My Fair Lady

"The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain"
This is one of the lines used to train Elisa Dolittle's speech, the proper pronounication of which would convert her cockney-English manner of speaking to that of "the Queen of Sheba" - This conversion was the challenge that Professor Higgins took up, also as a bet with the Colonel - I forgot his name. The line is a running joke and I think even the title of one of the songs in this musical. And I believe a musical is highly successful when you can remember and recite at least one of their songs.
There is something very satisfying about going to the theatre. It makes and keeps me feeling alive. It is such a rejunvenating experience. The buzz and hum of the crowd, the live orchestra in the pit with the conductor's waving arms, the energy flowing between the actors and between the stage and the audience, scene changes... My Fair Lady was a very satisfying performance indeed.
Though the musical opened on a rather low note, what with the bad acoustics that prevented me from understanding much of what was being said on stage, the performance picked up once Elisa went to Professor Higgins' home to take up lessons. The energy is highest, in my opinion, between Professor Higgins and Elisa and the Colonel as well. The first act maintained that boost, granted it by Professor Higgins, all the way to the end.
The second act, after the interval, had much less action and more deliberation and pondering. And given how late it was getting, I found myself resting my head on the seat and many a time, letting the monologues or even slightly tedious dialogues wash over me. However, kudos on the very well drawn out conflict between Prof Higgins and Elisa after they returned from the ball. This is the part where she throws his slippers at him, "without any provocation at all", according to Prof Higgins. This is one of the longest yet best arguments I have seen played out on stage. It lasted at least 10 minutes I believe, and not for a single moment was I bored or irritated. It was convincing and emotional and very evoking.
I must applaud Professor Higgins. Aside from being the first actor in the muscial whose every word I could hear perfectly, no matter how loud or soft, he also had tremendous stage presence and energy. Everytime he walked on stage, I sat up a little straighter. I would like to say the same for Elisa, but she felt more constrained in her performance unfortunately. Perhaps it was the weight of the costume, and jewels, that weighed down her performance. But I did enjoy her singing quite a lot. I would also like to congratulate her suitor, whose name I have forgotten, but he is the one who would have been a fairly minor character, completely wiped from memory, had he not sang the "On the street where you live" song with such tenderness that made him so endearing to me I made a note to remember him. I am quite infatuated with his boyish ways because of that performance...
What more is there? The costumes were realistic, songs were fun even if not all that memorable, the dances were nicely put together though executed with less precision than I enjoy - but cleverly they can just say that it was because they were gutter-rats dancing on a whim and needed no precise synchronisation. I liked the sets, for they were, as most sets are, efficient and workable. I thought the simple move of the staircase from sideways to front was a very effective and efficient change of location. But I keep thinking what the bird cage in Higgins' study was for, since it neither chirped nor sang nor moved, at all. The acting was quite splendid, for the most part, by just about everyone, though Elisa was quite outshone when paired against Higgin's mother. Oh, but the lighting. My heartiest felicitations to that brilliant lighting designer. The lighting was subtle and effective and very very well-done. It set the mood just right for every song and every scene change and the timing was right on. It brought out the best of the colours of the costumes and captured day and night so well.
My Fair Lady was a good way to spend my Friday evening, which would have been spent cleaning my room instead.