SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #21 - My Fair Lady (2001, Drury Lane Theatre Royal, London, UK)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. When director
Trevor Nunn teamed up with producer
Cameron Mackintosh for a 2001 revival of
Alan J. Lerner and
Frederick Loewe's masterpiece
My Fair Lady in London, right around the corner from the musical's opening scene at Covent Garden, who would have predicted it would be so exhilarating and sublime? Not only did they make beautiful music together, but with
Matthew Bourne's innovative choreography that could have danced all night, their incarnation soared.
This revival also marked my first-ever opportunity to see the magnificent
Jonathan Pryce on stage. Watching him as Henry Higgins was truly a master class in acting. Teamed with a thoroughly excellent cast, it hardly mattered that understudy
Alexandra Jay was performing -- exceptionally, I might add -- in the role of Eliza Doolittle.
While a touring company brought Nunn's
My Fair Lady to North American audiences, it failed to materialize as it should have on Broadway. Thankfully, with a little bit of luck, my memories of that London mounting will remain fresh as a flower for years to come.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.Labels: Alexandra Jay, Cameron Mackintosh, Jonathan Pryce, London, Matthew Bourne, Musical, My Fair Lady, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, Understudy
Sondheim And Webber: Separated At Birth?Incredible as it may sound, March 22 is the day that two of modern musical theatre's most renowned living composers were born.
That's right,
Andrew Lloyd Webber and
Stephen Sondheim share a birthday.
Although, let it be known that while Sir Andrew turns 60 today, the ever remarkable man who shares my first name is 78.
To see what brought Webber and Sondheim together, click
here for an amusing salute to
Cameron Mackintosh.
As if that weren't enough, my own blood sister (I'm now blessed with another three "adopted" sisters) celebrates her birthday today as well.
Happy birthdays all around!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Birthday, Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim
Les Mis Revival Nears End Of The DayIt may be the
longest running musical in the history of London's West End -- achieving that feat on October 8 with 8,732 performances over the last 21 years -- but the current Broadway revival of
Les Misérables will close on January 6, 2008 after 479 regular performances.
Not bad, considering that the revival was originally slated to run as a six-month limited engagement, but was extended more than once. But it is slightly baffling, given that the box office grosses just over a week ago were still pretty solid with the showing selling to 92.5% of capacity, although the average ticket price was just below $65.
The
original Broadway version enjoyed 6,680 performances that stretched from March 12, 1987 all the way to May 18, 2003. After the revival opened,
there was considerable carping that the revival merely copied the original staging.
Although the revival's casting initially appealed to me, to be honest, I never did get around to seeing the revival since I found the original to be so overwrought. It ranks right behind
Cats -- another overproduced longtime box office champ from
Cameron Mackintosh --
on my personal least-liked musicals of all time. But clearly, with its worldwide success, I'm in a small minority.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics: Les Misérables Round Two (November 10, 2006)
The Turntable Spins Again: Les Misérables Revival Opens On Broadway (November 9, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Casting Call (Week Ending June 7, 2006) (June 7, 2006)
Les Misérables' Broadway Revival to Boast Must-See Cast (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Cameron Mackintosh, Cats, Closing Notices, Les Miserables, London, Musical, Revival
West End Boys?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Jersey Boys U.S. ticket information. Related Stories:
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway, Cameron Mackintosh, First Word On New Show, Jersey Boys, Jukebox Musical, London, Musical, Transfer
My Fair Philly
At long last, the absolutely dazzling London revival of
My Fair Lady is bound for the United States. The tuner will enjoy its North American premiere at Philadelphia's
Kimmel Center's Academy of Music, March 11-16, 2008.
The wonderful West End production that was produced by
Cameron Mackintosh, directed by
Trevor Nunn and choreographed by
Matthew Bourne first opened at London's Lyttleton Theatre in 2001 before transferring to the city's Theatre Royal Drury Lane later that year. In 2002, it went on to earn five Olivier Awards including for Outstanding Musical Production.
Earlier, hopes had run high that the London success of the Mackintosh-Nunn revival would eventually strike gold on Broadway, but it now appears that My Fair Lady must settle for a North American tour instead.
I can tell you that if the production values remain anywhere near as high as they were in London, this deserves packed houses all across America.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cameron Mackintosh, First Word On New Show, Jonathan Pryce, London, Musical, My Fair Lady, Olivier Awards, Philadelphia, Revival, Trevor Nunn
