Laura Benanti Comments on Lauren Ambrose's Run in MY FAIR LADY
By: Julie Musbach Jan. 23, 2019
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Many were surprised when Lauren Ambrose was cast as Eliza in My Fair Lady; no one was surprised when Laura Benanti was announced to take over. Benanti's passion for the role aside, she always seemed the perfect fit. In a recent Instagram post, Benanti paid tribute to Ambrose's run in the Broadway classic.
I woke up this morning thinking about Lauren Ambrose, the original Eliza in this production of @myfairladybway. Having never done a musical on Broadway, she took on one of the most challenging roles in the canon. She did it with courage, vulnerability, grace and dedication. For most of her run she did 8 shows a week, traveled to see her family on her "day off", turned right back around and did it all over again. She triumphed through the most stressful times in a shows run; tech, critics, opening, and awards season. This is simply a long overdue shout out to an actress I have admired for quite some time. I'm so grateful she passed the baton to me so that I might live my dream!
One of the most beloved musicals of all time, Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady returns to Broadway in a lavish new production from Lincoln Center Theater, the theater that brought you the Tony-winning revivals of South Pacific and The King and I.
Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a "proper lady." But who is really being transformed?
The classic score features "I Could Have Danced All Night," "The Rain in Spain," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "On the Street Where You Live."
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
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