Question re: Prof. Higgins in "My Fair Lady"

[karen24]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 10:09pm

I was listening to Rex Harrison the other day and it got me thinking: have any of you ever seen, or been in, a production of "My Fair Lady" in which the actor playing Higgins actually sang the entire part? I just wondered if it's become a kind of "tradition" that the role be spoke-sung, or if sometimes an actor does choose to sing the whole time. I haven't seen any stage productions of the show myself (It's hard to believe that even as I type it!) so I have no idea. How was it done in the last few revivals? Did Richard Chamberlain sing the whole role? How about Ian Richardson, 'way back when? And if the role was sung all the way through, what did you think?

In a way I'd kind of like to hear all of the notes Loewe wrote, but I do think that Harrison's way was perfect for him, and worked well.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 10:18pm

I believe I've heard it spoken-sung in every stage production I've ever seen (three). But some Higginses I've seen have sung more of it than Harrison did.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 10:22pm

Wait, I thought the part was actually written to be "spoke-sang" as it was. But, I don't have the score handy.

[Patash]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 11:03pm

I played Col. Pickering in a production with a Higgins who was an amazing singer. In early rehearsals they worked at his singing more of the numbers, but frankly it just didn't work. He ended up talk-singing most of it. I will say his being a singer made I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face the most amazing I've ever heard it -- even though it was slightly spoken as well.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 11:24pm

I saw a community theater production where Higgins sang every note. IMO, it works better as spoke-sung because it heightens the curmudgeon quality of his character. It's like he can't be bothered to sustain the sung notes so he just throws them out there.

[Patash]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 11:33pm

Gothanpc, exactly. You expressed that much better than I did.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/9/08 at 11:50pm

There's a recording with Jeremy Irons and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in which Irons does more singing than usual. He doesn't have much a voice and his attempts at singing are only fair.

Updated On: 8/9/08 at 11:50 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 12:29am

Unfortunately Julie Andrews picked up Rex Harrison's bad habits. During My Fair Lady she picked up a lazy sing-speak habit which stayed with her throughout her career.

[stanton]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 2:35am

The Version that I saw was talk-sung

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 11:49am

Oh, I love Julie Andrews' "That notes too low, I'll just kind of say it loudly and happily" technique. It makes me smile.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 12:01pm

A gentleman I know, who is a very good singer, played Higgins in a community production of My Fair Lady a few years ago. He did the speak-sing thing. When I asked him about it afterwards, he told me how they tried to sing it during rehearsals, but it just wasn't working, so they did the speak-sing thing. However, he did sing "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" in full voice, and it was wonderful, unlike I had ever heard it before.
Updated On: 8/10/08 at 12:01 PM

[karen24]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 2:39pm

Thanks everyone; very interesting!
I don't have the score handy either, but I am pretty sure that there are real notes for every word that Harrison spoke instead of sung. I can't imagine Lerner and Loewe writing a score and leaving out half of the notes.

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 7:26pm

There are definitely notes for everything, but they also built the role around Rex Harrison, who I believe claimed to have a two-note range. So it makes sense that, after being written for an actor who was not a strong singer, that it would sound odd being sung full-voice.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 7:54pm

The great Ian Richardson also used the speak/sing approach, but with greater melodic flexibility and more singing elements in each of his songs. He most nearly sang "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" with tremendous tenderness and poignancy. I found his performance a perfect balance of the Shavian self-satisfaction and the musical theater romantic longings. But I loved everything I saw him in - an amazing and memorable actor! The recording from the 1976 revival is quite an accurate record of his approach.

[sparrman]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 9:32pm

I heard it sung completely through in a production by someone with a splendid voice. Didn't work. Loewe may have written notes for the entire lyric, but that doesn't mean he ever thought they would truly be SUNG. He knew Rex Harrison was going to speak-sing his way through the role.

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/11/08 at 12:46am

I think it's just meant to be spoke-sung. The tessitura in the songs just isnt what it needs to be for an actor to comfortable sing it. The notes don't really go anywhere.

[Hrududu]

Posted: 8/11/08 at 4:42am

Hardly broadway but my brother played Higgins last year in a local production and sang it all. It was like seeing a completely different show with the part not being spoke-sung.

[Bdickson]

Posted: 8/11/08 at 11:47am

I recently saw the West End's sparkling revival version with Christopher Cazenove in the Higgins role. Whether an intentional hommage to Harrison or not, he spoke-sang the part throughout and to great effect. As I understand it, this production carries the original's DNA; so if ever the producers wanted to revert it to a purely organic form, this would have been their chance. The fact that - despite having had their choice of fluid vocalists - they went with a speak-singing approach confirms for me that such was Lerner and Lowe's probable intention, regardless who played the part. While anyone's welcome to try a fully vocalized version, he might have to fight his way 'round that dynamic duo to pull it off. And, even a successful attempt, musically, might not be all that satisfying, dramatically. So why try? As an experiment, perhaps it would be better, and kinder to its audience, on a solo performer's album than in a stage production.