Thu 7/8 @ 7PM
My Fair Lady, which debuted in 1956, is one of the most famous and beloved musicals of all time, with nearly every song in the score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe (“I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”) a classic.
Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, the script can seem a little dated and misogynist to us now, but the charming musical was a massive hit on Broadway and in London, made a star of Julie Andrews who played Eliza Doolittle, and was made into a 1964 musical that was mostly faithful to the stage play (sadly, Andrews was replaced by Audrey Hepburn, who was a bigger box office draw than Andrews but not at all convincing as the grimy Cockney Eliza initially is).
That film, directed by George Cukor and boasting spectacular costumes by Cecil Beaton, was also a huge hit and won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Rex Harrison. It’s the topic of The Musical Theater Project’s Next Movies at Home segment, which will be its final one until the fall.
As usual, participants can start by watching TMTP artistic director Bill Rudman’s “what to watch for” intro on YouTube (he disagrees with me about Audrey Hepburn). Then watch the film on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix or YouTube.
Finally, join Bill on Zoom for a live discussion of the film which will include a Q&A. Will the Andrews and Hepburn fans face off? Join the discussion and see — it’s free. Here’s the link.