The latest Broadway musical extravaganza to reach our shores is My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 play Pygmalion. The play centers on the relationship between Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, and the Professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist who wagers that he can turn Eliza into a “proper lady” within just three months.
My Fair Lady delivers what you would expect from a big-budget Broadway production—the intricate costumes are a visual treat, the song and dance routines are seamless, and each member of the cast excels in his or her role. Aurora Florence, in particular, delivers a virtuoso performance as Eliza Doolittle—her pitch-perfect vocals wowed the audience time and again, and her earnest demeanor encapsulated Eliza’s predicament perfectly. Michael Brian Dunn also did a fantastic job as Alfred Doolittle with his amusing, heel-clicking jigs and surprisingly insightful banter.
Unfortunately, the musical progressed a tad too slowly—a good part of the production was devoted to Eliza’s education, and there were just too many goings-on crammed into the second act. We kept checking our watches surreptitiously during the first act to guess when the interval would come. Also, while the ambiguous ending left plenty of room for interpretation, we couldn’t help but feel that it was rather anticlimactic.
Despite these minor quibbles, My Fair Lady is a musical that’s definitely worthy of three hours of your time—the heartfelt performances, well-designed costumes and catchy songs will keep you more than nicely entertained.
My Fair Lady is showing at the MasterCard Theatres till March 2.
