MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?- Page 15
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#350
Posted: 4/17/17 at 12:09am
I would love to see Kelli in Kiss Me Kate. I just recently watched a video of her in MFL and I love her, but she's just not really right for Eliza. She can sing it beautifully, but she's very mature and I don't believe her to be a cockney flower girl at all. She's lovely, and is a brilliant Nellie and Anna, but she's just too poised and polished to ever be believable as a young gutter-dwelling pile of rags. When she transforms she doesn't feel like a young girl either, she feels like a beautiful grown woman.
If she gets cast in Kiss Me Kate, Laura Benanti gets cast in MFL, and Sweet Charity transfers we could end up with a Tony race of Laura Benanti (MFL), Jessie Mueller (Carousel), Kelli O'Hara (KMK), Sutton Foster (Sweet Charity), and maybe even Amber Gray for Hadestown (if they decide to transfer). It would be quite a year for lead actresses.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#351
Posted: 4/17/17 at 12:14am
CarlosAlberto said: "Kelli O'Hara is 41 years old. She is simply way too old to be considered for the part of Eliza Dolittle in MY FAIR LADY - and I'm not trying to be insulting it's just a fact.
She's more appropriate for the role of Lili Vanessi in KISS ME KATE.
The part of Eliza Doolittle in the original production of Pygmalion in 1914 was originated by an actress named Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who was 49 at the time. I personally feel that on stage, Kelli can still play this part. She looks beautiful, youthful, and also has the maturity and strength that the part requires no matter how old the actress is. People forget that the role of Eliza is NOT your typical pretty little ingenue character at all- She's loud, rude, obnoxious, multi-dimensional, and strong. Age doesn't matter as much with the role in my book, as long as it's not too big of a stretch. For a character like Julie Jordan, that needs a young actress with natural naivete and innocence to play convincingly, I'll say (and have already said previously) that Kelli is wrong for the part. But for Eliza, no not yet.
Leading Actor Joined: 2/1/16
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#352
Posted: 4/17/17 at 1:06am
Can someone even imagine a spring with Kelli O'Hara in Kiss Me, Kate, Laura Benanti in My Fair Lady and Jessie Mueller in Carousel? The college theatre gays and old show queens would all collectively die.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#353
Posted: 4/17/17 at 2:43am
Ha Ha, I love that BakerWilliams! If it wasn't enough in 2015 to have Chita, Kelli, and Kristin all competing in the same category! That most certainly was an embarrassment of riches! And if Sutton Foster gets in the mix, it'll be crazy!
Updated On: 4/17/17 at 02:43 AM
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#354
Posted: 4/17/17 at 12:21pm
I don't know if it's been mentioned on here, but what about Ashley Park??? She's cute and sassy and fun and of course her voice is perfect for it. Plus non traditional casting. What's not to love?
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#355
Posted: 4/17/17 at 12:42pm
Has Bartlett Sher ever done non-traditional casting in any of his productions before?
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#356
Posted: 4/17/17 at 1:35pm
Maybe this is just me, but I would love to see Aaron Tveit play Higgins and Annaleigh Ashford play Eliza
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#357
Posted: 4/17/17 at 1:44pm
Broadwayfanboy44 said: "Maybe this is just me, but I would love to see Aaron Tveit play Higgins and Annaleigh Ashford play Eliza
Dear Jesus why lord please he knows not what he says
Stand-by Joined: 8/31/13
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#358
Posted: 4/17/17 at 1:48pm
Broadwayfanboy44 said: "Maybe this is just me, but I would love to see Aaron Tveit play Higgins and Annaleigh Ashford play Eliza
Courtney, take your break
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#359
Posted: 4/17/17 at 1:49pm
BakerWilliams said: "Can someone even imagine a spring with Kelli O'Hara in Kiss Me, Kate, Laura Benanti in My Fair Lady and Jessie Mueller in Carousel? The college theatre gays and old show queens would all collectively die."
Let's not forget there's a rumored Sweet Charity transfer with Sutton Foster, and there were definite talks about a Kristin Chenoweth (and Jennifer Holliday) led Best Little Whorehouse revival coming in 2017-2018. Whoever they find for Once Upon A Time revival is likely going to be a primary contender as well. Unless I'm mistaken, there was some interest in bringing back Secret Garden as well after last year's concert production but I doubt that's happening since we haven't heard anything since.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#360
Posted: 4/17/17 at 4:09pm
There's a production of The Secret Garden in Seattle that's planning to go to other regional theatres before it makes it to Broadway.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#361
Posted: 4/24/17 at 12:32am
There's a video up of Lisa O'Hare singing 'Wouldn’t it Be Loverly' promoing their run starting soon in Chicago! https://t.co/Oj7fTMERCV
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#362
Posted: 4/24/17 at 12:40am
She is STUNNING! Thanks for sharing, Greenfinch4!
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#363
Posted: 4/29/17 at 1:09am
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Lisa-OHare-and-Richard-E-Grant-Take-the-Stage-in-MY-FAIR-LADY-at-Lyric-Opera-20170428
Photos released from the Chicago production! Lisa O'Hare looks stunning!
and video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weq_nSKIz7Y
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#364
Posted: 4/29/17 at 1:42am
Word is that the female lead will be an unknown and Higgins will be a star of some sort that is associated with television or film.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#365
Posted: 4/29/17 at 2:31am
That production looks magnificent and Lisa O'Hare looks and sounds stunning.
As much as I love the idea of unknown actresses getting chances, I just think that there will be more power to the production if a young seasoned stage veteran who knows how to command a broadway stage were cast. Look, I know that Julie Andrews was an unknown, but good luck finding another Julie. That woman was born with stage presence. Laura Benanti, Phillipa Soo, Ashley Park, and Lisa O'Hare would all be stunning and would stand on their own in way that would be entirely different and independent from Julie Andrew's performance. I feel like if they find a new actress, they will constantly be promoting her as "the new Julie Andrews" a la this Miss Saigon revival with Eva Noblezada. It makes it almost impossible to live up to the hype.
That being said, please cast Bryce as Freddie on Broadway. He's just far too perfect for the part.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#366
Posted: 4/29/17 at 12:01pm
Matt Doyle or Andy Jones for Freddy please!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#367
Posted: 4/29/17 at 12:10pm
Amélie is inching closer to closing, which means Phillipa Soo will be available at some point. Just saying. 
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#368
Posted: 4/29/17 at 12:35pm
While I love Phillipa Soo and think she would play the part beautifully, there's something unbelievably unsettling about the idea of an older, presumably white man teaching a woman of color how to be 'civilized.' Same thing goes for Denée Benton.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#369
Posted: 4/29/17 at 12:54pm
elephantseye said: "While I love Phillipa Soo and think she would play the part beautifully, there's something unbelievably unsettling about the idea of an older, presumably white man teaching a woman of color how to be 'civilized.' Same thing goes for Denée Benton.
Yeah I've always thought this. I think Soo would be alright because she's kind of ethnically ambiguous to a certain extent, but yeah, I am a bit skeptical as to how it would seem to have a woc being "civilized" by the white man. It may produce some unsavory and problematic themes.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#370
Posted: 4/29/17 at 1:53pm
Unsavory, yes. But isn't that sort of the point? The original material always made me question what makes "classy" classy. The show exploits our societal ideas of "civilized" and "class", adding race here would potentially make for a more current interpretation if done by a strong team.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#371
Posted: 4/29/17 at 1:57pmUpdated On: 4/29/17 at 01:57 PM
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#372
Posted: 4/29/17 at 1:57pm
With Sher at the helm, I also wonder if casting a woman of color could add a layer of commentary about imperialism, British or otherwise. Shaw was never one to shy away from social and political satire and commentary, after all.
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#373
Posted: 4/29/17 at 2:00pm
Valentina3 said: "Unsavory, yes. But isn't that sort of the point? The original material always made me question what makes "classy" classy. The show exploits our societal ideas of "civilized" and "class", adding race here would potentially make for a more current interpretation if done by a strong team.
"
Yeah. I definitely see your point. It might actually create some interesting commentary the more that I think about it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?#374
Posted: 4/29/17 at 2:02pm
The racial question is a really interesting one when it comes to casting a character like Eliza in My Fair Lady. May I be blunt, though, and say that I don't think Phillipa Soo is that outwardly "racial" of an actress? (My sincere apologies if I'm using poor language to describe this sentiment.) I actually didn't even know she was of Asian descent until I looked her up after seeing her in Hamilton. Racializing Eliza would be less problematic with an actress like her than, say, a Denée Benton, you know? Soo would inherently raise those thought-provoking, "unsavory" questions without making the content itself unsavory, in my opinion.
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