My Fair Lady Plays Alhambra Theatre, Opens 10/19

In its debut as a feature film in 1964, My Fair Lady won eight Academy® Awards and three Golden Globes®. It played on Broadway for 2,717 performances - at the time the longest running show in Broadway history! -- and more than 2,700 performances in London. The original film cast featured Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, and theatrical performances have includEd Harrison, Richard Chamberlain and Julie Andrews. And for the first time in more than a decade, My Fair Lady returns to the iconic Alhambra Theatre, America's longest continually-running professional dinner theater.

The story revolves around Eliza Doolittle, a coarse little peddler of flowers in London's Covent Garden who agrees to take speech lessons from phonetician Henry Higgins in order to fulfill her dream of working in a flower shop. Eliza succeeds so well, however, that she outgrows her social station and ultimately manages to get Higgins to fall in love with her. Of course, the snobbish Mr. Higgins took on Ms. Doolittle as a wager with a friend, stating he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society. What ensues is the play that critics call, "the perfect musical," and the New York Times named to its "Must See Musicals of the Century" list.

The cast includes two actors who performed with the national touring companies of My Fair Lady. Robin Haynes, who plays Henry Higgins, played the same role traveling throughout North America. He also performed on Broadway in the original cast of Blood Brothers and in the revival The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Jamine Gorsline, who plays the role of Eliza, recently performed in the Cameron Mackintosh national tour of My Fair Lady. She is returning to the Alhambra where she performed most recently in Oklahoma and Phantom.

"My Fair Lady" opens October 19, 2011. Show times are 8:00 PM for evening shows Tuesday through Sunday. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the buffet starts at 6:30 PM. Matinees on Saturday are at 1:15 PM. Doors open at 11:00 AM and the buffet starts at 11:15 AM. Sunday matinee is at 2:00. Doors open at noon and the buffet starts at 12:15 PM. Group sales are available. Tickets start at $42 for adults and $35 for children. Ticket price includes dinner, show and parking. Call the box office at 904.641.1212 or visit on line at www.alhambrajax.com.

About the new Alhambra Theatre & Dining

The Alhambra Theatre is the nation's longest continually-operating professional dinner theatre and the only professional resident theatre between Atlanta and Miami. Opened in 1967, The Alhambra has hosted legends such as Tony Curtis, Claude Aiken, Sid Cesar and Cesar Romero, and, recently, Loretta Swit. The Alhambra was the place of Betty Grable's final acting role. The Alhambra is also home to former Miss America, Orange Park native Leanza Cornett who started at the Alhambra when she was 15. In November 2009, the Alhambra was purchased by Theatre Partners, LLC, headed by Jacksonville entrepreneur and Alhambra patron, Craig Smith as way to give back to Jacksonville and preserve what he believes is one of its cultural jewels.

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