Review: MY FAIR LADY at the Eccles Theater is Entrancing

The national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater revival of MY FAIR LADY, now playing at the Eccles Theater, is a glowing, entrancing production of the beloved musical. 

MY FAIR LADY (book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe, adapted from George Bernard Shaw's PYGMALION) is a classic in every sense of the word. The original 1957 Broadway production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and its 1964 film adaptation won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Dialect expert Henry Higgins takes on the challenge of passing off Cockney flower girl Eliza Dolittle as a duchess, but he doesn't foresee the impact their lessons will make.

Understudy Evan Bertram as Eliza Dolittle (normally played by Anette Barrios-Torres) is riveting—especially in the second act as the character comes into her own. 

Jonathan Grunert demands attention as Henry Higgins and is surrounded by a spirited contingent of co-stars, including John Adkison as Colonel Pickering, Nathan Haltiwanger as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Michael Hegarty as Alfred P. Dolittle, Becky Saunders as Mrs. Higgins, and Maeghin Mueller as Mrs. Pearce.

The direction by Bartlett Sher shrewdly preserves the beloved aspects of the show while carefully updating for contemporary mores. 

The scenic design by Michael Yeargan and lighting design by Donald Holder bring a simple elegance with exquisite highpoints, such as the two-story carved wood interior of Henry Higgins’ home and the climax of “I Could Have Danced All Night.” 

The Tony-winning costume design by Catherine Zuber is ravishing, and the hair and wig design by Tom Watson complements it beautifully.

Unfortunately, the sound at the reviewed performance was significantly quieter than expected from a professional production, and a large swathe of ticket holders surely struggled to understand the performance.  A desire for a more realistic, less amplified sound for this show is understandable, but this should not be done at the expense of the audience’s ability to hear and enjoy. 

MY FAIR LADY plays the Eccles Theater for a limited engagement through Saturday, November 18, 2023.  For tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

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