Any fan of musical theatre will tell you that MY FAIR LADY is something very special, and incredibly it is 66 years old. But with one of the most sumptuous productions ever staged, including a cast of over 30 members and a full orchestra, this new tour will exceed all expectations.
In fact, this is the first major revival of the classic tale for over 15 years, but this Lincoln Theatre production promises to be a ‘loverly‘ way to celebrate its return.
Just in case you don’t know the story of Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady, it follows Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady”. But who is it that is really being transformed?
Directed by Bartlett Sher, (acclaimed for the recent Tony Award-winning productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I and South Pacific), the musical features Frederick Loewe’s beautiful score and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. The songs have gone on to become classics in themselves – I Could Have Danced All Night, Get Me to the Church on Time, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, On the Street Where You Live, The Rain in Spain, and I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.
This sublime production, which premiered in 2018 at the Lincoln Center in America, went on to win the Tony Award for Best Costume Design, 5 Outer Critics’ Circle Awards including Best Musical Revival, the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Revival, and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical Revival and Costume Design.
Bartlett said……
“Getting a chance to revisit Shaw’s extraordinary story of class and privilege in a new age is a rare and special event and I am thrilled to be able to take this epic musical on tour for audiences up and down the country to enjoy.”
Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s movie Pygmalion, MY FAIR LADY burst onto the Broadway stage in 1956, immediately collecting 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, that success kept it on stage for many years, making it the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time.
The production then transferred to London in 1958, where it played in the West End for five and a half years. I have to say, my pride and joy amongst a collection of theatre programmes is the one I inherited from the London production. Back then, they were printed in hardback, and definitely worth keeping.
Of course, you can’t mention MY FAIR LADY without a nod to the acclaimed 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, which won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
As we mentioned, it’s been a while since a production has been on tour. Cameron Mackintosh’s revival at Theatre Royal Drury Lane won three Olivier Awards, and later toured across the UK and Ireland in 2005. So to say we are more than ready for this new production would be an understatement.
MY FAIRL LADY is playing a limited run at the Coliseum in London from the 7th of May to 27th August, with a top notch cast, including DAME VANESSA REDGRAVE as Mrs Higgins.
Casting for the UK tour hasn’t yet been announced, in fact they are in the process of recruiting right now, as soon as we know more, we’ll pass it on. What we are certain of, is that the cast, and the production will be one of the South Wales musical theatre highlights this year.
The show gets to the Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday 8th till Saturday 26th November. Performances are at 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday, with 2pm matinee performances on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets for Partner and Partner Awen members go on sale tomorrow (7th March). For Ffrind and Ffrind+ members on Wednesday (9th March) and general sale on Friday 11th March. To find out more, and get tickets go HERE.
We understand the show is around 2 hours and 55 minutes long, with an interval.
James L. Nederlander, Jamie Wilson, Hunter Arnold, Playful Productions and the English National Opera present the Lincoln Center Theater production of Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY. Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Marc Salzberg, hair & wigs by Tom Watson, UK music supervision by Gareth Valentine, UK musical direction by Alex Parker, musical supervision by Ted Sperling, choreography by Christopher Gattelli, directed by Bartlett Sher.