Review: MY FAIR LADY at SF Playhouse

Who doesn’t love a good transformation story? Dowdy bookkeeper Loretta Castorini morphing into Cher in Moonstruck or the streetwise prostitute becoming the elegant Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman are contemporary examples. But originally, there was of course Cinderella, a popular 1950 movie based on the Greek story of Rhodopis, a slave girl who marries the king of Egypt early 1st century. Playwright George Bernard Shaw premiered his play Pygmalion in 1913, also based on a Greek mythological character. Lerner and Loewe premiered My Fair Lady in 1956 to critical and popular success, winning six Tony’s and setting the record for the longest run of any musical on Broadway up to that time.

SF Playhouse’s Bill English has left this timeless transformation story untouched allowing the phenomenal score to propel this stunningly beautiful production to shine.  Adam Magill stars as the cantankerous and snooty phonetics expert who makes a wager with friend Colonel Pickering (Brady Morales-Woolery) that he can turn a lowly flower girl (Eliza Doolittle played wonderfully by Jillian A. Smith)  into a Duchess. When she first appears mewing like a cat in distress, Eliza dreams of a warm place and chocolates to eat (“Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”). Smith’s cockney dialect is almost unintelligible, which makes her phonetic transformation (“The Rain in Spain”) even more dramatic.

Henry Higgins represents a confirmed bachelor, terribly afraid of women and clueless to their desires and needs. Adam Magill plays him with the callousness required without becoming reprehensible. Today he’d be classified a misogynist and anti-feminist. When he sings “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man” to his pal Colonel Pickering (a strong supporting performance by Brady Morales-Woolery), there’s a twinge of bromance.

The score is chock full of smash Broadway hits spread over an exceptional ensemble cast. The incredible Jomar Tagatac steals his scenes as the conniving Alfred P. Doolittle (“Get Me to the Church on Time”, “With a Little Bit of Luck”) and supporting kudos go to Heather Orth as Mrs. Pearce, Higgins's housekeeper, dancer extraordinaire Chachi Delgado, who I can’t take my eyes off of, as Jaime, and Nicholas Tabora as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, a young socialite and Eliza's suitor who gets the lovely “On The Street here You Live” number.  

English has assembled a top-notch cast of unfailing technicians for this show: lighting designer Michael Oesch, scenic design by Nina Ball, choreography by Nicole Helfer, costumes by Abra Berman with Lex Noseworthy, music direction by Dave Dobrusky, sound by James Ard and dialect coach Kimberly Mohne Hill – all award worthy. The “Get Me to the Church on Time” musical number was outrageous and sets a high bar for musical theatre.

Watching Eliza overcome her humble origins to rise to a position of self-empowerment is fun, and perhaps witnessing Higgins find some semblance of emotional connection is what the show is all about.

My Fair Lady continues through September 13th. Tickets available at www.sfplayhouse.org or by calling 415-677-9596.

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.8% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.7% of votes

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