Director
Bartlett Sher seems to have cornered the market for imaginative, indeed brilliant,
productions of classical musicals and numerous operas at the Metropolitan
Opera. His production of My Fair Lady, now running at the Vivian
Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center is yet another example of his superb
directorial talent.
This Fair
Lady gets a lavish production with a superb cast done to high standards
that define the American musical at its best. The fair lady is Laura Benanti
who has a ringing voice and sculpted face making a delightful Eliza. It is no
wonder that Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Christian Dante White) dotes on her and hangs
outside the house on the street where she lives belting out, well, "On the
Street Where You Live."
Harry Hadden-Paton and Laura Benanti. Photo: Joan Marcus
Eliza of course
needs a suitable counterpart in the upper crust, ill-mannered, gruff and confirmed
old bachelor Professor Higgins who wants to fashion a lady out of a squashed
cabbage leaf. The man to do all of that and sing is Harry Hadden-Paton. He is
young (OK, and handsome too) and quite impressive and funny in his rudeness.
But does he eventually get his creation to marry him? Check Bernard Shaw and Alan
Jay Lerner for possible answers. Then see what Sher has in mind for her.
My Fair Lady has a large cast but let’s deal with the major players. Starting at
the bottom of the social scale is Alfred P. Doolittle, the common dustman as
they say, Eliza’s dissolute father who would have higher moral standards if he could
afford them. He can’t until an American millionaire
endows him with the curse of money and consequently middle class morality. His
little bit of luck is over and he becomes concerned about getting to the church
on time to commit the ultimate middle class crime: marriage. Alexander Gamignani
is a hilarious scoundrel from start to finish.
At the other end
of the social ladder is Mrs. Higgins who has real class. She knows her boorish
son Henry well and takes Eliza’s side. Rosemary Harris, the grand lady of the
theatre also represents a true lady of upper class English society at its best.
Colonel
Pickering is another gentleman of the same class. Allan Corduner does fine work
in the role even if he has to sing the awful “You did it.”
Laura Benanti, Christian Dante White, Allan Corduner. Photo: Joan Marcus
Sher uses of the
huge stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre and the equally huge budget to great
effect. The revolving stage brings us to the opening scene in Covent Garden
with the columns of St. Pauls Church visible in the corner. We then get a glimpse
of Wimpole Street before the gorgeous interior of Professor Higgins’ house is
brought forward. We see the two story library and sitting room and when
necessary a view of the upstairs bathtub and the outside. The race track, the ballroom
of the embassy, the conservatory of Mrs. Higgins’ house and the rest of the
scenes are brought forward with efficiency and aplomb. There are no short cuts
in this production.
Michael Yeargan
is responsible for the sets and Catherine Zuber gets full marks for the
beautiful costumes.
In other words,
this is Broadway at its best.
___________
My
Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), directed
by Bartlett Sher, continues until July 7, 2019 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, 150
West 65th St. New York, NY. https://www.lct.org/
James Karas is the Senior Editor - Culture of The Greek Press. www.greekpress.ca
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