‘My Fair Lady’ a crown jewel at UCI

Tom Titus

When it came time for UC Irvine to choose the musical with which

to open its beautifully refurbished Claire Trevor Theatre, the

logical choice was the late actress and benefactor’s favorite show,

“My Fair Lady.” It was an inspired selection.

“Inspired” is, indeed, the word to describe the UCI production.

The Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick Loewe version of George Bernard Shaw’s

“Pygmalion,” which arrived on Broadway in 1956 and stayed for six

years, is given a superb rendition in all artistic phases --

performance, music and dance.

For this landmark production, UCI has called on its first team --

director Robert Cohen and musical director Dennis Castellano, both of

whom have enriched the university’s performing arts since the 1960s,

and inventive choreographer Donald McKayle. They are staunchly

supported by the striking scenic backdrops of Douglas-Scott Goheen,

the eye-catching period costumes of Brenda Mercure and the splendid

lighting effects of Lonnie Rafael Alaaraz.

In short, this is a “My Fair Lady” that even those who have seen

the show a dozen times will find breathtaking and, dare we say it,

“different.” The “surprise twist” that Cohen has promised arrives at

the last possible moment and puts a new, quite plausible spin on

Shaw’s original scheme -- a “Fair Lady” for the 21st century.

The lady herself, a role magnified by such luminaries as Julie

Andrews and Audrey Hepburn, is superbly played by Blossom Benedict.

Her gradual conversion from Cockney flower girl (or, as Shaw would

have it, “squashed cabbage leaf”) to the elegant beauty who can pass

for a Hungarian princess is marvelously accomplished. Benedict

skillfully squirms under her professor’s thumb and renders her two

contrasting showpiece solos, “Just You Wait” and “Without You,” with

equal flair and fervor.

Michael Morgan, charged with making both stage and screen

audiences dismiss the memory of Rex Harrison, does so brilliantly in

his depiction of the supremely egotistic dialectician Professor Henry

Higgins. Since this is a college production, Morgan’s Higgins is a

younger character -- which ultimately enriches the story. His facial

grimaces add more sardonic texture to a richly acted, fully realized

performance.

For the role of Higgins’ ally in the great experiment, UCI has

called on the talents of veteran drama professor and dialect coach

Dudley Knight, who deftly understates the character of Colonel

Pickering. Martin Swoverland is a shrewd, rambunctious Alfred P.

Doolittle, excelling in his two featured musical numbers and almost

convincing us he’s old enough to be Eliza’s father.

Selah Victor brings a sly, almost kittenish presence to the role

of the usually stern housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce. Ailene King is a

beautifully regal, sage presence as Higgins’ mother. Will Shanklin is

nastily ebullient as the Hungarian linguistics genius whose talents

outweigh his ethics. And Andrew Samonsky is appealing as Eliza’s

callow, lovesick swain Freddy Eynsford-Hill who happily camps up “On

the Street Where You Live.”

The ensemble of London street people and fancy-dressed Ascot

racing fans enriches the atmosphere splendidly -- particularly during

the wildly rambunctious “Get Me to the Church on Time” number. And

Higgins must be a bloody millionaire to afford so many servants, but

they do lend splendid choral backing.

A full orchestra under Castellano’s baton enhances the show

marvelously. Goheen’s settings -- a blend of imposing structures and

miniature backdrops -- glide off and on stage effortlessly.

“My Fair Lady” is one of the landmarks of the American theater.

The elegant UCI production in the beautifully remodeled Claire Trevor

Theatre is, in its own way, a landmark in the university’s theater

history.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His

reviews appear Thursdays and Saturdays.