My Fair Lady Revival thoughts

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:20am

What was the general feeling toward the last revival of My Fair Lady here in NY (meaning Broadway with Melissa Errico)?
I generally find her cold and unfeeling on stage and screen, but with a nice voice (saw her Dot in Sunday in The Park at Kennedy Center and thought she acted like a stepford wife). Did people like her in MFL?
Is it time for another good revival? I know it has only been, what, about ten years or so? I didn't get a chance to see that last one, but was watching the film recently and wondering if the climate was right for it to come back?
Thoughts?

[morosco]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:21am

John Lithgow

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:31am

I think the Errico revival also suffered from the bizarre Magritte-like production.

Both Jonathan Pryce (who did the recent revival in London) and John Lithgow would be fine. But you could also go for a younger Higgins to make Eliza's romantic interest in him (she is supposed to be in her 20s) a little more plausible. Any ideas?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:33am

I dunno - Lithgow is too over-the-top for me (and too old). I'd rather see someone like Mark Harelik or, well, actually I can't think of anyone at the moment. I wasn't really thinking about performers when I started this thread - just wondered how popular the show would be at this particular time.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:40am

I do love Jonathan Pryce - but I think the idea of a younger Higgins is really a good one - precisely for the reason you suggested, her attraction to him. (not that she couldn't be attracted to a much older man, but a younger man might make the dynamic much different.)

[sybil7]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 9:56am

I vote for J. Mark McVey who has charisma, is younger, handsome and he can sing! Yup, J. Mark McVey is who I'd want - -

[sopranobiz]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:00am

I think David Hyde Pierce and Jill Paice would be wonderful! Especially after their run of "Curtains" in LA!

[mrkringas]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:24am

Changing the age of Higgins mucks up the whole dynamic of the show. He has spent years alone and blithely seeing women pass him by. A bachelor set in his ways. That much is established in the scenes with his mother. Plus Bernard Shaw may have known better than us

Lucky Americans can expect to see the National Theatre production on tour this year. It finishes in the UK shortly I believe then embarking on a US tour to celebrate the anniversary. If any production ends up on Broadway I would expect it to be this magical interpretation. And if you are really lucky you would all get to see Alex Jennings as Higgins with Jo Riding as his Eliza.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:27am

" revival in London) and John Lithgow would be fine. But you could also go for a younger Higgins to make Eliza's romantic interest in him (she is supposed to be in her 20s) a little more plausible. "

Eliza did not have a romantic interest in Henry Higgins.

[mrkringas]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:31am

Thank you!!!

This is one show that does not need "sexed up" (well that didnt work too well with the WMD dossier but never mind!). Its not there to begin with.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:54am

What age does it specify in the script for Higgins? Not being that familiar with the original material,, to me, "Older" could be 40 to Eliza...or am I wrong?

Updated On: 5/24/06 at 10:54 AM

[cserannie]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 10:57am

well said, Morosco

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:02am

There is no romantic interest in PYGMALION. But there is definitely romantic interest in MY FAIR LADY. "I Could Have Danced All Night" is not about how pleased Eliza is to have mastered English, nor is "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" about how much Higgins misses his coffee. They are both love songs ... not obvious, and very guarded to be sure, but love songs pure and simple.

If you play MY FAIR LADY with no romantic interest between Higgins and Eliza, it dies.
Updated On: 5/24/06 at 11:02 AM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:11am

PhilCrosby - you expressed exactly the way I feel about the show. There is definitely romantic interest there on both their parts. Maybe not in Pygmalion, but it is evident in My Fair Lady.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:17am

This isn't suppose to be sexed up? Whoops i just saw a production were Eliza came sliding down the stair case singing "we could have screwed all night" in a pair of lacy panties!

but really, i don't think a revival is needed or desired right now.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:21am

The scripts of both Pygmalion and My Fair Lady describe Higgins as "a robust, vital, appetizing sort of man of forty or thereabouts."

Yes, it's true that Herbert Beerbohm Tree was 60ish when he created the role, but then Mrs. Patrick Campbell, for whom the role of Eliza was written, was close to 50. And Shaw describes Eliza as 18 or 20, "hardly older." Shaw was in love with Mrs. Patrick Campbell and was perhaps blinded a bit. But mostly it was a different time. Audiences were much more forgiving of these things. And there was only about 12 years between Tree and Campbell.

Harrison was 48 when the original production opened. Leslie Howard was 44 or so when he made the movie. Forty to 50 seems a perfectly fine age for Higgins. But not much older, unless the actor genuinely looks younger. Lithgow is 61 and Pryce will be 59 next month. Neither looks significantly younger.

People accepted Harrison in the movie, even though he looked 50-55. But times have changed. We really don't want to see that big an age difference between Eliza and Higgins. Twenty years or so is acceptable. Thirty or 35 years gets a little much. Not to mention that everyone knew that Audrey Hepburn, though she looked younger, was over 30, simply by virtue of how long she had been a star.

Any bachelor of 40 is pretty set in his ways. I'd like to see a Higgins who looks no more than 45.


Updated On: 5/24/06 at 11:21 AM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:31am

I agree with NobodyHome completely. I think a man of 45 would be the perfect age to play the part.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:45am

Henry and Eliza's relationship was platonic. Period!

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:47am

Yeah, right.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/24/06 at 11:48am

Right. :)