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| Jennifer Ellis as Eliza Doolittle "My Fair Lady" Lyric Stage Through October 11th Photo by Nile Hawver/nilescottshots.com |
This seems to be the year of Jennifer Ellis in the world of Boston area theater. She has been wonderfully ubiquitous in 2015, gracing the stages of numerous venues. We are all familiar with The Midas Touch. I would propose that there is such a phenomenon as the "Ellis Touch," for every production she touches shimmers like 24-carat gold. She has not lost her touch as she interprets the classic role of Eliza Doolittle in the current Lyric Stage production of Lerner & Loewe's "My Fair Lady."
Director Scott Edmiston uses the intimate space at the Lyric very efficiently and effectively as he leads a wonderful cast through a very impressive re-telling of the iconic Pygmalion story, based upon the play by George Bernard Shaw. Music Director Catherine Stornetta gets just the right sound out of her small ensemble of herself on keyboard, Emily Dahl on violin and Javier Caballero on cello. The music they produce provides just the right blend with the solo and ensemble singing of the actors. Choreography by David Connolly is wonderfully energetic and inventive, performed on a multi-level set beautifully designed by Janie E. Howland. Hanging banners containing phonetic symbols serve as a constant reminder that in the world of Professor Henry Higgins, vowels make the woman or man and determine class and how he will perceive and treat the person uttering those vowels. Period costumes by Gail Astrid Buckley are loverly! Very effective lighting by Karen Perlow and sound by Samuel Hanson complete the world that Higgins inhabits with his colleague, Colonel Pickering and their laboratory rat, Eliza Doolittle.
The plot is well known. Cockney flower girl Doolittle aspires to move up the social ladder and sell flowers, not on the street in Tottenham, but in a proper flower shop. But she cannot be hired unless she learns to speak proper English. Colonel Pickering offers a wager that Professor Higgins will not be able to turn this besmudged street girl into a Duchess in six months. Higgins accepts the challenge, and we are off to the races.
I could not take my eyes off of Ms. Ellis as she performed feats of alchemy, transmogrifying Eliza from leaden street urchin to golden princess. While the obvious change occurs in her speech patterns, there are also concomitant changes in facial features, physical bearing, self-confidence and self-awareness that give this character a sweeping arc. She shimmers as well in singing the songs that have made this show an audience favorite for many decades. Her cockney-spiced "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" provides a nice contrast with the later elegant "I Could Have Danced All Night."
As Henry Higgins, Christopher Chew returns to the stage where he triumphed in the role of Sweeney Todd. The dramatic range of Professor Higgins is less demonstrative than that of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, so Mr. Chew is painting with a more subdued palette in this role. He does a fine job portraying the obsessive and abusive linguist, who can hear the most subtle nuance in speech, yet is totally tone deaf to anything of an emotional nature. He establishes his character well in two songs: "Why Can't The English" and A Hymn To Him."
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| Remo Airaldi as Colonel Pickering Jennifer Ellis as Eliza Doolittle Christopher Chew as Henry Higgins "My Fair Lady" Lyric Stage Through October 11th Photo by Mark S. Howard |
The estimable Remo Airaldo is Colonel Pickering, alter ego to Professor Higgins - a fellow linguist with more human qualities. He plays Dr. Watson to Higgins' Sherlock Holmes, who is perpetually looking for linguistic clues to someone's place of birth.
J.T. Turner is perfectly cast in the role of Eliza's roguish and impecunious father, Alfred P. Doolittle. His rendition of "Get Me To The Church On Time" is a highlight.
Another highlight was the crowd-pleasing "On The Street Where You Live" sung by Jared Troilo as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Smitten by love at first sight for Eliza, he finds out where she is living and haunts the street where she lives. He manages to distill a whole lifetime of longing into his tremendously moving presentation of this gorgeous song.
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| Jared Troilo as Freddy Jennifer Ellis as Eliza Doolittle "My Fair Lady" Lyric Stage Through October 11th Photo by Mark S. Howard |
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| Featuring: Remo Airaldi*, Elise Arsenault*, Tony Catellanos*, Christopher Chew*, Catherine Lee Christie, Jennifer Ellis*, Beth Gotha*, Meghan LaFlam, Carla Martinez, Kathryn McKellar, Cheryl McMahon* Davron Monroe*, Andy Papas*, Aaron Michael Ray, Jared Trolio* and J.T. Turner*. |
Whether you are seeing "My Fair Lady" for the first time or are re-visiting an old favorite, I can guarantee that you will enjoy this production. Be sure to have a loved one remind you to "Get Me To The Lyric On Time"!
Through October 11th.
Lyric Stage Website
Enjoy!
Al
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