian phonetician, Zoltan Karpathy, attempts to discover Eliza's origins. Higgins allows Karpathy to dance with Eliza.
[1]
Act II
[
edit
]
The ball is a success; Karpathy has declared Eliza to be a Hungarian princess. Pickering and Higgins revel in their triumph ("You Did It"), failing to pay attention to Eliza. Eliza is insulted at receiving no credit for her success, packing up and leaving the Higgins house. As she leaves she finds Freddy, who begins to tell her how much he loves her, but she tells him that she has heard enough words; if he really loves her, he should show it ("Show Me").
Eliza and Freddy return to Covent Garden but she finds she no longer feels at home there. Her father is there as well, and he tells her that he has received a surprise bequest from an American millionaire, which has raised him to middle-class respectability, and now must marry his lover. Doolittle and his friends have one last spree before the wedding ("
Get Me to the Church on Time
").
Higgins awakens the next morning. He finds himself out of sorts without Eliza. He wonders why she left after the triumph at the ball and concludes that men (especially himself) are far superior to women ("A Hymn to Him"). Col. Pickering is concerned about Eliza’s well-being, calling the police as well as contacting an old chum he believes will help them track her down.
Higgins despondently visits his mother's house, where he finds Eliza. Eliza declares she no longer needs Higgins ("Without You"). As Higgins walks home, he realizes he's grown attached to Eliza ("
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
"). At home, he sentimentally reviews the recording he made the day Eliza first came to him for lessons, hearing his own harsh words. Eliza suddenly appears in his home. In suppressed joy at their reunion, Professor Higgins scoffs and asks, "Eliza, where the devil are my slippers?"
Characters and original Broadway cast
[
edit
]
The original cast of the Broadway stage production:
[2]
Musical numbers
[
edit
]
Act I
[2]
- "Overture" ? The Orchestra
- "Busker Sequence" ? The Orchestra
- "Why Can't the English?" ? Professor Higgins
- "
Wouldn't It Be Loverly
?" ? Eliza and Male Quartet
- "
With a Little Bit of Luck
" ? Alfred Doolittle, Harry, Jamie and Company
- "I'm an Ordinary Man" ? Professor Higgins
- "With a Little Bit of Luck (Reprise)" ? Alfred Doolittle and Ensemble
- "Just You Wait" ? Eliza
- "The Servants' Chorus (Poor Professor Higgins)" ? Mrs. Pearce and Servants
- "
The Rain in Spain
" ? Professor Higgins, Eliza, and Colonel Pickering
- "
I Could Have Danced All Night
" ? Eliza, Mrs. Pearce, and Servants
- "Ascot Gavotte" ? Ensemble
- "
On the Street Where You Live
" ? Freddy
- "Eliza's Entrance/Embassy Waltz" ? The Orchestra
|
Act II
- "You Did It" ? Colonel Pickering, Professor Higgins, Mrs. Pearce, and Servants
- "Just You Wait (Reprise)" ? Eliza
- "On the Street Where You Live (Reprise)" ? Freddy
- "Show Me" ? Eliza with Freddy
- "The Flower Market/Wouldn't It Be Loverly? (Reprise)" ? Eliza and Male Quartet
- "
Get Me to the Church on Time
" ? Alfred Doolittle and Ensemble
- "A Hymn to Him" ? Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering
- "Without You" ? Eliza and Professor Higgins
- "
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
" ? Professor Higgins
- "I Could Have Danced All Night (Reprise) / Finale" ? The Orchestra
|
Background
[
edit
]
In the mid-1930s, film producer
Gabriel Pascal
acquired the rights to produce film versions of several of
George Bernard Shaw
's plays,
Pygmalion
among them. However, Shaw, having had a bad experience with
The Chocolate Soldier
, a Viennese operetta based on his play
Arms and the Man
, refused permission for
Pygmalion
to be adapted into a musical. After Shaw died in 1950, Pascal asked lyricist
Alan Jay Lerner
to write the musical adaptation. Lerner agreed, and he and his partner
Frederick Loewe
began work. But they quickly realised that the play violated several key rules for constructing a musical: the main story was not a love story, there was no subplot or secondary love story, and there was no place for an ensemble.
[3]
Many people, including
Oscar Hammerstein II
, who, with
Richard Rodgers
, had also tried his hand at adapting
Pygmalion
into a musical and had given up, told Lerner that converting the play to a musical was impossible, so he and Loewe abandoned the project for two years.
[4]
During this time, the collaborators separated and Gabriel Pascal died. Lerner had been trying to musicalize
Li'l Abner
when he read Pascal's obituary and found himself thinking about
Pygmalion
again.
[5]
When he and Loewe reunited, everything fell into place. All of the insurmountable obstacles that had stood in their way two years earlier disappeared when the team realised that the play needed few changes apart from (according to Lerner) "adding the action that took place between the acts of the play".
[6]
They then excitedly began writing the show. However,
Chase Manhattan Bank
was in charge of Pascal's estate, and the musical rights to
Pygmalion
were sought both by Lerner and Loewe and by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, whose executives called Lerner to discourage him from challenging the studio. Loewe said, "We will write the show without the rights, and when the time comes for them to decide who is to get them, we will be so far ahead of everyone else that they will be forced to give them to us."
[7]
For five months Lerner and Loewe wrote, hired technical designers, and made casting decisions. The bank, in the end, granted them the musical rights.
Various titles were suggested for the musical. Dominic McHugh wrote: "During the autumn of 1955, the show [was] typically referred to as
My Lady Liza
, and most of the contracts refer to this as the title."
[8]
Lerner preferred
My Fair Lady
, relating both to one of Shaw's provisional titles for
Pygmalion
and to the final line of every verse of the nursery rhyme "
London Bridge Is Falling Down
". Recalling that the Gershwins' 1925 musical
Tell Me More
had been titled
My Fair Lady
in its out-of-town tryout, and also had a musical number under that title, Lerner made a courtesy call to Ira Gershwin, alerting him to the use of the title for the Lerner and Loewe musical.
[
citation needed
]
Noel Coward
was the first to be offered the role of Henry Higgins, but he turned it down, suggesting the producers cast
Rex Harrison
instead.
[9]
After much deliberation, Harrison agreed to accept the part.
Mary Martin
was an early choice for the role of
Eliza Doolittle
, but declined the role.
[10]
Young actress
Julie Andrews
was "discovered" and cast as Eliza after the show's creative team went to see her Broadway debut in
The Boy Friend
.
[11]
Moss Hart
agreed to direct after hearing only two songs. The experienced orchestrators
Robert Russell Bennett
and
Philip J. Lang
were entrusted with the
arrangements
, and the show quickly went into rehearsal.
[
citation needed
]
The musical's script used several scenes that Shaw had written especially for the
1938 film version of
Pygmalion
, including the Embassy Ball sequence and the final scene of the 1938 film rather than the ending for Shaw's original play.
[12]
The montage showing Eliza's lessons was also expanded, combining both Lerner's and Shaw's dialogue. The artwork on the original Broadway poster (and the sleeve of the cast recording) is by
Al Hirschfeld
, who drew the playwright Shaw as a heavenly
puppetmaster
pulling the strings on the Henry Higgins character, while Higgins in turn attempts to control Eliza Doolittle.
[13]
Productions
[
edit
]
Original Broadway production
[
edit
]
The musical had its pre-Broadway tryout at
New Haven
's
Shubert Theatre
. At the first preview Rex Harrison, who was unaccustomed to singing in front of a live orchestra, "announced that under no circumstances would he go on that night...with those thirty-two interlopers in the pit".
[14]
He locked himself in his dressing room and came out little more than an hour before curtain time. The whole company had been dismissed but were recalled, and opening night was a success.
[15]
My Fair Lady
then played for four weeks at the Erlanger Theatre in
Philadelphia
, beginning on February 15, 1956.
The musical premiered on
Broadway
March 15, 1956, at the
Mark Hellinger Theatre
in New York City. It transferred to the
Broadhurst Theatre
and then
The Broadway Theatre
, where it closed on September 29, 1962, after 2,717 performances,
a record
at the time.
Moss Hart
directed and
Hanya Holm
was choreographer. In addition to stars
Rex Harrison
,
Julie Andrews
and
Stanley Holloway
, the original cast included
Robert Coote
,
Cathleen Nesbitt
,
John Michael King
, and
Reid Shelton
.
[16]
Harrison was replaced by
Edward Mulhare
in November 1957 and
Sally Ann Howes
replaced Andrews in February 1958.
[17]
[18]
By the start of 1959, it was the biggest grossing Broadway show of all-time with a gross of $10 million.
[19]
The
Original Cast Recording
, released on April 2, 1956, was the best-selling album in the United States in 1956.
[20]
Original London production
[
edit
]
The
West End
production, in which Harrison, Andrews, Coote, and Holloway reprised their roles, opened on April 30, 1958, at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
, where it ran for five and a half years
[21]
(2,281 performances).
Edwardian musical comedy
star
Zena Dare
made her last appearance in the musical as Mrs. Higgins.
[22]
Leonard Weir
played Freddy. Harrison left the London cast in March 1959, followed by Andrews in August 1959 and Holloway in October 1959.
1970s revivals
[
edit
]
The first Broadway revival opened at the
St. James Theatre
20 years after the original, on March 25, 1976, and ran there until December 5, 1976; it then transferred to the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
, running from December 9, 1976, until it closed on February 20, 1977, after a total of 377 performances and 7 previews. The director was
Jerry Adler
, with choreography by Crandall Diehl, based on the original choreography by Hanya Holm.
Ian Richardson
starred as Higgins, with
Christine Andreas
as Eliza,
George Rose
as Alfred P. Doolittle and
Robert Coote
recreating his role as Colonel Pickering.
[16]
Both Richardson and Rose were nominated for the
Tony Award
for Best Actor in a Musical, with the award going to Rose.
A
Cameron MacKintosh
revival opened at London's
Adelphi Theatre
in October 1979, following a national tour. Originated at the
Haymarket Theatre Leicester
, the production was created under a new agreement with
The Arts Council
to tour West End standard productions. It featured
Tony Britton
as Higgins,
Liz Robertson
as Eliza,
Dame Anna Neagle
as Higgins's mother, Peter Bayliss as Doolittle, Richard Caldicot as Pickering and
Peter Land
as Freddy. It was directed by
Robin Midgley
,
[23]
[24]
[25]
with sets by Adrian Vaux, costumes by
Tim Goodchild
and choreography by
Gillian Lynne
.
[26]
Britton and Robertson were both nominated for Olivier Awards.
[27]
1981 and 1993 Broadway revivals
[
edit
]
The second Broadway revival of the original production opened at the
Uris Theatre
on August 18, 1981, and closed on November 29, 1981, after 119 performances and 5 previews. Rex Harrison recreated his role as Higgins, with
Jack Gwillim
as Pickering,
Milo O'Shea
as Doolittle, and Cathleen Nesbitt, at 93 years old reprising her role as Mrs. Higgins. The revival co-starred Nancy Ringham as Eliza. The director was
Patrick Garland
, with choreography by Crandall Diehl, recreating the original Hanya Holm dances.
[16]
[28]
A new revival directed by Howard Davies opened at the
Virginia Theatre
on December 9, 1993, and closed on May 1, 1994, after 165 performances and 16 previews. The cast starred
Richard Chamberlain
as Higgins,
Melissa Errico
as Eliza and
Paxton Whitehead
as Pickering.
Julian Holloway
, son of
Stanley Holloway
, recreated his father's role of Alfred P. Doolittle.
Donald Saddler
was the choreographer.
[16]
[29]
2001 London revival; 2003 Hollywood Bowl production
[
edit
]
Cameron Mackintosh produced a new production on March 15, 2001, at the
Royal National Theatre
, which transferred to the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
on July 21. Directed by
Trevor Nunn
, with choreography by
Matthew Bourne
, the musical starred
Martine McCutcheon
as Eliza and
Jonathan Pryce
as Higgins, with
Dennis Waterman
as Alfred P. Doolittle. This revival won three
Olivier Awards
: Outstanding Musical Production, Best Actress in a Musical (
Martine McCutcheon
) and Best Theatre Choreographer (Matthew Bourne), with Anthony Ward receiving a nomination for Set Design.
[30]
In December 2001,
Joanna Riding
took over the role of Eliza, and in May 2002,
Alex Jennings
took over as Higgins, both winning Olivier Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical respectively in 2003.
[31]
In March 2003,
Anthony Andrews
and
Laura Michelle Kelly
took over the roles until the show closed on August 30, 2003.
[32]
A UK tour of this production began September 28, 2005. The production starred
Amy Nuttall
and
Lisa O'Hare
as Eliza,
Christopher Cazenove
as Henry Higgins,
Russ Abbot
and
Gareth Hale
as Doolittle, and
Honor Blackman
[33]
and
Hannah Gordon
as Mrs. Higgins. The tour ended August 12, 2006.
[34]
In 2003 a production of the musical at the
Hollywood Bowl
starred
John Lithgow
as Higgins,
Melissa Errico
as Eliza,
Roger Daltrey
as Doolittle,
Kevin Earley
as Freddy,
Lauri Johnson
as Mrs. Pearce,
Caroline Blakiston
as Mrs. Higgins, and
Paxton Whitehead
as Colonel Pickering.
[35]
[36]
2018 Broadway and 2022 London revival
[
edit
]
A Broadway revival produced by
Lincoln Center Theater
and Nederlander Presentations Inc. began previews on March 15, 2018, at the
Vivian Beaumont Theater
and officially opened on April 19, 2018. It was directed by
Bartlett Sher
with choreography by
Christopher Gattelli
, scenic design by
Michael Yeargan
, costume design by
Catherine Zuber
and lighting design by
Donald Holder
.
[37]
The cast included
Lauren Ambrose
as Eliza,
Harry Hadden-Paton
as Professor Henry Higgins,
Diana Rigg
as Mrs. Higgins,
Norbert Leo Butz
as Alfred P. Doolittle,
Allan Corduner
as Colonel Pickering, Jordan Donica as Freddy, and Linda Mugleston as Mrs. Pearce.
[38]
[39]
Replacements included
Rosemary Harris
as Mrs. Higgins,
[40]
Laura Benanti
as Eliza,
[41]
and
Danny Burstein
, then
Alexander Gemignani
, as Alfred P. Doolittle.
[42]
The revival closed on July 7, 2019, after 39 previews and 509 regular performances.
[43]
A North American tour of the production, starring Shereen Ahmed and
Laird Mackintosh
as Eliza and Higgins, opened in December 2019.
[44]
Performances were suspended in March 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
, and resumed in September 2021.
[45]
It is scheduled to run through August 2022.
[46]
The production was presented by the
English National Opera
at the
London Coliseum
with performances from May 7, 2022, and an official opening on May 18, for a 16-week run until August 27. It starred
Amara Okereke
as Eliza, with Hadden-Paton reprising the role of Higgins,
Stephen K. Amos
as Alfred P. Doolittle,
Vanessa Redgrave
as Mrs. Higgins,
Malcolm Sinclair
as Colonel Pickering,
Maureen Beattie
as Mrs. Pearce and
Sharif Afifi
as Freddy.
[47]
Redgrave left the production early after contracting
COVID-19
.
[48]
A UK and Ireland tour began in September 2022 starring
Michael Xavier
as Higgins,
Charlotte Kennedy
as Eliza,
Adam Woodyatt
as Alfred P. Doolittle,
John Middleton
as Colonel Pickering,
Lesley Garrett
as Mrs Pearce and Tom Liggins as Freddy.
[49]
Other major productions
[
edit
]
Berlin, 1961
[
edit
]
A German translation of
My Fair Lady
opened on October 1, 1961, at the
Theater des Westens
in Berlin, starring
Karin Hubner
and
Paul Hubschmid
(and conducted, as was the Broadway opening, by
Franz Allers
). Coming at the height of
Cold War
tensions, just weeks after the closing of the East Berlin?West Berlin border and the erection of the
Berlin Wall
, this was the first staging of a Broadway musical in Berlin since
World War II
. As such it was seen as a symbol of West Berlin's cultural renaissance and resistance. Lost attendance from East Berlin (now no longer possible) was partly made up by a "musical air bridge" of flights bringing in patrons from West Germany, and the production was embraced by Berliners, running for two years.
[50]
[51]
2007 New York Philharmonic concert and US tour
[
edit
]
In 2007 the
New York Philharmonic
held a full-costume concert presentation of the musical. The concert had a four-day engagement lasting from March 7?10 at
Lincoln Center
's
Avery Fisher Hall
. It starred
Kelsey Grammer
as Higgins,
Kelli O'Hara
as Eliza,
Charles Kimbrough
as Pickering, and
Brian Dennehy
as Alfred Doolittle.
Marni Nixon
played Mrs. Higgins; Nixon had provided the singing voice of
Audrey Hepburn
in the film version.
[52]
A U.S. tour of Mackintosh's 2001 West End production ran from September 12, 2007, to June 22, 2008.
[53]
The production starred Christopher Cazenove as Higgins,
Lisa O'Hare
as Eliza,
Walter Charles
as Pickering, Tim Jerome as Alfred Doolittle
[54]
and Nixon as Mrs. Higgins, replacing
Sally Ann Howes
.
[55]
2008 Australian tour
[
edit
]
An Australian tour produced by
Opera Australia
commenced in May 2008. The production starred
Reg Livermore
as Higgins,
Taryn Fiebig
as Eliza,
Robert Grubb
as Alfred Doolittle and
Judi Connelli
as Mrs Pearce.
John Wood
took the role of Alfred Doolittle in Queensland, and
Richard E. Grant
played the role of Henry Higgins at the Theatre Royal, Sydney.
[56]
2010 Paris revival
[
edit
]
A new production was staged by
Robert Carsen
at the
Theatre du Chatelet
in Paris for a limited 27-performance run, opening December 9, 2010, and closing January 2, 2011. It was presented in English. The costumes were designed by
Anthony Powell
and the choreography was by Lynne Page. The cast was as follows: Sarah Gabriel / Christine Arand (Eliza Doolittle), Alex Jennings (Henry Higgins), Margaret Tyzack (Mrs. Higgins), Nicholas Le Prevost (Colonel Pickering),
Donald Maxwell
(Alfred Doolittle), and Jenny Galloway (Mrs. Pearce).
[57]
2012 Sheffield production
[
edit
]
A new production of
My Fair Lady
opened at
Sheffield Crucible
on December 13, 2012.
Dominic West
played Henry Higgins, and Carly Bawden played Eliza Doolittle. Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director
Daniel Evans
was the director. The production ran until January 26, 2013.
[58]
[59]
2016 Australian production
[
edit
]
The Gordon Frost Organisation, together with
Opera Australia
, presented a production at the
Sydney Opera House
from August 30 to November 5, 2016. It was directed by Julie Andrews and featured the set and costume designs of the original 1956 production by Smith and Beaton.
[60]
The production sold more tickets than any other in the history of the Sydney Opera House.
[61]
The show's opening run in Sydney was so successful that in November 2016, ticket pre-sales were released for a re-run in Sydney, with the extra shows scheduled between August 24 and September 10, 2017, at the
Capitol Theatre
.
[62]
In 2017, the show toured to Brisbane from March 12 and Melbourne from May 11.
[63]
The cast featured
Alex Jennings
as Higgins (
Charles Edwards
for Brisbane and Melbourne seasons),
Anna O'Byrne
as Eliza,
Reg Livermore
as Alfred P. Doolittle,
Robyn Nevin
as Mrs. Higgins (later
Pamela Rabe
),
Mark Vincent
as Freddy,
Tony Llewellyn-Jones
as Colonel Pickering,
Deidre Rubenstein
as Mrs. Pearce, and David Whitney as Karpathy.
[62]
[63]
[64]
Critical reception
[
edit
]
According to
Geoffrey Block
, "Opening night critics immediately recognized that
My Fair Lady
fully measured up to the Rodgers and Hammerstein model of an integrated musical ... Robert Coleman ... wrote 'The Lerner-Loewe songs are not only delightful, they advance the action as well. They are ever so much more than interpolations, or interruptions.'"
[65]
The musical opened to "unanimously glowing reviews, one of which said 'Don't bother reading this review now. You'd better sit right down and send for those tickets ...' Critics praised the thoughtful use of Shaw's original play, the brilliance of the lyrics, and Loewe's well-integrated score."
[66]
A sampling of praise from critics, excerpted from a book form of the musical, published in 1956.
[67]
- "
My Fair Lady
is wise, witty, and winning. In short, a miraculous musical."
Walter Kerr
,
New York Herald Tribune
.
- "A felicitous blend of intellect, wit, rhythm and high spirits. A masterpiece of musical comedy ... a terrific show." Robert Coleman,
New York Daily Mirror
.
- "Fine, handsome, melodious, witty and beautifully acted ... an exceptional show." George Jean Nathan,
New York Journal American
.
- "Everything about
My Fair Lady
is distinctive and distinguished." John Chapman,
New York Daily News
.
- "Wonderfully entertaining and extraordinarily welcomed ... meritorious in every department."
Wolcott Gibbs
,
The New Yorker
.
- "One of the 'loverliest' shows imaginable ... a work of theatre magic." John Beaufort,
The Christian Science Monitor
.
- "An irresistible hit."
Variety
.
- "One of the best musicals of the century."
Brooks Atkinson
,
The New York Times
.
The reception from Shavians was more mixed, however.
Eric Bentley
, for instance, called it "a terrible treatment of Mr. Shaw's play, [undermining] the basic idea [of the play]", even though he acknowledged it as "a delightful show".
[68]
My Fair Lady
was later called "the perfect musical".
[69]
Principal roles and casting history
[
edit
]
Notable replacements
[
edit
]
- Broadway (1956?1962)
- West End (1958?1963)
- West End (2001?2003)
- Broadway revival (2018?2019)
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
Original Broadway production
[
edit
]
Sources: BroadwayWorld
[82]
TheatreWorldAwards
[83]
1976 Broadway revival
[
edit
]
Sources: BroadwayWorld
[84]
Drama Desk
[85]
1979 London revival
[
edit
]
Source: Olivier Awards
[86]
1981 Broadway revival
[
edit
]
Source: BroadwayWorld
[87]
1993 Broadway revival
[
edit
]
Source: Drama Desk
[88]
2001 London revival
[
edit
]
Source: Olivier Awards
[89]
2018 Broadway revival
[
edit
]
Adaptations
[
edit
]
1964 film
[
edit
]
George Cukor
directed the
1964 film adaptation
, with Harrison returning in the role of Higgins. The casting of
Audrey Hepburn
as Eliza created controversy among theatregoers, both because Andrews was regarded as perfect in the part and because Hepburn's singing voice was dubbed (by
Marni Nixon
).
Jack L. Warner
, the head of
Warner Bros.
, wanted "a star with a great deal of name recognition", but since Andrews did not have any film experience, he deemed success more likely with an established movie star.
[92]
(Andrews went on to star in
Mary Poppins
that same year for which she won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Actress.) Lerner in particular disliked the film version of the musical, thinking it did not live up to the standards of Moss Hart's original direction. He was also unhappy with the casting of Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle and that the film was shot in its entirety at the Warner Bros. studio rather than, as he would have preferred, in London.
[93]
Despite the controversy,
My Fair Lady
was considered a major critical and box-office success, and won eight
Oscars
, including
Best Picture of the Year
,
Best Actor
for
Rex Harrison
, and
Best Director
for
George Cukor
.
Cancelled 2008 film
[
edit
]
Columbia Pictures
planned a new adaptation in 2008.
[94]
By 2011,
John Madden
had been signed to direct the film, and
Emma Thompson
had written a new screenplay, but the studio had shelved it by 2014.
[95]
[96]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
The original book of the musical, and original productions, placed the ball scene at the end of Act I. Some later productions have moved it to the beginning of Act II.
- ^
a
b
"'My Fair Lady' Synopsis, Cast, Scenes and Settings and Musical Numbers"
guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed December 7, 2011.
- ^
Lerner, p. 36.
- ^
Lerner, p. 38.
- ^
Lerner, p. 39.
- ^
Lerner, pp. 43?44.
- ^
Lerner, p. 47.
- ^
Dominic, McHugh.
Loverly: the life and times of My fair lady
. Oxford University Press. pp. 20?48.
- ^
Morley, Sheridan.
A Talent to Amuse: A Biography of Noel Coward
, p. 369, Doubleday & Company, 1969.
- ^
"Extravagant Crowd: Mary Martin"
Archived
2010-06-15 at the
Wayback Machine
, Beinecke Library, Yale University, accessed December 9, 2011.
- ^
"Dame Julie Andrews"
.
Academy of Achievement
. Retrieved
April 26,
2022
.
- ^
Lawton, Jenny; Wernick, Adam (July 2014).
"How Pygmalion went from feminist manifesto to chick flick"
. Retrieved
November 5,
2022
.
... the ending of the play was misinterpreted and altered in a way Shaw loathed.
- ^
David Leopold,
"My Fair Lady: Pygmalion and beyond"
,
The Al Hirschfeld Foundation
- ^
Lerner, p. 104.
- ^
Schreiber, Brad (May 2, 2017).
Stop the show!: a history of insane incidents and absurd accidents in the theater
. Hachette Books. pp. 137?138.
ISBN
978-0306902109
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Suskin, Steven.
"
My Fair Lady
, 1956, 1976, and 1981"
,
Show tunes: the songs, shows, and careers of Broadway's major composers
(2010, 4th ed.), Oxford University Press,
ISBN
978-0195125993
, p. 224.
- ^
Vallance, Thomas.
"Obituary: Edward Mulhare"
The Independent
(UK), May 27, 1997.
- ^
"A Fiery 'Fair Lady' Takes Over"
Life
, March 3, 1958, p. Front Cover, 51?54.
- ^
"
'Fair Lady' Radiant $10,000,000"
.
Variety
. Vol. 213, no. 1. December 3, 1958. pp. 1, 92
. Retrieved
May 22,
2019
– via
Archive.org
.
- ^
"Billboard Albums, 'My Fair Lady'"
,
AllMusic
, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
"My Fair Lady Facts"
Archived
2011-11-27 at the
Wayback Machine
, Myfairladythemusical.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
"Zena Dare"
Archived
2012-04-26 at the
Wayback Machine
, The-camerino-players.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
"International News",
The Associated Press
, October 26, 1979 ("Twenty-one years after Eliza Doolittle first straightened out her A's to the delight of Professor Higgins, "My Fair Lady" reopened in London Thursday night to rave notices.")
- ^
Borders, William.
"A New Fair Lady Delights London Theatergoers"
,
The New York Times
, November 26, 1979, p. C15.
- ^
"'My Fair Lady', 1979"
, Phyllis.demon.co.uk, accessed December 7, 2011.
- ^
"0 Questions With...Liz Robertson"
, Whatsonstage.com, April 22, 2002.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 1979"
Archived
2012-01-12 at the
Wayback Machine
, Olivierawards.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
Gussow, Mel (August 19, 1981).
"The Stage: 'My Fair Lady' Returns"
,
The New York Times
, p. C17.
- ^
Simon, John (January 3, 1994).
"This Lady Is For Burning"
New York
p. 63-64.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 2002"
Archived
2012-01-12 at the
Wayback Machine
olivierawards.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 2003"
Archived
2012-01-12 at the
Wayback Machine
olivierawards.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
"'My Fair Lady', 2001?2003"
Archived
2010-09-17 at the
Wayback Machine
, Albemarle-london.com, accessed December 5, 2011.
- ^
Langley, Sid (September 16, 2005).
"Finding The Fair Lady Twice OVER"
,
Birmingham Post
, p. 13.
- ^
Bicknell, Gareth (July 21, 2006). "Gareth Hale is in My Fair Lady at Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, July 25 to Saturday, August 12". "Change of pace for versatile actor Hale",
Liverpool Daily Post
, p. 24.
- ^
Miller, Daryl H. (August 5, 2003).
"This 'Fair Lady' is exceptional"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
Gans, Andrew (May 19, 2003).
"Rosemary Harris will play Mrs. Higgins in the upcoming Aug. 3 concert of My Fair Lady at the Hollywood Bowl"
.
Playbill
.
- ^
"First New Production of 'My Fair Lady' in 25 Years to 'Dance All Night' on Broadway Next Spring"
Broadway World, March 6, 2017
- ^
McPhee, Ryan (October 5, 2017).
"Broadway's New 'My Fair Lady' Finds Its Stars in Lauren Ambrose and Harry Hadden-Paton"
,
Playbill
.
- ^
Fierberg, Ruthie and Adam Hetrick (April 19, 2018).
"Read Reviews for Broadway’s Latest Revival of 'My Fair Lady', Starring Lauren Ambrose"
,
Playbill
.
- ^
Clement, Olivia (August 2, 2018).
"Rosemary Harris to Join the Cast of Broadway’s ‘My Fair Lady’"
,
Playbill
.
- ^
Fierberg, Ruthie (August 23, 2018).
"Laura Benanti Will Star as Eliza Doolittle in Broadway’s ‘My Fair Lady’"
,
Playbill
; and Fierberg, Ruthie (February 11, 2019).
"Laura Benanti Extends Run in Broadway’s 'My Fair Lady'"
,
Playbill
- ^
McPhee, Ryan (October 16, 2018).
"Danny Burstein to Join Broadway's
My Fair Lady
Revival"
,
Playbill
; and Fierberg, Ruthie (March 27, 2019).
"Tony Nominee Alexander Gemignani to Join Broadway's
My Fair Lady
"
,
Playbill
- ^
Fierberg, Ruthie.
"
My Fair Lady
Revival Starring Laura Benanti Closes on Broadway July 7"
,
Playbill
, July 7, 2019
- ^
Robinson, Mark A. (July 9, 2019).
"Lincoln Center Theater's
My Fair Lady
to Tour"
, Broadwaydirect.com; and Fierberg, Ruthie (December 18, 2019).
"Take a Look at the North American Tour of
My Fair Lady
"
,
Playbill
- ^
"Review Roundup:
My Fair Lady
" National Tour Resumes Performances; Read the Reviews!
, November 10, 2021
- ^
"
My Fair Lady
"
, accessed November 10, 2021
- ^
Gans, Andrew.
"Amara Okereke, Harry Hadden-Paton, Vanessa Redgrave Will Star in
My Fair Lady
at the London Coliseum"
,
Playbill
, February 25, 2022
- ^
Wood, Alex (August 5, 2022).
"Vanessa Redgrave exits
My Fair Lady
in the West End"
.
www.whatsonstage.com
. Retrieved
August 29,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Millward, Tom.
"
My Fair Lady
UK and Ireland tour announces casting"
, WhatsOnStage.com, August 24, 2022
- ^
Muller, Peter E. (July 31, 2006).
"Karin Hubner (1936-2006)"
.
Die Welt
. Retrieved
February 11,
2017
.
(in German)
- ^
Von Birgit, Walter (October 22, 2011).
"Theater des Westens Ein Million fur diese Lady"
[Theater of the West ? A Million for This Lady].
Berliner Zeitung
(in German)
. Retrieved
February 13,
2017
.
- ^
Lawson, Kyle (June 10, 2008).
"Marni Nixon in
My Fair Lady
"
The Arizona Republic
(Phoenix).
- ^
US Tour information
Archived
2007-08-10 at the
Wayback Machine
MyFairLadyTheMusical.com
- ^
Tim Jerome bio
Archived
2007-10-12 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Gans, Andrew (August 28, 2007).
"Marni Nixon to Join My Fair Lady Tour in Chicago"
.
Playbill
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady"
.
AusStage
. Retrieved
September 8,
2017
.
- ^
My Fair Lady
listing (in French)
, Chatelet-theatre.com, retrieved December 15, 2010; and Hetrick, Adam.
"Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, and My Fair Lady to play Theatre du Chatelet"
,
Playbill
, July 22, 2010
- ^
My Fair Lady
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
- ^
"Crucible's 'My Fair Lady', Starring Dominic West and Carly Bawden, Aiming for West End, May 2013?"
broadwayworld.com, January 3, 2013.
- ^
Spring, Alexandra (August 4, 2015).
"Julie Andrews to direct Sydney Opera House production of 'My Fair Lady'"
The Guardian
(London).
- ^
Boyd, Edward (October 6, 2016).
"‘My Fair Lady’ musical by Julie Andrews sold more tickets than any other production in history"
,
The Daily Telegraph
.
- ^
a
b
"
My Fair Lady
: Capitol Theatre, Sydney"
,
Opera Australia
, accessed 1 July 2019
- ^
a
b
"
My Fair Lady
: Regent Theatre, Melbourne"
, Opera Australia, accessed 1 July 2019
- ^
"
My Fair Lady
: Sydney Opera House"
, Opera Australia, accessed 1 July 2019
- ^
Block, Geoffrey
(2004).
Enchanted Evenings: The Broadway Musical from Show Boat to Sondheim
. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 226.
ISBN
978-0195167306
.
- ^
Everett, William A.; Paul R. Laird (May 22, 2008).
The Cambridge Companion to the Musical
(Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 176.
ISBN
978-0521862387
. Retrieved
July 22,
2020
.
- ^
My Fair Lady: A Musical Play in Two Acts
. Based on
Pygmalion
by George Bernard Shaw. Adaptation and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe. New York: Doward-McCann, Inc., 1956.
- ^
Video
on
YouTube
- ^
Steyn, Mark (2000).
Broadway Babies Say Goodnight
.
ISBN
9780415922876
. Retrieved
7 September
2018
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady: Mark Hellinger Theatre"
.
Internet Broadway Database
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady West End Cast"
.
Broadway World
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady: St. James Theatre"
.
Internet Broadway Database
.
- ^
McHugh, Dominic (2014).
Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady
(1st ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 187.
ISBN
9780199381005
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady: Uris Theatre"
.
Internet Broadway Database
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady: Virginia Theatre"
.
Internet Broadway Database
.
- ^
"My Fair Lady West End Revival Cast"
.
Broadway World
.
- ^
"Who's Who"
. Lincoln Center Theater.
- ^
"Cast complete for London Coliseum My Fair Lady"
.
Playbill
.
- ^
Barnes, Peter (August 4, 2002).
"Obituary: Peter Bayliss"
.
The Guardian
. London.
- ^
"Following Onstage Collapse, Peter Land Departs RUTHLESS! Off-Broadway"
.
Broadway World
. July 30, 2015.
...the Alan Jay Lerner-directed My Fair Lady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill)...
- ^
"Betty Paul: Stage and screen actress and writer of ITV's first rural soap opera"
.
The Independent
. London. April 12, 2011.
Archived
from the original on 2022-06-18.
Paul returned to acting for a two-year run in the West End as Mrs Pearce, the housekeeper, in My Fair Lady (1979-81).
- ^
"Tony Awards, 1957"
, Broadwayworld.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"Previous Theatre World Award Recipients, 1955?56"
, Theatreworldawards.org, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"Tony Awards, 1976"
, Broadwayworld.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"1975?1976 22nd Drama Desk Awards"
, Dramadesk.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 1979"
Archived
2012-01-12 at the
Wayback Machine
olivierawards.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"Tony Awards, 1982"
Archived
2015-04-02 at the
Wayback Machine
, Broadwayworld.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"1993?1994 40th Drama Desk Awards"
, Dramadesk.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
"Olivier Winners 2002"
Archived
2012-01-12 at the
Wayback Machine
olivierawards.com, accessed December 6, 2011.
- ^
Norbert Leo Butz
was ineligible for this award for his performance as Alfred Doolittle, as he had already won the award in a previous year
- ^
Tied with
Tina Landau
for
SpongeBob SquarePants
- ^
Roman, James W.
"My Fair Lady"
Bigger Than Blockbusters: Movies That Defined America
, ABC-CLIO, 2009,
ISBN
0-313-33995-3
, pp. 125?126.
- ^
Lerner,
The Street Where I Live
pp 134?6.
- ^
Gans, Andrew (June 2, 2008).
"Columbia Pictures and CBS Films to Develop New
My Fair Lady
Film"
.
Playbill
. Archived from
the original
on 2008-06-07
. Retrieved
2008-06-06
.
- ^
Lyttelton, Oliver (February 18, 2011).
"Colin Firth Again Being Pursued For 'My Fair Lady' Remake; Carey Mulligan Still Attached"
.
IndieWire
. Archived from
the original
on March 4, 2016
. Retrieved
July 22,
2020
.
- ^
"Cameron Mackintosh Says Film Remake of My Fair Lady Has Been Shelved"
.
Playbill
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-05-06
. Retrieved
July 22,
2020
.
References
[
edit
]
- Citron, David (1995).
The Wordsmiths: Oscar Hammerstein 2nd and Alan Jay Lerner
, Oxford University Press.
ISBN
0-19-508386-5
- Garebian, Keith (1998).
The Making of My Fair Lady
, Mosaic Press.
ISBN
0-88962-653-7
- Green, Benny, Editor (1987).
A Hymn to Him : The Lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner
, Hal Leonard Corporation.
ISBN
0-87910-109-1
- Jablonski, Edward (1996).
Alan Jay Lerner: A Biography
, Henry Holt & Co.
ISBN
0-8050-4076-5
- Lees, Gene (2005).
The Musical Worlds of Lerner and Loewe
, Bison Books.
ISBN
0-8032-8040-8
- Lerner, Alan Jay (1985).
The Street Where I Live
, Da Capo Press.
ISBN
0-306-80602-9
- McHugh, Dominic.
Loverly: The Life and Times of "My Fair Lady"
(Oxford University Press; 2012) 265 pages; uses unpublished documents to study the five-year process of the original production.
- Shapiro, Doris (1989).
We Danced All Night: My Life Behind the Scenes With Alan Jay Lerner
, Barricade Books.
ISBN
0-942637-98-4
External links
[
edit
]
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