Laura Benanti to replace Lauren Ambrose in MY FAIR LADY — Page 13

BroadwayConcierge said: "For Ambrose's Eliza, it felt like we had reached the end of an extraordinary arc for the character. With Ambrose, the vulnerable, ambitious, tender Eliza that we started off with in "Loverly" had evolved into a woman of immense resolve, dignity, and strength. A woman no longer seeking a change in her station, but who is now grappling with how to come to terms with a man who has changed her life profoundly and yet challenges her core. As I said before, I was nowhere near as moved during "Without You" by Benanti's Eliza, who did not really seem to have been as affected or changed by everything that had happened until that point."

I've never seen a live production of this show, but on the page and in the film, I personally find Eliza's arc to be somewhat circular, to mix the geometry metaphors. And not necessarily in a bad way. Towards the start when she asks for lessons, it seems to me that she already then has the self-regard to believe that she can rise up if given the opportunity, and she already recognises that Higgins doesn't treat her well enough. She temporarily loses that sense of self-worth, but (arguably) regains it by the end, along with having gained new skills that will give her practical power to make her way in the world. She succeeds in transforming... back into herself. I haven't pored over every nuance of this show - or this thread - so was curious if any others see it in this way? It could be that it's all in how it's played, of course.

Can they just transfer the LCT production to the west end and film it a la King and I https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/MY-FAIR-LADY-Star-Laura-Benanti-to-Make-London-Concert-Debut-In-2019-20181206

poisonivy2 said: "Will telecharge exchange if she;s still out that day? And if she still is out is Kertin Anderson good? My mom's been looking forward to this for a long time, I want the best possible experience for her!"

Kerstin Anderson is a remarkable talent, and has a huge career ahead of her. She is flawless in this role, for being so young and an understudy. I think you and your mom will have a really lovely time, and will be able to happily say "We saw Kerstin when..."

ljay889 said: "Something is going around everywhere. But I will say, I was at Hamilton and The Cher Show this past week and I was extremely pleased to see all principal cast members in the peformances that I attended. "



Guess you caught The Cher Show on a good night. Jarrod Spector was out all weekend. Lots of swings on this weekend including Amy Quanbeck making her debut as "Dark Lady".

I saw Kerstin Anderson a few months ago as my mom and I had tickets for a Sunday before Lauren Ambrose started doing only seven shows a week and she was absolutely wonderful. She's an incredible talent with a stunning voice. You'll be in good hands if you catch her, though I understand the disappointment about missing Laura.

Also, Laura has an autoimmune disease which I'm sure makes it tougher for her to recover from illnesses that are a bit easier for other people, though it sounds like whatever is going around is nasty anyway.

Does anyone know if she sang in today's shiw?

I have enjoyed both Ambrose and Benanti in this production. Ambrose took a serious dramatic approach to the role, and handled the accents really well. Her singing was pleasant, but very soft. Even from the front orchestra, her singing was barely audible at times. Benanti struggles a bit with the accents, and her approach to the role is more in the traditional musical comedy tradition. But she's a much better singer. Weeks later, I can still hear her singing in my mind! And when I saw her in early December, her comic timing was quite good. So -- six of one, half dozen of the other.

Like many others, I'm a big fan of Ms. Benanti. (I've been lucky to see her in several other shows.) I've already purchased another ticket for January. I hope that she will be healthy and her voice will be 100%.