Review: MY FAIR LADY at Theatre In The Park

Now through July 5, Theatre in the Park offers an excellent community theater example of one of the American Musical Theater’s crown jewels. The show is Fritz Lerner’s and Alan J. Lowe’s MY FAIR LADY at the Theatre In The Park outdoor venue in Shawnee Mission Park.

The strength of this production is unquestionably the superior musical treatments, including an excellent orchestra of twenty conducted by     Matt Richardson. Each of the leading characters is about as musically strong as it gets.

Staring is Brian Larios as Professor Henry Higgins and Lacey Connell as Eliza Doolittle. As Eliza’s rascally Dad plucked from the English Music Hall tradition is Zak Smith as Alfred P. Doolittle.  The romantic consort for Eliza is Freddy Eynsford-Hill played here by Matthew Biggs. Higgins’ comic foil is Colonel Pickering here embodied by Don Leonard.  These worthies are backed up by a large, enthusiastic, and talented ensemble.

MY FAIR LADY is based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play “Pygmalion” which is itself based on an ancient Greek myth of a character who falls so deeply in love with a sculpture that the artwork comes to life.

The show (which opened in 1956 at the Mark Hellinger Theater) is set in the English Edwardian period of the early 1900s during which the sun never set on an expanded British Empire.

British Gentlemen often served in the Colonial Service with a serious side portfolio of scientific study.   The central character in the play is Professor Henry Higgins whose area of study is phonetics and dialects.  He partners up with Colonel Hugh Pickering fresh from India with a specialty in Indian sub-continent languages. 

We suspect that Higgins and Pickering come from old money and are members of the minor nobility.  These characters tend to belong to private clubs and rub elbows with the UK Monarchy.  Like Phineas Fogg’s clubmates in “Around the World In 80 Days,” My Fair Lady depends on a wager.

Higgins roams Covent Gardens jotting down notes on the dialects.  Higgins is appalled by what he hears. With Colonel Pickering as his foil, he laments the shows’ first musical number “Why Can’t The English Teach Their Children How To Speak.”  We hear the perfect example of Higgins lament in the heavily accented speech of a flower girl named Eliza Doolittle.

Higgins brags that he can remake Eliza’s speech within six months. With a new wardrobe, Higgins believes he can successfully pass Eliza off as a Duchess at a Royal Ball.  Higgins offers Pickering a wager to that effect.

Eliza overhears the Professor and understands her station in life has been affected by the way she speaks.  She wonders how her life might change if she spoke more professionally and sings “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” 

Almost as an Easter egg, Eliza meets her eventual love interest, Freddy.  Freddy becomes obsessed with Eliza as a lady, but he barely notices her as a flower girl, and we barely notice him.

Eiza follows Higgins home and asks to be taught more appropriate speech.  Higgins poohpoohs the idea, until Colonel Pickering reminds him of his brag at Covent Garden and renews the idea of their proposed bet. Higgins becomes excited. Eliza modestly moves in with Higgins and Pickering and sends for her belongings.

News of Eliza’s new living arrangement filters down to her dustman/con man father.  Alfred P. Doolittle, always a bit too in love with the grape, assumes the worst.  He determines to take advantage of the situation and sings “With A Little Bit Of Luck…”.  The worst has not even occurred to Higgins, but he sends Doolittle off with a pittance anyway.

Higgins is a tough taskmaster and a terrible misogynist.  He is so bad, the notion that he is bad never occurs to him.  Pickering understands and attempts to moderate Higgins behavior.

Eliza eventually begins to absorb the speech classes.  They sing “The Rain In Spain.” Eliza gets the opportunity to try out her new speaking abilities as a guest at the Royal Ascot horse races near Windsor Castle.  While still a bit rough, Eliza is a hit.  She especially hits with Freddy who notices her this time.

Freddy becomes obsessed and sings “On The Street Where She Lives…”  This is one of the break-out musical highlights of the show.

Eliza continues to improve and becomes the Belle of the Embassy Ball.  “I Could Have Danced All Night.” She has passed as a Duchess or even a Princess.  Meanwhile, Eliza has quietly become essential in the Higgins household, but the bet is over.  Higgins won.

Eliza begins to wonder what will happen to her now.  Higgins is truly befuddled and angry.  He is comfortable, and cannot understand why she is not.  Eliza leaves Wimpole Street and moves in with Higgins’ Mother.   Higgins finally admits “He has Grown Accustomed To Her Face” and misses her in his orbit.

Eliza understands but decides not to take the emotional abuse any more.  Surprisingly, she chooses Freddy over Higgins.

MY FAIR LADY is directed by Kevin Bogan.  Sound Designer is Brady Rose
Lighting Designer is Josh Taylor. Scenic Designer is Ali Breckenridge. Choreographer is Valerie Martin.

Tickets for MY FAIR LADY are available online at www.theatreinthepark.org or by telephone at 913.826.3012.