My Fair Lady running time

[vegas2]

Posted: 3/17/18 at 11:00pm

I understand that the early previews have been running a bit long.  What's the latest running time? 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 3/17/18 at 11:03pm

I think the first preview ran 3 hours and 40 minutes.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/17/18 at 11:28pm

"I think the first preview ran 3 hours and 40 minutes."

 

No it did not.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 3/17/18 at 11:40pm

So can you tell us how long it DID run? That would answer the OP's question (and mine).

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/17/18 at 11:41pm

First preview was 3 hours and 15 minutes.

[AllThatJazz2]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 1:39am

Got an email from Lincoln Center regarding the show for tomorrow (Sunday). They are listing the official runtime as 2 hours 55 minutes including intermission. I’m assuming it’ll run over a bit since it’s still early into previews.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 3:19am

First preview ended at 11:20. It's gotten slightly tighter, but both Friday and tonight still came down close to 11:15.

[Up In One]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 3:36am

Yup Saturday nights curtain call ended at 11:15. Very long.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 4:25am

Oh my God...It really ran that long. Argh! They will get it under 3 hours because overtime is too expensive.

[Kimbo]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 5:06am

I've said it before here and I'll say it again before people keep freaking out about the running time - barring something like the original 1980's version of Les Miz, My Fair Lady is one of the longest musicals ever written - right up there with Showboat and things like that. 

The movie runs 2 hours 55 minutes, and that's with a truncated overture, no curtain call, no complicated scenery changes, and only a 30-second 'intermission'. 

The Melissa Errico/Richard Chamerlain revival also ran 3 hours.

They will get it down to 3 hours here, through pacing and tightening up a set change here or there... but it will never run much less than that.

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 6:18am

Official run time is 2hr 55min. Friday was 3hr 15min including intermission.

[vegas2]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 12:31pm

Thanks, everyone.  I asked because I will have to boogie out to Brooklyn for the 7:30 performance of The Winter's Tale.  Looks like I am in for a mad dash.  I should have signed up for the half marathon!

The things we do for love!

 

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 12:53pm

Kimbo said: "I've said it before here and I'll say it again before people keep freaking out about the running time - barring something like the original 1980's version of Les Miz, My Fair Lady is one of the longest musicals ever written - right up there with Showboat and things like that.

The movie runs 2 hours 55 minutes, and that's with a truncated overture, no curtain call, no complicated scenery changes, and only a 30-second 'intermission'.

The Melissa Errico/Richard Chamerlain revival also ran 3 hours.

They will get it down to 3 hours here, through pacing and tightening up a set change here or there... but it will never run much less than that."

True, most productions run around 3 hours, but when I did a production, it ran 2 hrs. 30 min., and the only cuts we made were to transitional music we didn't need. The pacing was brisk, though not rushed, the transitions were fluid, and the tempos were lively. I'm not saying this to brag or anything, just to point out that it can be done. The pacing of dialogue of the film is abysmally slow. Not that I don't trust this revival to be excellent, just saying that 3 hours is not the case for all productions--so much variation can be found.

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 3/18/18 at 1:07pm

I suppose no applause.

[vegas2]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 12:11am

Sunday's matinee was 3 hours 10 minutes.

Some of the book scenes could go a bit faster, and the set changes are a still a bit deliberate, probably for safety's sake.

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/19/18 at 12:34am

I’ve never really understood overtime for Broadway shows. Why is there an arbitrary point of overtime assigned to all shows rather than a contract that reflects the shows run time?