Saturday's "On This Day" post about a My Fair Lady anniversary made me give the OBC recording a listen after a very long time.
Does anyone agree that it's time for a revival? I know it's a huge show, and the two most-recent revivals did not do well, but wow, I'd forgotten what a wonderful musical it is!
I'd love to see an unknown young phenom play Eliza. Higgins would have to be a star I suppose, but I can't think of anyone at the moment who'd be right AND a box office draw.
It's a tough one to bring back because everyone's seen it five hundred times so there would need to be a big name to draw in the audiences, making the cost for an already very large cast even more expensive. And since there isn't too many "movie star names" who can vocally handle the role of Eliza, it would have to be a star as Higgins, someone of Hugh Jackman's status.
I'd love to see a full scale revival but without someone of Jackman's appeal, I don't see it being financially successful.
Actually, I like Ashley Brown for Eliza and Colin Firth as Higgins. Heck, let's throw Aaron Tveit as Freddy. I think a large scale revival would be welcome addition to Broadway. I'd almost rather see this than THE KING AND I even though they're both on the top of my dream list.
Sadly, Jordan, you're probably right. I'm sure your concerns were the concerns of the producers of the last revival, which had a cast of 30, and scrimpy sets, as opposed to the original show's cast of 50 and legendary production values. And I guess that to draw an audience to such a well-known show, they thought they had to do a radical new take on it--and hire Richard Chamberlain. Oy.
But what if...?
I was sure South Pacific was unrevivable. Then I saw Lincoln Center's version.
I think Lincoln Center should revive it. Bartlett Sher and his team of designers could produce an absolutely gorgeous production. I don't think it needs a major celebrity to sell well. South Pacific didn't need one. As long as its a first rate production I think it could be successful. That said, I think it's wise to cast an established star as Higgins. The original cast a star in Rex Harrison and made a star of the then unknown Julie Andrews. It's a formula that suits the show well Higgins himself is an established well known member of society and Eliza rises from obscurity to become the toast of the ball.
To the people who are saying they couldn't sit through this show again: Have you ever seen a really great production of My Fair Lady? I used to hate this show. I thought it was the most long boring show ever written. I used to cite it as an example of where the songs are better as stand alone pieces than when they're incorporated into the show they were written for. I had seen two productions of the show and had never been able to get through the whole movie. Then a friend dragged me along to see the show in Sacramento a few years ago and I just went because it was free and I had nothing better to do and a night out of town with a friend would be fun enough to make up for having to sit through a show I hated. I was BLOWN AWAY! It was so funny and it flew by at such a fast pace. That night my opinion changed from thinking MFL was a boring dated slog to it being a thrilling and fresh masterpiece. My advice is don't write it off yet it might just be that you haven't seen the right production of it yet. It's a hard show to do well but when it's done well it is an amazing night of theater.
I have seen it done well. I saw the national tour a few years back. It was the Cameron Mackintosh production with stunning scenery, great choreography, and overall just a beautiful production. I have also seen a couple local productions done well, and I have even designed the set for a production of the show. The show is just boring. It is three hours of pure boredom IMO. It had nothing to do with me having not seen the right production yet - I have seen it done remarkably well. I think the show is overdone and overhyped, and I don't really care to see it revived.
By two most recent revivals are you talking about the Cam Mackintosh one? Because I thought that production was really well put together. There is a new smaller production that will open in Christmas as the Crucible, a very prestigious theatre in Leicester, about two hours outside of London. It stars the guy from the TV show 24 (don't remember his name) as Higgns and is directed by Daniel Evans.
Well then bwayphreak I guess it's just a show we disagree on then. We do agree on the Reagent Park Into the Woods video though. I love that recording and have agreed with everything you've said about it on here over the last few weeks.
Hugh Laurie would be great as Higgins. Daniel Craig could also be really great. I could see him giving a much different interpretation that's more erudite and aloof than cold and mean tempered. Not my first choice of actors, but would be fine and I'm sure sell lots of tickets, would be to repair Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce. With Grammer as Higgins and Pierce as Pickering.
At Seth's Broadway Chatterbox, Melissa Errico described the original concept for the 1993 My Fair Lady. It was very conceptual, but I think it could work very well (especially for such a well known show).
We do agree on the Reagent Park Into the Woods video though. I love that recording and have agreed with everything you've said about it on here over the last few weeks.
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Posted: 8/20/12 at 01:33am