My Fair Lady remains one of the most perfectly constructed of all musicals, and the production now running at the Westchester Broadway dinner theater is one of the more satisfying productions I’ve ever seen there. Although I have a few reservations, there are so many moments of joy that I can’t imagine anyone resisting this show’s charms. The score by Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe is a succession of delights; the book scenes, by Lerner (based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion) are marvels of economy and dry wit. Director Charles Repole understands the show well, and makes even small moments count. All of the key roles are handled credibly. It’s a well-balanced cast: Tom Galantich as Professor Henry Higgins, Jennifer Babiak as Eliza Doolittle, William McCauley as Colonel Pickering. Bill Dietrich is great fun as Alfred P. Doolittle. Karen Murphy doesn’t get enough to do in the small role of Mrs. Pearce, but she is right on the money (as usual). I've never seen a better portrayal of love-struck Freddy Eynsford-Hill than that offered here by newcomer-to-watch Joe Chisholm (and I've seen this show countless times, going back to the original Broadway run at the Mark Hellinger Theatre). Kathleen Huber makes a fine Mrs. Higgins. JP Qualters adds life, dancing. The costumes by Gail Baldoni (inspired by the Cecil Beaton originals) are a treat—particularly the black-and-white outfits at Ascot. The cast is big. The orchestra, alas, is tiny; and I hate hearing those glorious melodies handled by just a handful of players. There were occasional lapses in British accents (momentarily putting us back into contemporary America). Sets are simple. But the material is so magnificent, and the key actors are so likeable, you’re bound to leave smiling.
(Pictured: Karen Murphy, Tom Galantich, Jennifer Babiak, William McCauley; Photo by John Vecchiolla)
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
September 23, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org
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