As I write this, I can't help but smile at remembering the beautiful performance I attended at the Hanna Theatre in Playhouse Square last Friday evening. I was finally spending time with one of my best friends after missing her for almost two months (thanks colleges. You just had to be hours away from each other). And she decided to make my fall break by taking me to see my favorite (or one of my favorites) musical as an early birthday present. Before then, I had only ever seen the movie and listened to the soundtracks. But last Friday night, I saw My Fair Lady live onstage for the first time ever. And, if you haven't guessed: it was amazing.
It is so refreshing to see a show done in ways you haven't thought of before. When you know a movie so well then see the stage adaptation, the diversity in interpretations and styles really comes to life. Movies go through so many scene changes, but that often isn't the case in live theatre--in terms of set, less is more. Where the My Fair Lady movie takes you all over the streets of London, down alleys, both outside and inside of pubs, the play leaves the same background of the city and uses choreography, minor set pieces, and entrances and exits of characters to move your viewpoint about. Instead of getting a tour of Higgins's house--the library, staircases, offices, lobbies, hallways, Eliza's room--we see just his library. But it is more than enough to communicate what it needs to and to house all that occurs in his home. Ascot and the Embassy are also given the same simple and elegant backdrop--made different places by the positioning of the actors and the costumes they adorn.
What also struck me was the costuming decisions, and symbolism that the designers were able to establish from those. I noticed it first when Higgins's house was brought on for the first time. His bookcases--furniture pieces usually full of color because each book displayed looks different--were a simple off-white. Each book the same color, and it matched the furniture as well. An off-white desk, a brown chair. Higgins's costumes, as well as Pickering's, as well as Mrs. Pierce's, as well as all the servants', were all light, neutral colors--off-white, tan, light grey, etc. Eliza, however, always had a bit of color in what she wore. The only time she didn't was in her white gown for the Embassy Ball and her nightgown in "I Could Have Danced All Night." And she was in bright red toward the end.
One of the things I like most about seeing the same show done in a new way is being drawn to new characters, sometimes even characters with very little lines (I'm thinking of the woman from the pub--"I know, I know. 'Send the bill to Buckingham Palace!'".) Sometimes an actor portrays a character in a way you'd never thought of before, and you suddenly notice them. In this performance in particular, this happened a lot. Mrs. Pierce was the first one I fell in love with, then Mrs. Higgins, Henry's mom, then the ensemble--various individual members, and as a whole. (And Mrs. Higgins's dog, of course.) Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Higgins were never characters that stood out to me, until those portrayals. Mrs. Pierce's staunch stubbornness and Mrs. Higgins's subtle sass certainly made their marks. I couldn't stop thinking of Mrs. Higgins's line, "Bravo, Eliza" in the third-to-last scene. And the ensemble was great throughout the entire performance, but really brought my energy to their level during "Get Me to the Church on Time." A good ensemble makes all the difference in a show.
The ending was another thing entirely. Until I saw this performance, I didn't realize the different ways in which My Fair Lady lends itself to an ending. I don't want to spoil it, but this performance did not end in the same way the movie did. The same lines were delivered, but the staging was different. The variation wasn't huge, but it was there. I found it significant. It surprised me, but I liked it. And I liked it better than the movie's ending.
Seeing this show live for the first time was such an incredible experience. Eliza, Higgins, and Pickering were all great, and all gave new depths to their characters that I hadn't seen before. All three of them were strong and memorable in their performances. Alfie Doolittle provided such entertaining comic relief. The sets, costumes, choreography, every part of the show was creative. I paid more attention to characters I previously hadn't. I want to remember this show perfectly. I have this feeling every time I've seen a great performance--the feeling that I'm so grateful I got to see it, but the longing to have the ability to watch it all again. But, that's live theatre.
Seeing my favorite musical on stage for the first time with my best friend was wonderful. I'm so glad that we had the opportunity--"I Could Have Danced All Night!"
