MY FAIR LADY Revival Back On For Next Spring?- Page 3

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:13am

Has Laura Benanti ever played a part that vocally sounds anything like the rougher/shoutier Eliza songs?

 

"        Where's my other shoe and on the count of five in She Loves Me remind me a bit of Just You Wait.

Honestly, she's brilliantly hilarious and will be stunning as the unrefined Eliza and then she will able to turn around and be the transformed Eliza.  Benanti is the obvious choice and it would be a horrible mistake to not cast her.

 

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:16am

I didn't see Laura in her Tony-winning role, but taking that into account, along with her performance in She Loves Me, Laura is ready for a major original role. She is smart and funny and audacious, and of course she brings that voice along with her.

Eliza is not so meek. She goes to Higgins' house to follow up on his offer. My memory failed me. I just remembered her constant cries of  "I'm a good girl, I am." Still, cockney Eliza doesn't bring to mind Laura to me.

Now, to go off topic, speaking of Julie Andrews and My Fair Lady, although it's not one of the major highlights, I've always liked "Show Me." I think that Julie likes it too since she sang it quite often when given a one hour special on TV or was a guest on a musical variety show. (Big stars like Nat King Cole and Judy Garland and Perry Como and even Julie Andrews were given a hour to entertain, with guests. Of those I mentioned, only the show of the least talented, Como, was a lasting hit. Julie lasted a year, if that long. But today we can support 12 essentially similar crime dramas per week.)

Anyway, this 1962 special on the music of Lerner and Lowe brought together the stars of Camelot, My Fair Lady (no Rex Harrison) and Maurice Chevalier together and they recreated some of the original numbers from the shows. For instance Stanley Holiday's two production numbers are here. But here is Julie recreating her role in My Fair Lady. I'm not sure who's playing Freddy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R_lv6_5Mvg

[wolfwriter2]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:19am

My first thought was Laura Osnes. I enjoy Benanti, but I think she reads too old. But, I think it would be great if an unknown were cast and we had one of those 'star is born' moments.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 1:55am

Isn't this the new production that opens in Sydney next month with Julie Andrews directing, that has it eyes set on Broadway 

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 1:55am

I love living in a world where an actress in her mid-to-late 30s is considered "too old" to play opposite a 56 year-old-actor like Colin Firth. That's just preposterous.

There's nothing meek about Eliza Dolittle. She is intimidated at times, yes, but a key part of her character is that she pushes back in ways that make Higgins' work more challenging than he is used to. Plus, Benanti can play other roles that are not Amalia. She's one of the greats. I can't imagine how glorious it would be to see her act the hell out of the role and sing those beautiful songs. She'd nail it, and we'd be the luckier for it.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 2:02am

I couldn't have said it better, Ray. Every single word, I agree.

[bk]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 2:23am

icecreambenjamin said: "I don't think it would be the best idea to cast an almost unknown actress in the lead role.  I'm sure that Alison Luff and Whitney Bashor would be wonderful, but they will not sell tickets.

Since it is Lincoln Center, it might be safe to say that Sher is attached.  We know Sher adores Kelli O'Hara  (as do I), but she reads a smidge too old to play Eliza.  Laura Benanti has the beauty, elegance, humor, and voice to play Ms. Dolittle.  Amalia is a harder vocal part and I know that she had some health problems throughout the run.  I really think that she's the best choice for the role.

Btw Gavin Creel would make a stellar Freddie, but I think he's attached to Hello, Dolly! (I think?).

 

"

Julie Andrews was an unknown and it didn't seem to hurt the original - a star was born.  Colin Firth, like Rex Harrison before him, would be the draw.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 2:34am

^Yeah, but this isn't 1956 and it isn't a new big hit musical.  

Colin Firth may be an Oscar winner, but he isn't really a major actor with a massive fan base that will come flocking to the theatre.  You need an extra boost from Eliza and the supporting cast.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 9:17am

wonderfulwizard11 said: "Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Eliza is considered a famously hard sing not just because of the notes but because of the accent work. Cockney accents are very rough and guttural, and it can do a number on your voice when you then have to switch into this proper refined voice for later in the show. So between that and the high notes, it's very easy for an actress playing Eliza to damage herself vocally if she isn't careful. Amalia is also not easy, but at least the actress playing her doesn't have to undergo such a startling vocal switch during each show. "

 

Yes. I don't think there is any way in which Amalia is a harder sing than Eliza. That's just nonsense.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 9:17am

double post Updated On: 7/22/16 at 09:17 AM

[Esther]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:00am

"Colin Firth may be an Oscar winner, but he isn't really a major actor with a massive fan base that will come flocking to the theatre.  You need an extra boost from Eliza and the supporting cast.

 

"

While I agree it would help having an established cast surrounding him, I personally know at least a dozen people that will fly into NYC to see him in anything he decided to do here.  They are serious addicts. 

 

 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:07am

Firth absolutely will sell tickets, especially in a known property such as My Fair Lady. In fact, I'd say it's a perfect match of actor and material to appeal to audiences.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:18am

Firth is a great choice, but I would still kill to see Hugh Laurie as Higgins.

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:24am

thirtythirtyninety said: "Firth is a great choice, but I would still kill to see Hugh Laurie as Higgins.

 

"

Hugh Laurie would definitely get the sarcastic personality of Higgins down pat. 

Does anyone think that the show (and the actors) would get dwarfed by the Vivian Beaumont stage? Would it not be a better fit in a smaller house for example: Studio 54? (I'm not aware of how big the set was when the original Broadway production premiered at the Mark Hellinger Theatre)

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:25am

The Beaumont is a very intimate house, what are you talking about?

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:28am

neonlightsxo said: "The Beaumont is a very intimate house, what are you talking about?

 

"

I meant the size of the stage. the Vivian Beaumont stage seems quite deep .

 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:33am

My Fair Lady has several very large, chorus-driven sequences, especially the Embassy Waltz, that would be perfect on the Beaumont stage. It's not at all a small musical.

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 10:36am

Kad said: "My Fair Lady has several very large, chorus-driven sequences, especially the Embassy Waltz, that would be perfect on the Beaumont stage. It's not at all a small musical.

 

"

ah ok, thanks Kad.

[SBE3]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:01am

But what about Laura Michelle Kelly? She does an incredible Eliza and it's the role that put her on the map before Mary Poppins in London. 

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:02am

Firth would be a huge draw for audiences. He would probably make it one of the hottest tickets in town. Audiences love him, and as Kad pointed out, this is exactly the kind of material that people want to see him in. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:05am

I mean... it was playing Mr. Darcy that launched Firth's career in a massive way, and the role he is probably still most identified with. Higgins is a very natural progression from that character.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:09pm

ray-andallthatjazz86 said: "Firth would be a huge draw for audiences. He would probably make it one of the hottest tickets in town. Audiences love him, and as Kad pointed out, this is exactly the kind of material that people want to see him in."

Careful now, you don't want wake up the wrath of Patti LuPone and Better Middler. Can you imagine the bloodbath 2017 Spring season would be if this happens?

[bekk99]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:10pm

Worth noting that the Beaumont will have a different tenant in the spring. Watch out for an announcement next week!

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:35pm

ray-andallthatjazz86 said: "I love living in a world where an actress in her mid-to-late 30s is considered "too old" to play opposite a 56 year-old-actor like Colin Firth. That's just preposterous."

I don't think that's the argument. The point is that Eliza is a younger role. It doesn't matter who she's playing against. You could cast Cecily Tyson as Millie opposite James Earl Jones as Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie but just because their relative ages work, it doesn't mean they're both properly cast for their roles.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:37pm

bekk99 said: "Worth noting that the Beaumont will have a different tenant in the spring. Watch out for an announcement next week"

Well, that's cryptic.  Oslo?