My Fair Lady, Wellington Footlights Society, Te Auaha, until Aug 3. Reviewed by Tommy Livingston The rain in Spain will be falling mainly over Dixon St for the next week as the Wellington Footlights Society continues its run of My Fair Lady. The well-known musical follows the broke Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle and her lessons with phonetics professor Henry Higgins as he tries to teach her "proper" English. Filled with classic numbers like Wouldn't It Be Loverly? and The Rain in Spain the show has long been a favourite for theatregoers. Directed by Michael Stebbings with musical direction by Sue Windsor the smaller, scaled-back version of the musical does a decent job of bringing the colourful story alive. READ MORE: * Melania Trump's outfits anything but subtle for UK visit with the Queen * Theatre Review: M'Lady's offbeat approach highly entertaining. * REVIEW: New Plymouth Operatic's production of Sister Act was heavenly * Review: Affetto share music magic in the Waikato The show is carried by the main cast who helped smooth over any rough patches or odd notes on the opening night. Catherine Gavigan-Binnie plays Eliza Doolittle perfectly. She seemed at ease as the down-and-out Doolittle who transitions from "baggage" to beauty. Mike Bryant as Colonel Pickering is flawless and funny. He plays the perfect Pickering with all the pomp and fatherly affection needed. Another standout performance was Patrick Jennings as Alfred Doolittle. Jennings has the joyous song Get me to the Church on Time and With a Little bit of Luck' Ed Blunden as the sharp and chauvinistic Henry Higgins is also a good casting. The cast is supported by a well-oiled orchestra which brings Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's much-loved music to life. However, the production was held back by the sound quality. It seemed some microphones were faulty, meaning lines were not always audible. Some other minor hitches and glitches stopped the production from really shinning. When the entire ensemble was on the stage it seemed crowded due to the small space. Equally, more could have been done with the set to really depict the poverty Doolittle finds herself in - making the contrast of Higgins' home more apparent. Beyond that, the lines flowed smoothly and the pace managed to stay throughout both acts. Those who love My Fair Lady will, with a little bit of luck, be able to see Wellington Footlights production while it runs for the rest of the week. Tickets: $25 - $30, Bookings: events.ticketbooth.co.nz/event/my-fair-lady
Colourful, classical musical 'My Fair Lady' brought to life by Wellington Footlights
My Fair Lady, Wellington Footlights Society, Te Auaha, until Aug 3. Reviewed by Tommy Livingston The rain in Spain will be falling mainly over Dixon St for the next week as the Wellington Footlights Society continues its run of My Fair Lady. The well-known musical follows the broke Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle and her lessons with phonetics professor Henry Higgins as he tries to teach her "proper" English. Filled with classic numbers like Wouldn't It Be Loverly? and The Rain in Spain the show has long been a favourite for theatregoers. Directed by Michael Stebbings with musical direction by Sue Windsor the smaller, scaled-back version of the musical does a decent job of bringing the colourful story alive. READ MORE: * Melania Trump's outfits anything but subtle for UK visit with the Queen * Theatre Review: M'Lady's offbeat approach highly entertaining. * REVIEW: New Plymouth Operatic's production of Sister Act was heavenly * Review: Affetto share music magic in the Waikato The show is carried by the main cast who helped smooth over any rough patches or odd notes on the opening night. Catherine Gavigan-Binnie plays Eliza Doolittle perfectly. She seemed at ease as the down-and-out Doolittle who transitions from "baggage" to beauty. Mike Bryant as Colonel Pickering is flawless and funny. He plays the perfect Pickering with all the pomp and fatherly affection needed. Another standout performance was Patrick Jennings as Alfred Doolittle. Jennings has the joyous song Get me to the Church on Time and With a Little bit of Luck' Ed Blunden as the sharp and chauvinistic Henry Higgins is also a good casting. The cast is supported by a well-oiled orchestra which brings Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's much-loved music to life. However, the production was held back by the sound quality. It seemed some microphones were faulty, meaning lines were not always audible. Some other minor hitches and glitches stopped the production from really shinning. When the entire ensemble was on the stage it seemed crowded due to the small space. Equally, more could have been done with the set to really depict the poverty Doolittle finds herself in - making the contrast of Higgins' home more apparent. Beyond that, the lines flowed smoothly and the pace managed to stay throughout both acts. Those who love My Fair Lady will, with a little bit of luck, be able to see Wellington Footlights production while it runs for the rest of the week. Tickets: $25 - $30, Bookings: events.ticketbooth.co.nz/event/my-fair-lady
0 Comments