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Regular readers of this blog probably realize what a strange place my mind can be. So I suppose it wouldn't be much of a surprise when I got the idea to compare Broadway Musicals to automobiles. IMHO, if My Fair Lady was a car it would be a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. And if the latest production from Performance Riverside were a Rolls it would be a car that had clearly seen better days but had been nicely tricked up to fool an unwary buyer. (Come on--you had to know I wasn't gonna like the show from the review title!) Why do I say that? Read on and all will be revealed.
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Let's start with a frequent complaint I've had with shows at the Landis. The sound mix was nothing short of awful: many of the lead solos were buried by the band (particarly every word Henry Higgins "sang" was missing as the worst example). The dialog was spat out at machine-gun pace and was so echo-y that a lot of it was unintelligible. I have to give the cast credit for attempting (and actually maintaining for the most part) accents throughout the show: too bad the accents were nowhere near correct. (Yes, I know that's a quibble but I know my accents and a correct accent is critical to My Fair Lady). The costumes screamed RENTAL but they were serviceable enough. The sets looked nice but every time they changed it sapped momentum from the show. The pit band and chorus were first rate but it bugged me that, for a musical, there was surprisingly little singing from the leads.
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Jason James as Henry Higgins followed Rex Harrison's lead (maybe a bit too closely). I was hoping for a spark of originality in his portrayal but I didn't get it. Natasha Harris as Eliza was pretty and feisty enough but she lacked the vocal power that is required to make the part shine. Worst of all, her "cockney" accent was some sort of horrendous Yorkshire-Australian hybrid the likes of which I've never heard before--and, God willing, will never have to hear again. Jamie Snyder as Alfred P. Doolittle particularly annoyed me: he brought a lot of energy to the part--but seemed way too young for the role. His accent was as atrocious (in a different way) than Eliza's and he spat his words out so quickly it was hard to follow him. He chose pretty much shout With A Little Bit Of Luck--which was sad because he proved he actually could sing on I'm Getting Married In The Morning. Jim Shine was in full "fussy queen" mode as Col. Pickering and his interaction with Higgins made both men seem frankly, shall we say--regal? The underscored the lack of spark between Higgins and Eliza. Thomas Roy (Freddy Eynsford-Hill) has a nice look and a pretty enough voice but he sings in an American accent! (Piece of friendly advice "bother me" and "rather be" really should rhyme in On The Street Where You Live--just saying.)
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I really like My Fair Lady but I was sorely disappointed by this show and I don't think I was alone. The theater was crowded but the applause was frankly tepid (except for one actor who had a lot of friends in the house) and there wasn't a lot of laughter. Even my darling Robyn (who;s ever so much nicer and more forgiving than a cranky old bear like me) had a few good shots in (which I won't repeat here to preserve her stellar reputation). The show should have been a slam dunk but it missed the mark by a mile.
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FINAL GRADE: C
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