KDHX Theatre Review - My Fair Lady
Stray Dog Theatre and The Clayton Symphony Orchestra
Reviewed by Chris Gibson
Stray Dog Theatre and the Clayton Symphony Orchestra combined their efforts this weekend (February 16th, 17th and 18th, 2007) to stage the concert version of Lerner and Loewe's acclaimed musical My Fair Lady at the Clayton High Main Stage auditorium. For this performance, which celebrates the show's 50th anniversary, the orchestra was placed directly behind the performers on stage and there was a minimum amount of costuming for the actors. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the idea of a concert musical, especially since there was so much talent on display on this occasion. They would seem to have been better served by a full staging.
The cast is splendid and Jennifer M. Theby delivers a fine performance as Eliza Doolittle the flower girl who blossoms into a lady under the overbearing guidance and dialectical education of Henry Higgins. She has a strong and pleasing voice and she delivers each of her songs with conviction. Her rendition of “I Could Have Danced All Night” was particularly lovely. Michael Brightman, sporting a soft cast and sling from a spill the night before, is a bit too fussy as Professor Higgins for my taste. But he did display fine comic timing, particularly in some ad-libbed remarks regarding his mishap. And his version of “I'm an Ordinary Man” was well done, benefiting greatly from Tyler Duenow's lighting scheme. Doug Erwin's wonderful tenor voice made lovestruck Freddy's song “On the Street Where You Live” another standout. And KDHX's own Chuck Lavazzi gives an exceptional performance as Alfred Doolittle, Eliza's work-allergic father. By throwing in a few high stepping dance moves during his numbers he gave what was otherwise a rather static presentation a much needed injection of action.
Gary Bell directs the show as if it was a true staging, and that pays off in a lot of positive ways with strong readings by all the actors. But it's that commitment to character and movement which just makes me yearn that much more for the real thing. I know that the idea is to imagine the sets and costumes, but I'd prefer to actually have the whole experience. I really think the libretto is given a disservice by being presented in this manner. The actors do their best, but there's something about seeing them in full regalia that really makes the show work in a deeper, more meaningful manner. The romantic chemistry between Eliza and Henry just doesn't come alive with the actors having scripts in their hands (or reading them from a stand). Although, to the credit of the entire cast, a great deal of the material is delivered off book. I wonder if there isn't some middle ground that could be achieved by making the show more like a cast album by featuring key bits of dialogue instead of the entire narrative being played out.
The orchestra, under the direction of Edward Dolbashian was balanced but the pacing of the music was a bit too deliberate and lengthened the overall running time of a show that's long to begin with. However, the ensemble was tight with only a few pitch issues among the strings surfacing in the second act. The volume was also very well controlled and rarely overpowered the singers, who were ably guided by vocal director Mary Sutherland.
There's just no denying the wit inherent in the words of Alan Jay Lerner or the beauty of the melodies written by Frederick Loewe. Despite my own desire to see this as a complete production, I must say I did enjoy the performances immensely. It may not have carried the impact that the full version has, but it did provide an entertaining evening.
Stray Dog Theater continues their 2006-2007 season with The Baltimore Waltz March 8th through 25th, 2007. Call 314-865-1995 or visit them online at www.straydogtheatre.org.
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