Laura Benanti to replace Lauren Ambrose in MY FAIR LADY- Page 10

[irishgator1]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 7:08pm

I saw the matinee today and it was amazing!! My second time (I saw the first time with the understudy, who was terrific). The Playbills had Laura listed unlike yesterday. She was perfection.

Btw, it was just one other guy and me at the stage door. We ended up asking someone who came out of the SD about the Laura-signed Playbills and that person texted the stage manager, who brought out a signed Playbill for us.

[irishgator1]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 7:08pm

I saw the matinee today and it was amazing!! My second time (I saw the first time with the understudy, who was terrific). The Playbills had Laura listed unlike yesterday. She was perfection.

Btw, it was just one other guy and me at the stage door. We ended up asking someone who came out of the SD about the Laura-signed Playbills and that person texted the stage manager, who brought out a signed Playbill for us.

[mikem]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 9:50am

Benanti sent out signed Playbills rather than signed for She Loves Me, also.  I always appreciate it when actors tell you that they're not going to stage door, so you don't have to wonder.  And the signed Playbills are a real kindness.

 

Irishgator1, did a lot of people come out after the matinee?  I always wonder about matinees on 2-show days.

[slumdogdelaware]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:17am

I was at last night's show and it was AMAZING. Benanti truly captured the role, and as stated above, her chemistry with Harry Hadden-Paton is great. I can't believe they only really met the first time the other day; felt like they've been on stage together for ages. However, I'm convinced HHP could have chemistry with a brick wall. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:38am

Saw Laura last night. She was so stunning. However, I would suggest for people to maybe wait a couple weeks before going and let her warm up to the role a bit. In Act One, her accent was all over the map. It switched from cockney to Irish to (mostly) Scottish and even a bit of Spanish during one song. She just needs a little time. But other than that it was glorious. And when she comes out at the end of Act One in that dress...not even kidding - one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen.

[slumdogdelaware]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:52am

Jordan Catalano said: "Saw Laura last night. She was so stunning. However, I would suggest for people to maybe wait a couple weeks before going and let her warm up to the role a bit. In Act One, her accent was all over the map. It switched from cockney to Irish to (mostly) Scottish and even a bit of Spanish during one song. She just needs a little time. But other than that it was glorious. And when she comes out at the end of Act One in that dress...not even kidding - one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen."

Totally agree about the accent! It was a bit strange in places.  

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:15am

I predicted on one of these threads that Laura would wear a different colored gown at the end of Act 1 and my prediction came to fruition.

[52889j]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:28am

Jordan Catalano said: "Saw Laura last night. She was so stunning. However, I would suggest for people to maybe wait a couple weeks before going and let her warm up to the role a bit. In Act One, her accent was all over the map. It switched from cockney to Irish to (mostly) Scottish and even a bit of Spanish during one song. She just needs a little time. But other than that it was glorious. And when she comes out at the end of Act One in that dress...not even kidding - one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen. "

 

Found myself at last night’s show as well and echo this sentiment entirely. Her dialect work is currently a hot mess, which is particularly problematic when MFL is essentially Dialects The Musical. I Could Have Danced All Night was 100% Scottish.

 I’m sure she’ll settle in, but the minimal rehearsal shows. Her Without You was quite stunning though. Lots of beautiful, creative vocal inflections.

I didn’t think it was possible, but HHP has massively improved since opening. It was almost like he was conducting the orchestra and composing the music with his face during “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”

 

Updated On: 10/25/18 at 11:28 AM

[irishgator1]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:54am

mikem said: "Benanti sent out signed Playbills rather than signed for She Loves Me, also. I always appreciate it when actors tell you that they're not going to stage door, so you don't have to wonder. And the signed Playbills are a real kindness.



Irishgator1, did a lot of people come out after the matinee? I always wonder about matinees on 2-show days."

Yes, a fair number did come out- many of the ensemble, Butz, Corduner, and Donica did. 

[MCfan2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 3:10pm

SmoothLover said: "I predicted on one of these threads that Laura would wear a different colored gown at the end of Act 1 and my prediction came to fruition."

I hope she has a different hairstyle too. The one they gave Lauren at that point was really unflattering. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 3:47pm

Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 3:59pm

Um... ok? You did an in depth analysis of an audio bootleg of a first performance and decided that it was no good. I could elaborate on why that's a rude statement to the actors, but go ahead and scream Trumpism if it rustles your jimmies.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 4:48pm

Anyway, I wish I won the lottery because I'd love to see Benanti. I might still shell out big bucks when one of my family members visit me early December and buy her a ticket. I know it'll be a treat.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 4:55pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

...how can humanity be porous?

 

[Sytwix]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 5:04pm

FYI Discount code: MFLTM18 $50 off regular prices. Prices for regular tix on Jan 8+ are $77-$117. (Before Jan 8, prices range from $99-$137 for regular tickets.)

[LuPita2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 5:45pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

I respect your opinion, that is what this board is about, all kinds of different views.  Anyone stupid enough to pass judgement on yours isn't worth your time.  I loved Laura, others don't.  To each their own.  

 

[GreeneStreet]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 5:47pm

LuPita2 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

I respect your opinion, that is what this board is about, all kinds of different views. Anyone stupid enough to pass judgement on yours isn't worth your time. I loved Laura, others don't. To each their own.

"

It’s a bootlegged audio of her first performance, which might not even exsist. To even voice an opinion on an audio is tacky.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 5:51pm

52889j said: "I Could Have Danced All Night was 100% Scottish."

I'm trying to imagine how that could even be possible.  How exactly would one accomplish that, even if one wanted to?

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 5:57pm

LuPita2 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

I respect your opinion, that is what this board is about, all kinds of different views. Anyone stupid enough to pass judgement on yours isn't worth your time. I loved Laura, others don't. To each their own.
"

First of all, this is not what this board is all about.  I enjoy a good audio boot, but I will not base my opinion on one nor will I share that opinion, because that is rude, classless, and tacky (as another poster on here has said).  Their opinion would be valid if they saw the show but because they did not, it is not valid.  Audio boots are illegal, but I find them good for posterity.  In the future, we will be happy to have them.  That being said, you shouldn't dismiss someone's performance over it.  Your opinion is that you didn't care for her "choices," but you didn't see her choices, therefore the opinion you have is based on an illegal audio bootleg, which makes your opinion completely invalid.

<<edited by BWW staff>>

 

Updated On: 10/25/18 at 05:57 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 7:02pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

"Porous humanity"? How can you judge a perfromance on an audio bootleg? And for the record I was at an early preview of Ambrose where she went up in lines during the entire Ascot scene. i was discerning enough to realize her Eliza was a work in progress and sure enough when I went back after the show was frozen she was leagues better. You just dislike Benanti because of her politics, and have an agenda. It's so transparent.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 7:12pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Judging from the audio recording "out there," I am not really impressed with many of her choices, which I find jarring and lacking Ambrose's porous humanity that makes this production so special to me personally."

And just when you think the posts on here could not get any dumber...

[NYadgal]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:20pm

I adored Lauren Ambrose, and think she found a fresh view of an iconic character.  Brava!  Her chemistry with HH-P was extraordinary.    She weathered many storms throughout her run with total class.   I treasure my cast recording with her voice captured for all time.  She turned in a star performance and I’ll not soon forget it,

I have no need to see this show again.   I saw - and felt - perfection with the original cast.    That said, I wish Laura the best.  She has big shoes to fill.

Updated On: 10/25/18 at 10:20 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:25pm

Made my way back to the show tonight. This production is just so glorious. I kind of My Fair Lady’d myself out this spring after seeing it at the Beaumont so many times, but revisiting it months later, it still feels fresh, vibrant, and just magnificent. One of my all-time favorite revivals. 

Benanti is an excellent Eliza, and I think she’ll develop her performance over her run to make her even stronger. She sounds pitch-perfect and sings the hell out of the score (as expected), but tonight at least, I found her to almost be focusing too much on her vocals and accent. For example, during “I Could’ve Danced All Night,” she hardly smiled once, clearly focused on nailing those notes and changing her way of speaking for the first time. That was a bit of a detriment for me, since that song is kind of supposed to be Eliza’s happiest/most climactic point in the show thus far. 

The biggest difference I found between Ambrose’s Eliza and Benanti’s Eliza (besides the color of her “Without You” dress, once blue, now pink) is that there is, indeed, underlying romantic chemistry between Higgins and Eliza. I didn’t find there to be any romance with Ambrose’s Eliza (which I enjoyed), but Benanti’s Eliza is very much digging Higgins. Special shoutout to Harry Hadden-Paton, who is still slaying Higgins and who I still think should’ve won the Tony. 

I was extremely vocal about how much I fell head over heels in love with Lauren Ambrose’s performance, and I’m glad to say that I wasn’t longing for her during most of the show. The only scene I kept thinking about her, though, was during “Without You,” when Benanti’s Eliza became visibly emotional at parts (to the near point of tears), and at another point mildly taunted Higgins. I did miss Ambrose’s towering strength and unwavering confidence during that scene. She did not stoop down to Higgins’ low once. (My other small comparative criticism: I also thought Benanti sped through this production’s powerful ending a little too quickly.)

I will be revisiting the show (shocker!) many times with Benanti in the role. I can’t wait to see how she grows. However, her Ascot scene right now is pretty perfect. Hilarious to the point of severe belly laughter.

Edit: Also, I hate to say it, but I did not buy the father/daughter age relationship between Butz and Benanti. I know Benanti's age has always been a question for this role, but I never really thought about it during the performance except during the short Eliza/Alfred scenes. 

Updated On: 10/25/18 at 10:25 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:38pm

NYadgal said: "

I have no need to see this show again. I saw - and felt - perfection with the original cast. That said, I wish Laura the best. She has big shoes to fill."

Excuse me? The original cast? The original cast was Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway with Moss Hart directing. 

[mikem]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:55pm

irishgator1, thanks for the stage door report!  It sounds like a decent number of people come out after the matinee, although not HHP. 

 

And Sytwix, thanks for the discount code!  I have a feeling it will get a lot of use around here!