Review: A Loverly ‘My Fair Lady’ Dances (Almost) All Night at Washington’s National Theatre
By D.R. Lewis
April 7, 2023
Though 3,664 miles separate downtown Washington from Covent Garden, DC audiences will float out of the National Theatre on a cloud of jewel-toned joy after a trip to London in My Fair Lady, playing through Sunday. The national tour of Lincoln Center Theatre’s acclaimed production dances into town on the strength of beautiful visuals, a high-powered ensemble, and an excellent leading lady.
Building upon George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, My Fair Lady introduces and endears us to the lovely (loverly?) Eliza Doolittle (an exemplary Madeline Powell) as she is transformed by cantankerous and misogynistic linguistics Professor Henry Higgins (an energetic Jonathan Grunert). Predicated on Eliza’s desire to someday work in a respectable flower shop, and Colonel Pickering’s (a saucy John Adkinson) bet that Higgins cannot make her acceptable to high society in time for the Embassy Ball, Higgins and Eliza work closely to cast off her cockney flair. She quickly becomes the toast of society, as her striking beauty and salt-of-the-earth sincerity charm Britain’s stiffest upper lips. However, where in past productions Eliza and Higgins have accepted their adversarial relationship as a kind of feisty romance, this production, under the direction of Bartlett Sher, sees Eliza walk away from Higgins and his continual insults in the show’s final moments, after recognizing what we’ve all known: that her real power is in her unwavering spirit, not in her manner of speech.
This revival production received acclaim when it premiered on Broadway in Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater in 2018. In hitting the road, it hasn’t lost its charm. Much of what made that production work, under Sher’s guiding vision, remains the same. Catherine Zuber’s gorgeous Tony-winning garments feel like a tribute to Cecil Beaton’s iconic original costume designs. Michael Yeargan’s adapted set, teetering between a handful of intricate backdrops with sparing set pieces and Higgins’ sprawling study, is very effective. And Donald Holder’s lighting bathes the stage in deep purples, blues, and greens that are so romantic they very nearly trick us into believing that Eliza will end up with Higgins.
Powell tracks Eliza’s arc to great effect in a performance that, while serious at times, frequently signals to the audience how much fun the actress herself is having onstage. Her enthusiasm is contagious, as is that of the large 20+ performer ensemble, who shine in the colorful group numbers. Grunert’s Higgins offers a youthful arrogance that seems more deeply rooted in ignorance than malice. Higgins is a man who believes he is the smartest in the room, and Grunert is up to the task of balancing the character’s mean-spirited insults with his magnetic quirkiness.
One could argue that a musical like My Fair Lady, in which misogyny is so central to the plot (such as in the cheeky “A Hymn to Him”), no longer passes the standards of social acceptance. Others may go farther, dismissing the musical entirely as a relic that no longer warrants production. But staging My Fair Lady in this era refocuses Eliza Doolittle into an even stronger character. In this My Fair Lady, Eliza has more agency and guts than ever before. And it is her goodness and willingness to speak truth to power that sets up her final dismissal of Higgins, a plot departure from so many prior productions, and makes her exit feel not just natural, but right. Powell acts accordingly, delivering her balanced Eliza with both warmth and bite.
Yet, even for the My Fair Lady purists, the beloved essentials remain intact. Frederick Loewe’s lush score flows from the pit courtesy of ten musicians. Powell dazzles in her performance of “I Could Have Danced All Night,” running up and down the stairs of Higgins’ two-level study. And while Nathan Haltiwanger’s tender “On The Street Where You Live” may see the romantics in the audience reaching for their lover’s hand, the raucous ensemble number, “Get Me to the Church on Time,” led by Michael Hegarty as Alfred Doolittle, will have toes tapping in all three levels of the National. Christopher Gattelli’s choreography ranges from can-can to waltz, and he fills the stage with motion in glittering displays.
The musical clocks in at a whopping 2 hours and 55 minutes, which sounds like a long time, but passes with ease. In this era of production “economy,” where more and more shows wrap around the 90-minute mark and forgo a second act, My Fair Lady is a reminder of a time when musicals were given the time to breathe. Sure, it helps when a musical has a great book (in this case, by Alan Jay Lerner) and an excellent score, as My Fair Lady does. But with 21 musical numbers, this production delivers a full night of entertainment that encourages audiences to turn off their cell phones, sit back in their seats, and enjoy a fresh take on an old classic. And, with a little bit of luck, you may swing by the National to do just that.
My Fair Lady plays through April 9, 2023 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Music by Frederick Loewe. Directed by Bartlett Sher. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office or by visiting www.broadwayatthenational.com. Running time: 2 hours and 55 minutes, including one intermission.
Jonathan Grunert as Professor Henry Higgins, Madeline Powell as Eliza Doolittle and John Adkison as Colonel Pickering in The National Tour of MY FAIR LADY. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.