Cazenove, O'Hare, Charles, Etc. Set for My Fair Lady Tour

Broadway In Chicago has announced Cameron Mackintosh and The National Theatre of Great Britain's acclaimed new production of Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady will premiere in Chicago in a limited two-week engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) from January 22 – February 3, 2008. 

The production will also play engagements in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Nashville, Baltimore, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, among other cities.

Christopher Cazenove, a respectEd English stage and screen actor best known to U.S. audiences as Ben Carrington on television's "Dynasty," and Lisa O'Hare, who most recently starred in the title role of Mary Poppins in London, will star as Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, roles they originated on the extended U.K. national tour.  Lisa O'Hare is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association.  The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

The cast will also feature Walter Charles (The Apple Tree, The Woman in White) as Colonel Hugh Pickering, Alma Cuervo (Cabaret, Titanic) as Mrs. Pearce and Justin Bohon (Les Miserables, All Shook Up) as Freddy Eynsford-Hill.  At some performances the role of Eliza will be played by Dana DeLisa.

The ensemble will comprise David Abeles, John Paul Almon, Harlen Bengel, Eric Briarley, Ronald L. Brown, Debra Cardona, Kyle Des Champs, Bill Dietrich, Warren Freeman, Jazmin Gorsline, Robin Haynes, Lisa Kassay, Lainie Munro, Adam Laird, Christine Negherbon, Cathy Newman, Georga Osborne, Lauren Pastorek, John Schacchetti, Byron St. Cyr, Jesse Swimm, David Tankersley, Stephanie Van Duynhoven, Erin Willis and Lee Zarrett.

Casting is ongoing for the roles of Alfred P. Doolittle, Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Eynsford-Hill and will be announced at a later date.

My Fair Lady features book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.  It is adapted from Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and Gabriel Pascal's motion picture and features one of Broadway's most beloved scores including "The Rain in Spain," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?," "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Get Me to the Church on Time."

My Fair Lady originally opened at The National Theatre of Great Britain March 2001 before transferring to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on London's West End July 2001 where it ran for 2 1/2 years. The show opened to record-breaking advance sales and went on to win five Laurence Olivier Awards, including 'Outstanding Musical Production' and 'Best Theatre Choreographer' for Matthew Bourne. In 2002 it received The Hilton Award for Outstanding Musical Production.                                    

This U.S. national tour brings together the original U.K. artistic team with direction by four-time Tony winner Trevor Nunn, choreography and musical staging by two-time Tony winner Matthew Bourne, production design by Anthony Ward and lighting design by David Hersey.  The musical supervisor is Stephen Brooker and the orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with the dance music arranged by Chris Walker. The sound is by Paul Groothuis. The Associate Choreographer is Fergus Logan. The Associate Director is Shaun Kerrison.

The Cameron Mackintosh/National Theatre of Great Britain production of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady is produced by NETworks Presentations, David Ian for Live Nation and Cameron Mackintosh.

The original production of My Fair Lady opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York on March 15, 1956 where it ran for 2,717 performances – the longest- running musical of its day and still one of the top fifteen longest-running Broadway musicals of all time.  It won eight 1956 Tony Awards including Best Musical.  My Fair Lady subsequently opened in London with the same cast on April 30, 1958 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and it enjoyed a record-breaking 5 1/2-year run. The 1964 film of My Fair Lady has become a beloved classic worldwide, winning eight 1964 Academy Awards including Best Picture. 

The Cameron Mackintosh/National Theatre of Great Britain production of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady will play Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre in a limited two-week engagement from January 22 – February 3, 2008.  Tickets are now available to groups of 20 or more by calling (312) 977-1710.  The individual ticket pricing and on-sale date will be announced at a later date.

The show is part of the 2008 Walgreens Broadway In Chicago Season Series.

For more information, please visit www.MyFairLadyTheMusical.com (for tour venues, cities and dates) or www.broadwayinchicago.com.

Photo - Christopher Cazenove