Hugh Laurie for Higgins?- Page 4

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 4:24am

Rex Harrison was a more gifted publicist (for himself) than anyone he could have hired.

LISTEN to Rex Harrison's performances. He seamlessly blends "speaking" with singing, every note clearly on pitch -- so artfully that people will listen to his tracks and then say, gee, he talked his way through that entire song.

But he did NOT!!! He sang, using his speaking voice for some of the vamps. He was so good at this that people are convinced that he "Could Not Sing," and that he fudged and faked it, because he was a "good speaker."

Geez. He was being self-deprecating ('can't sing more than a step and a half'). Listen to the intervals in "I'm An Ordinary Man" -- he nails the perfect fifths and fourths in series effortlessly, and I'm talking about the OBC album, not the film.

I'm sorry if my remark sounded condescending -- it's just so frustrating when people listen to stuff people SAY about a performer ("he didn't really sing, he mostly spoke...") instead of LISTENING to the actual PERFORMANCE. If you do that with Rex Harrison's Higgins, I believe that you will hear a Singer...

...not a sonorous baritone like Paulo Szot, but a guy who hits his pitches better than most finalists on American Idol. (And he did it night after night.)

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:35pm

Wow, Anna has a beautiful voice! Is that film released in America? I would love to see it.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 2:35pm

Would love to see Hugh Laurie in a musical, whether film or on Broadway!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 2:48pm

Anna Friel does have a pretty voice, but I'd have to hear her sing soprano to judge for sure.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 4:32pm

I like Hugh Laurie, but...

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 4:33pm

NO. He's great as Bond, but NO.

He's way too young, for one.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 4:33pm

Double post...sorry.

Updated On: 12/21/08 at 04:33 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:41pm

I've never seen Craig in a role where he didn't always look ready to punch someone. If you show me something that says he can play a strictly indoorsy academic who hurts people with words, I'd be happy to look.

And...while I'm all for a getting a really good singer as Eliza, aren't we overrating the soprano-ness of the role? It doesn't actually go that high - I can sing along to every note and I'm an Alto 2. The high notes at the end of "Show Me" and "I Could Have Danced All Night" are a bit of a stretch, but I can hit them. Which means that any halfway decent mezzo can hit them.

More than range, I think technique and tone count here, and the ability to actually act while singing. You need someone who won't start gasping for breath when things get a bit strenuous. (I'm looking at you, Helena Bonham-Carter.)

[Guillermo Ugarte]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 6:10pm

In the past few years we have been forunate to see the resurgence of movie musicals. However, the down side of this is that mass media and the titans of Hollywood have seen fit to replace musical talent with box office draw. One can hardly blame them. We NY actors are not well known or well received in middle America. With those choices have come mixed results. Some projects have been artistically decent, others have been pretty bad. Since there is nothing to be done about this trend I will not grouse. Instead I will say that the original screenplay referenced Eliza as being 'about 21' and Harrison was clearly old enough to be a grandfather to a 21 year old. We all ignored it and enjoyed the movie anyway. For this project to work, Higgins must be a bit arrogant, more than a tad elitist and blissfully ignorant of his egocentric life. He should also have some physical height or size to dominate Eliza or at the very least a very strong, charismatic presence. I am not sure who I would cast but I don't know that it would be Laurie. Additionally there is the box office draw issue. Laurie is a TV star in the U.S. but not a movie star. I wonder if he could make the jump. Just musings for a Sunday evening.

[Weez]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 6:20pm

Honestly, honestly, honestly, and this is based off personal experience and the ton of back-up reading I did to help me with this personal experience, so I truly believe this and am not saying it lightly or to be offensive: I honestly believe Henry Higgins is on the autism spectrum. He has the social skills of a gnat, he genuinely can't comprehend that other people have thoughts and emotions, and he's REALLY good at and detailed with his work and all the niggly details it entails.

Arrogant? Elitist? Nah; autistic.

It's also why I find the romantic ending horrifying. Not only does Eliza go back to someone who's verbally and emotionally abusive, she gets together with someone who can't love her in a traditional way. I dated an Aspie. I wouldn't go with Higgins even if he were Hugh Laurie. *shudders*

Updated On: 12/21/08 at 06:20 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:02pm

You don't need that great of a range, but you need a nice upper register IMO.

Eh, I don't like Freddie, either. He's kind of creepy. At least Henry was starting to become less of a jerk, though Eliza shouldn't stay with him if he keeps acting that way.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:13pm

"Instead I will say that the original screenplay referenced Eliza as being 'about 21' and Harrison was clearly old enough to be a grandfather to a 21 year old. We all ignored it and enjoyed the movie anyway."

Of course, I think it helped that Audrey was actually about 35. Not that they were going around advertising that. But I never thought she looked 21. (And we're relying on Pickering for that statistic, and he couldn't even remember her hair color, bless his absentminded old heart!)

[MCfan2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:17pm

Sorry, I didn't see that someone had already mentioned Audrey's age. I need to learn to read whole threads.

As for the ending, I'm with Lerner and Mrs. Patrick Campbell -- Shaw and heaven forgive me.

https://www.hattonoperatic.org/prognote/mflady.htm

[Plum]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:32pm

He should also have some physical height or size to dominate Eliza or at the very least a very strong, charismatic presence. I am not sure who I would cast but I don't know that it would be Laurie.

Laurie's 6'2", and if House proves anything it's that he has the charisma to completely dominate an ensemble and a screen.

Anyway, I think it's a bit of a task to find a human male who doesn't physically dominate Keira Knightley. I doubt she weighs 100 pounds soaking wet.

It was the culmination of Eliza's story and in some ways, Higgins' accomplishment, that in the end she walked away from him. He wanted to make a great lady out of her and he did - but her independence from him has to be part and parcel of that. I'm with Shaw on this- she'll always care deeply about Higgins and be tied to him because of the transformative time they spent together, but it would be too much to live with him. He'll always want to dominate her and she doesn't want to be dominated. It would be nice, in an ideal world, if she could find a husband who's less of a...well, a weenie than Freddy, but if she prefers to be the stronger party in her marriage, good for her.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:27pm

After seeing the clip of Anna Friel, I vote for her!

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:29pm

I think Hugh Laurie would be extraordinary as Higgins.


As for the ending, it should not be adjusted or changed. The romantic notion threaded throughout and solidified by the ending is an integral part of My Fair Lady. If they want to do a film remake with an ending where Eliza leaves, then remake PYGMALION. Shaw wrote the ending he wanted for his play and Lerner & Loewe wrote the ending they wanted for their musical.

My Fair Lady's ending is different than Pygmalion's and that is part of the point. To change that is to dishonor the intentions and vision of the musical's creators.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:33pm

Well, I've always thought that she'd already proved how strong she was by standing up to him, and that when she came back, it was because she wanted to. And I very much doubt that he ever dominated her again after that -- I believe that she would always give as good as she got forever after.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:35pm

My Fair Lady's ending is different than Pygmalion's and that is part of the point. To change that is to dishonor the intentions and vision of the musical's creators."

Can't it also be said that Lerner and Loewe made dishonored the intentions and vision of Shaw?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:37pm

MCfan2 and H.Higgins: I agree.

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 10:09pm

Since Higgins' mother is a non-singing role, can I please cast Maggie Smith?

[LaMusicaVa]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 10:18pm

I don't see how they can use the Shaw ending along with 'I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face.' Pygmalion ended with Higgins saying, "She's going to marry Freddy!" and laughing loudly, so at least it was a little bit comical. But Higgins sitting alone moping would be a realy down-note ending. I suppose they could move the song to before his conversation with Eliza, but I don't think that would work either.

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 10:21pm

HUGH YES YES YES

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 10:37pm

B*TCH CHECK!

I understand how it all works. Thanks.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:07pm

Maggie Smith would be awesome.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 12:37am

Ooo! I love the idea of Maggie Smith! Good suggestion!