My Fair Lady: 26 actors, 30 orchestral musicians, 10 musical numbers, one weekend only
Leslie Frank-Taylor
Welcome to Cheap Seats, where every Thursday we’ll talk to folks behind the scenes of the stage events opening around town in order to give you a flavor of the productions that won’t be found in any of the promo materials.
My Fair Lady, Wisconsin Union Theater, Aug. 19-21
Promo pull quote: “The story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, this classic musical includes ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?,’ ‘On The Street Where You Live,’ ‘I Could Have Danced All Night,’ and more.”
What it’s really about: Frequently called “the perfect musical,” My Fair Lady bears a message of female empowerment, which really made it stand out when it premièred in the ’50s. “What sets My Fair Lady apart from other musicals, and from musicals up to the point it premièred, is the strength of the story, and the drama itself,” says Tony Trout, who is directing Four Seasons Theatre’s production. “In many musicals before it, the drama was just a few skits in between the numbers. But My Fair Lady is based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, so there are funny scenes, and very witty dialogue. But ultimately, there is a powerful message of empowerment for people, but especially women.”
Fun fact: Four Seasons’ production is not going to be just a couple actors singing to taped backing tracks: It’s being performed with a whopping 30-piece orchestra onstage alongside the actors who are playing out the scenes. Add choreography for a cast of 26 actors, and describing this production starts to seem like describing a math problem. “A musical (like this) is a huge collaborative effort. Just the logistics of dealing with 30 orchestral musicians, three directors [music, choreography, and stage], 26 actors, 10 musical numbers, and on and on, is a logistical difficulty. Insofar that there have been problems, that’s been the problem,” Trout says. “There has just been an incredible amount of moving parts. When you see it onstage, it will [seem] just smooth and easily done, but it’s an incredible amount of hard work.”
Why you should try it: Because this production is for one weekend only, and you’re not going to see My Fair Lady elsewhere with a full orchestra tearing it up next to the actors. “For all the things you might spend your entertainment dollar on this weekend, I don’t think there’s a better value than our show,” Trout says. “It’s only this weekend, so you do need to show up this weekend, but I guarantee you’ll have a great time.”
