MY FAIR LADY (2018) Reviews- Page 3

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:10pm

After reading the WSJ review, whenever Lauren Ambrose is feeling down she should just look at this passage:

"If you’ve been eagerly waiting for Ms. Ambrose to return to the New York stage ever since she stole the show from Susan Sarandon nine years ago in “Exit the King,” you’ll be happy to hear that she’s a knockout and a wow. It happens that Ms. Ambrose is also a classically trained vocalist, and she has no trouble whatsoever putting across Eliza Doolittle’s operetta-like musical numbers, while her acting is predictably superlative. If we don’t see her in another musical as soon as this one closes, something’s wrong with Broadway."

What a write-up.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:12pm

With only three real contenders, and none receiving unanimous praise, I can’t imagine HHP doesn’t still have a shot.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:17pm

If Tony voters are like some of us and less like critics, then I think HHP has a strong shot of winning still. I do think Joshua Henry might have the Broadway actor paying dues thing going though.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:17pm

I wonder if Lauren gets a lot of praise (as she already has) it might spark up interest for that Funny Girl revival she was supposed to be in

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:19pm

It's an insanely weak year for lead actors, so I'd guess that HHP is still probably a front-runner, if a narrower one over Joshua Henry than he was a couple weeks ago. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:24pm

Honestly, other than the WSJ, no review gave HHP a "bad" review or anything. Most of them were actually really positive reviews. They're just not complete love letters and I think the fact that they're also noting it's a different Higgins is making people think there is a lack of praise when there's actually a great amount of praise for his performance.

Updated On: 4/19/18 at 09:24 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:26pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "If Tony voters are like some of us and less like critics, then I think HHP has a strong shot of winning still. I do think Joshua Henry might have the Broadway actor paying dues thing going though."

But since My Fair Lady has been getting a much better response than Carousel, I could see that possibly leading to Hadden-Paton coming out on top.

[theatretenor2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:28pm

On the other hand, Chris Jones seemed to like Carousel in comparison. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:31pm

Judging from the reviews so far, it seems like there was higher expectations for MFL compared to Once on this Island and it seems Once on this Island has more of a wow factor which might carry it over to a Tony win over MFL. 

[Mike66]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:32pm

I don't think we can say that My Fair Lady has better reviews than Carousel until we hear from Brantley.  I thought he'd hate Carousel, so what do I know.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:35pm

Are people totally forgetting about Tony Shaloub who gives a beautiful leading performance in THE BANDS VISIT? I’d be more than happy to see him win it.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:37pm

QueenAlice said: "Are people totally forgetting about Tony Shaloub who gives a beautiful leading performance in THE BANDS VISIT? I’d be more than happy to see him win it."

But he signed my autograph without saying a word to me. :p

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:41pm

QueenAlice said: "Are people totally forgetting about Tony Shaloub who gives a beautiful leading performance in THE BANDS VISIT? I’d be more than happy to see him win it."

Shalhoub is phenomenal, and Tewfiq is one of the richest male roles in this entire season in my opinion, but he barely sings, which I'm guessing will put him at a disadvantage in the musical category. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:42pm

I don't know if NY Post will bother reviewing this, but it seems Barbara Hoffman LOVED this production and gave a special citation to Ambrose in hashtag form:

https://twitter.com/BHoffman_NYPost/status/983372432487714817

Updated On: 4/19/18 at 09:42 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:45pm

theatretenor2 said: "Musical Master said: "Chicago Tribune is mixed to negative.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/ct-ent-fair-lady-broadway-review-0420-story.html"

He must really hate his life."

Sorry, but Chris Jones is one of America's great theatre critics.

 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:46pm

I think that is a silly argument against Shaloub. It’s best actor in a musical- not best singer in a musical. And he’s going to be up against Henry Higgins which is a talk sing role anyway.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:48pm

QueenAlice said: "I think that is a silly argument against Shaloub. It’s best actor in a musical- not best singer in a musical. And he’s going to be up against Henry Higgins which is a talk sing role anyway."

I thought the main argument was that he’s no longer in the show. He’s phenomenal, I agree, but that will likely be a strike against him.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:48pm

QueenAlice said: "I think that is a silly argument against Shaloub. It’s best actor in a musical- not best singer in a musical. And he’s going to be up against Henry Higgins which is a talk sing role anyway."

It'll probably be a close battle among the top three contenders and we probably really won't know who will win until Tony night.

[theatretenor2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:51pm

Deadline is positive.

http://deadline.com/2018/04/my-fair-lady-broadway-review-lauren-ambrose-harry-hadden-paton-diana-rigg-1202365743/

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:53pm

Shaloub is reportedly returning to the show in May. But I think it’s safe to say a fair amount of voters already saw him play the role between the Off Broadway and the many months he did it at the Barrymore. It’s not like he did the show for a short period of time. Plus I think the Bands Visit is going to do very well on tony night which can’t hurt his chances either.

[theatretenor2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:53pm

Was really hoping it would be Brantley, but Jesse Green's is a rave and another NYT Critic's pick.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/theater/my-fair-lady-review-lincoln-center-lauren-ambrose.html

Updated On: 4/19/18 at 09:53 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:58pm

Evans in Deadline, unlike some other reviewers whose impression was just the opposite, finds HHP's Higgins arrogant and "undilluted" in his chauvinsim.  My thoughts exactly.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:02pm

theatretenor2 said: "Was really hoping it would be Brantley, but Jesse Green's is a rave and another NYT Critic's pick.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/theater/my-fair-lady-review-lincoln-center-lauren-ambrose.html"

Jesse Green completely understood what Ambrose and HHP were going for in their portrayals of Eliza and Higgins and has completely bought into it. Reading that review (and Deadline's) made me feel as if I was back in that theatre during that blizzard completely transfixed with what I saw. I do think Green is giving Freddy (not Donica but the character) the short end of the stick in terms of character analysis, but he's not alone in that.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:03pm

Hurrah for that wonderful RAVE from Jesse Green of NYT. Overall I'd say that this revival is better received than the polarizing Carousel; in fact there's only one mixed to negative review to find so that's a really good sign that this revival and Once on this Island will be the two major musical revivals to fight for the Tony.

[theatretenor2]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:04pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "theatretenor2 said: "Was really hoping it would be Brantley, but Jesse Green's is a rave and another NYT Critic's pick.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/theater/my-fair-lady-review-lincoln-center-lauren-ambrose.html"

Jesse Green completely understood what Ambrose and HHP were going for in their portrayals of Eliza and Higgins and has completely bought into it. Reading that review (and Deadline's) made me feel as if I was back in that theatre during that blizzard completely transfixed with what I saw. I do think Green is giving Freddy (not Donica but the character) the short end of the stick in terms of character analysis, but he's not alone in that."

Agree with this 100%. This is how I felt. I literally wanted to see it again right when it was over.