MY FAIR LADY’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION @ SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Featured  image – Dame Julie surrounded by the principal cast. All images by Ben Apfelbaum taken at the recent media call.

MY FAIR LADY, produced by Opera Australia and John Frost, held its Australian premiere production on Tuesday September 6 at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Opening night is a culmination of several years of research  to help recreate and present the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady which opened in 1956 starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews who was just 20 years old.

Trips to Wisconsin, London, New York City and Los Angeles were made  and hours were spent trawling over drawings, costume and set designs in the Victoria Albert Museum  and the Arts Centre Melbourne Performing Arts Collection, just to name a few.  Along the way, the team were fortunate enough to meet with the assistance of Cecil Beaton (the original costume designer) and Oliver Smith who  uncovered important materials that made recreating the magic of the 1956 production a step closer to reality.

This recreation could have opened on any stage around the world, but Sydney was fortunate that director Julie Andrews choose Sydney as the venue to premiere this landmark revival.

Headlining the new production are acclaimed performer (and 3 time Lawrence Olivier winner) Alex Jennings as Henry Higgins, and young star Anna O’Byrne as Eliza Doolittle. Reg Livermore plays Alfred P Doolittle, Robyn Nevin plays Mrs Higgins and Mark Vincent plays Freddie. The role of Colonel Pickering is played by Tony Llewellyn-Jones and Deidre Rubinstein plays Mrs Pearce.

Contributing to the creative team is Tony-Award winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli, musical director is Guy Simpson, lighting design by Broadway and West End legend Richard Pilbrow and sound design by Michael Waters.

This beloved musical tells the tale of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle whose world was forever changed by the brilliant and demanding phoneticist Henry Higgins. The clash of cultures sparks some of theatre’s most witty dialogue and wonderful songs including Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? , On The Street Where We Live, I Could Have Danced All Night, and Get Me To The Church On time. 

MY FAIR LADY is playing the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House until November 5 and then travels on to seasons in Brisbane and Melbourne.

http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/oa16_my_fair_lady.aspx