BWW Reviews: MY FAIR LADY with Performance Now

Lakewood's Performance Now is now performing the classic My Fair Lady, and the production is as loverly as it can be.

The story follows phonetics professor Henry Higgins as he takes a cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and declares he can transform her into a duchess. Over the course of several months Eliza is put through a grueling course of phonetics and elocution lessons by Higgins in preparation for moment of triumph at the Embassy Ball.

Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, My Fair Lady launched in Broadway in 1956, starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. A 1964 film followed with Audrey Hepburn as Doolittle.

Annie Jenness played Eliza effortlessly. Her accent was impeccable, from its brash beginnings to her gorgeous transformation. Marc Graham as Higgins was charming and veracious. Unfortunately, the role doesn't call for much of a vocal showcase, but Graham made up for it with many brilliantly acted moments.

The ensemble of 16 was strong, especially at the dance numbers, choreographed by Kelly Kates. Some of the members, however, could have used a little more work perfecting their dialects, at least making them consistent.

At nearly three hours, the show felt quite lengthy. Intermission was almost two hours into the show, and some songs just keep going, verse after verse. But that's the case with musicals from this era, and director Bernie Cardell was faithful to the production. Still, I wouldn't have missed a few cut verses from the endless "I'm an Ordinary Man."

Costumes, designed by Cindy Franke, were outstanding. Notably one scene features a gorgeous black and white scheme, easily one of the most visually stunning moments of the show. The cast was costumed with an intricate variety of eye-catching pieces. Scenic coordination by Jeramy Boik fit the space well, although some scenes were engulfed by the Lakewood Cultural Center's large stage with minimal set pieces. Higgins' home was a standout piece, set downstage in front of a curtain, giving it more intimacy.

Kudos to the backstage crew, who somehow ninja'd a slipper lost in the orchestra pit back onstage without me noticing its return.

Performance Now's My Fair Lady plays the Lakewood Cultural Center through Feb. 15, with shows Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $18 and are available online at www.performancenow.org or by calling (303)987-7845.

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