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Milwaukee — The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts has brought another ‘nice’ Broadway musical to Milwaukee. “My Fair Lady” took place Tuesday night at the crowded Wyflein Hall, but there were plenty of other events taking place in the downtown area.
“My Fair Lady” tells the story of a professor who accepts a young woman as an experiment. He tries to “fix” her speech and teaches her to speak properly. A few months later, he has to see her off as her royalty at her embassy ball. He does, and all the while he falls in love with her. But as a narcissistic man, he chooses to treat her poorly over and over again. He eventually confesses his love for her, but it’s too late.
Set in early 1900s London, the musical creates the perfect blend of beloved elements of classic musical theater and the witty passion of contemporary Broadway.
“My Fair Lady” is certainly a musical ahead of its time. The show originally debuted in 1956. Based on the 1913 play “Pygmalion”. But even by today’s standards, it’s a feminist production underpinned by the iconic Eliza Doolittle (Madeline Powell), poised to make audience members stop and think. is the goal of
“My Fair Lady” is undoubtedly a beautiful work of art. The set (Michael Yeargan) is visually stunning. Professor Higgins’ study, where most of the show takes place, is grand and immaculate, with a spiral staircase, lots of books, more doors than I can keep track of, and lots of color. Even the simpler sets were poignant, like Ascot’s tent. The loose drape and light set the stage well, drawing the audience into the ensemble-heavy scene.
In addition, the lighting (Donald Holder) has also been meticulously detailed. As day turned to night, the windows outside Higgins’ study began to dim and the trees outside were covered in shadow. Deep purple turned fiery orange on the streets of London as the sun rose.
“My Fair Lady” is certainly worth another look, but “Pretty” can only do so much.It’s the actors on stage who bring this show to life.
Powell portrayed a charismatic and multi-layered Doolittle. When she finally let Higgins know how she felt and she stood up for herself, she brought a sense of empowerment and stability to the stage rarely seen from a female lead. .
Not to mention her voice is charming. Powell has mastered a dialect that changes dramatically throughout the show. Plus, her voice carried gracefully throughout her musical numbers, and she never wavered in emotion. Maybe.
Powell’s male counterpart, Jonathan Grunert, has an equally powerful, consistently powerful voice. Higgins does a good job of portraying the self-centered, patriarchal professor and serves as a wonderfully confident foil to Powell’s dynamite Doolittle. They each brought energies that complemented each other rather than being distracting.
Grunart delivers his lines with confidence and ease, and while his character isn’t a villain per se, he manages to piss off audiences just as much as Doolittle with perfectly timed one-liners, providing an “adorably” amount of comedic relief. was balanced with
With strong leads, a classic score, and a stunning set, “My Fair Lady” has a lot to offer. However, the show’s pacing is a little jerky. The first scene, while it’s an important foundation for the plot, is a little too long. It’s almost halfway through the first act when Doolittle shows up at Higgins’ house for speech lessons, and the show returns to an even pace. Still, by the end of the show, it moves too fast and the ending feels abrupt. The ending could have been slowed down so that the audience could truly enjoy the final moments of the power Doolittle claims in his life.
“My Fair Lady” runs at the Marcus Center through January 8th. Ticket information is available here.
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