PCT PRESENTS IMPERFECT BUT POPULAR
MY FAIR LADY
Theater Babe says:
Go … and Enjoy a Timeless Classic
Peninsula
Community Theatre opens its 25th Anniversary season with My Fair Lady, and the show’s witty
dialogue and hummable melodies demonstrate why it is considered a classic.
There are shining moments in this production, directed by Marty Bussert, and
though certain performances disappoint, the richness of the material itself and
the sincere efforts of the cast prevail, resulting in an enjoyable evening of theatre.
Set in London
during the Edwardian era of the early 20th century when the divide between
the upper and lower economic classes was nearly insurmountable, My Fair Lady depicts the efforts of Eliza
Doolittle to improve her life by improving her speech. A Cockney flower girl,
Eliza meets Professor Henry Higgins, an acclaimed and arrogant academic who
specializes in phonetics, in a chance encounter. When Eliza seeks lessons from
him so she can “talk more genteel” and attain employment in a flower shop
instead of peddling on the street, Higgins accepts the impulsive bet proposed
by his friend and colleague Colonel Pickering to prepare Eliza to attend the Embassy
Ball and seamlessly hobnob with society’s elite. The show follows Eliza’s
transformation.
Chelsea Mayer is a delightful Eliza Doolittle, alternately determined, passionate and pensive as the character progresses. In the early scenes, Ms. Mayer’s Eliza is perhaps a bit more pristine than we might imagine an impoverished flower girl of the period would be, but the same could be said of all the Cockney crowd -- this is a fastidiously tidy group of street people; none of their costumes show any dirt, patches, tears, or even missing buttons that would be more believable. Ms. Mayer masters the daunting challenge of speaking distinctly in two distinguishable different dialects, and the scene in which her newly-learned crisp speech patterns lapse into the Cockney vernacular because of her emotional turmoil is impressive, credible, and touching. Ms. Mayer has a lovely singing voice, and the skillful phrasing and varying emphasis in her vocals demonstrate Eliza’s wistfulness (Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?), fury (Just You Wait), frustration (Show Me), and determined independence (Without You). Because of Ms. Mayer’s accomplished performance, we understand Eliza and root for her to succeed.
In the best
productions of this piece, we see an evolution in both of the central
characters. Unlike Eliza’s blatant alterations of accent, dress, and
deportment, the script nonetheless provides less obvious opportunities for
Professor Higgins to demonstrate a meaningful deepening of his superficial,
supercilious nature. Here, Stephen Maney fails to capitalize on those
opportunities, so Eliza’s ultimate decision seems
driven by her lack of options rather than the appeal of Higgins’ metamorphosis,
and the central story line is neither as nuanced nor as interesting as it might
be.
Mr. Maney, who
delivered an appealing and believably quirky Uncle Fester in Smithfield Little
Theatre’s Addams Family a while back,
seems uncomfortable in this demanding role. His portrayal of Professor Higgins
is noticeably referential to that of the iconic Rex Harrison who originated the
part, and throughout the show it appears that Mr. Maney merely recites his
lines and emulates intonation rather than embracing the character and making it
his own. We see the actor, not the character, especially but not only when he
drops lines and lyrics. Mr. Maney’s Higgins is not in the moment, and his
actions and reactions are awkwardly stilted as if generated by careful
calculation rather than genuine emotion. Because Higgins drives nearly all of
the action in the show, that omission prevents this production from becoming
truly credible. Mr. Maney does, however, maintain a consistent British accent,
and his diction is laudably clear, even during the challenging, rapid lyrics of
“I’m an Ordinary Man,” and “A Hymn to Him.”
Brink Miller’s Colonel
Pickering is properly distinguished and unflappable. As written, the character
is most often a foil for Professor Higgins, but Mr. Miller makes the most of the
moments when Pickering has more latitude without overplaying them, and his
indignation directed to the unseen police officer creates one of the funniest
moments of the show. Andrew Schwalm is believably besotted as Eliza’s swain,
Freddie Eynesford-Hill, though the Babe wishes he would knock on the door of
27A Wimpole Street before it is answered. Mr. Schwalm’s beautiful voice is well
displayed in the memorable “On the Street Where You Live.” It’s just a pleasure
to hear him sing.
The vocals,
marshaled by Music Director Betsy Forrest and Assistant Music Director Rachel
Bradley, are a highlight in this production. The ensemble has a rich tone, and although
the top sopranos need to be more cognizant of their tendency to overpower the
end of “Get Me to the Church on Time,” in general the chorus is well balanced and
has excellent diction. Particularly noteworthy are the Cockney quartet, Jacob
Bagoly, Matthew Bradley, Joshua Higgins, Colin Williams, and Arianna Jeanette Hall and Georgia Hester, the two uncredited
maids who sing the counterpoint to Eliza’s “I Could Have Danced All Night.”
Bonnie Carlson is
credibly managing as Mrs. Pearce, and her deadpan reaction to the professor’s
rant during “A Hymn to Him” is perfectly played and deserving of the huge laugh
it received from the appreciative audience. As Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza’s father,
Trey Gwaltney is a likable rapscallion who almost convinces us of the
injustice of “middle class morality,” though his lines would benefit from a bit
more volume. The Babe only wishes that Mr. Gwaltney’s makeup was better defined;
under the lights, he appears washed out, and that detracts from his entertaining performance.
The set designed
by Jeffrey Corriveau is well-dressed and the professor’s library is a
convincing depiction of a wealthy scholar’s home of the period. The furniture,
while striking, is large, and it is under-utilized by Mr. Bussert’s blocking.
All too often, Eliza, Higgins and Pickering just stand in a straight line, down
center, exchanging their dialogue. Similarly, the peril presented by Zoltan
Karpathy (Worsham Abbott) is muted in this production, because the blocking sticks
him over to one side, rendering him immaterial for most of the ball. Karpathy, as well as
many members of the ensemble, would benefit from additional direction
regarding the need to create mute stage business during crowd scenes to create
a more realistic environment.
The costumes,
designed by Pam Revill and Jan Clapp Bomar, generally evoke the period, but are often problematic. The
maids in Higgins’ household are all in black dresses, but they are mismatched
and of different lengths. While each wears a white apron, one ensemble member
is inexplicably and noticeably clad in a butcher’s apron instead of a
period-appropriate maidservant’s pinafore. The white and black color
scheme attempted for the Ascot race is glaringly marred because an ensemble
member wears what is probably a cream colored gown which reads yellow under the
lights. Most concerningly, much of Eliza’s wardrobe is ill-fitting and works
against, rather than enhancing, Ms. Mayer’s strong performance.
Bottom line? This
production has some decided flaws which prevent it from reaching the full
potential of the piece, but it hits enough of the marks to please an audience that
is enchanted to see a traditional classic in the season line-up, and is worth
the time and the ticket price.
Performances run through August 18th, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
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