Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

My Fair Lady has had a place in my heart for nearly all my life. Hasn’t it been the same for you? Can you think of a musical with more memorable songs? And how about its charming story line? All that notwithstanding, I was not expecting much from a revival of a musical that debuted on Broadway in 1956. No, indeed I had no idea what a brilliant production I was about to see, how I would be so completely engaged by the acting talent and inspired direction of this old friend from the creative genius of Lerner and Loewe. The word on my mind as I left the theatre at opening night last night was “triumph.” That’s what all those associated with this production should think of their efforts, and if you’re reading this and are able to see it before Lincoln Theatre Company's My Fair Lady closes, I’m sure you’ll agree.

(Click here to open the program in a new window.)

The basics are all there. First, there is the dialog and lyrics. I had forgotten how witty all those words were, and laughs among my fellow audience members abounded throughout the show. But there were also many serious emotions as the plot unfolded. Then there’s the music. Those songs have a lot of memories attached to them, so the audience’s expectations create a high bar for a singer to reach. Fortunately, all the principals in this show had excellent voices. And we also got good singing from both the Cockney Quartet and the whole ensemble in numbers like the “Ascot Gavotte.” I have to add that in the quality of all this singing, I could see, not only individual talent, but the hand of Musical Director Tamra Rogers.

But this was a total production in which so many elements came together. I’ve seen her work elsewhere, and Eileen Beaver proved once again to be a Costume Designer par excellence. Also, you don’t get trained dancers for a show like this, but Choreographer Jeff Teague made the dance routines an exhilarating, fun experience for me (e.g. “Get Me to the Church on Time”). Then there was the elegant ballroom dancing at the Embassy Ball. And for a show that is essentially about the pronunciation of the English language, I was delighted to hear many good English accents — especially among the principals — thanks at least in part, I’m sure, to the efforts of Heather Cooper, who served as a dialog coach.

And who is it that brings all these elements together? It’s the director and assistant director (MaryEllen Vogt and Peggy Schechter). The director’s hand isn’t apparent to the audience member, but aside from the overall excellence of this production, I noticed so much attention to detail — in props, in staging, in gestures — that I’m sure that I was seeing the results of excellent direction. For an example, there was the moment when Henry Higgins was singing “A Hymn to Him” or “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man” in which he incorrectly buttons his sweater — to be corrected by housekeeper Mrs. Pearce, a woman — a few minutes later.

But I haven’t yet mentioned the key to the astounding success of this production: the acting. Jason Bortz as Henry Higgins and Landon Wheeler as Eliza Doolittle are together the beating heart of this show. They each displayed excellent singing and great range in their acting. And it was such a pleasure to see these two people work together. When they were interacting, you couldn’t take your eyes off them. They each wrung every bit of comedy (or angst) from their part. I can still recall the masterful scene with snatches of one elocution lesson after another. And I’m sure I speak for my fellow audience members when I say that we felt their triumph in “The Rain in Spain” scene. Then after the ball, the tension between the two was exquisite when Higgins exulted in his success and Eliza fumed at being overlooked.

Now let’s separate them. I’ve seen Jason Bortz perform brilliantly in the past, and now, in his return to the stage after 3 years, he has come back — if anything — better than before. He brings an intensity to his acting that is simply riveting, and his arrogance as Henry Higgins was complete. He inhabited this character, and his nuance in gesture and speech made me feel like I was watching, not an actor, but an artist at work. His scene of subtlely persuading Eliza to agree to elocution lessons would alone have been worth seeing this show again. But there were many such scenes. And strong singing completed his mastery of this role.

I had heard that Landon Wheeler would be a great Eliza Doolittle, and the advance billing was confirmed by what I saw. After watching her in one of the early scenes, I wrote the word “effervescent” to describe her stage presence. The humor in her bearing and accent at the Ascot Opening Day were a scream. And her beautiful voice (and solid high notes) carried many of the songs of the show. But it wasn’t just the vocal projection that was impressive; it was the acting that went along with the singing that made her performance so effective.

Let me make clear that all the people in this show were committed actors. I scanned the stage during the main production numbers, and each person was fully engaged, each projecting personality. And we in the audience couldn’t resist sharing the fun they were having. But let me highlight some of the principals. The part of Colonel Pickering is a foil for Higgins and Eliza, but he has moments where he transcends the blandness of the character, and Alan Wiltse made the most of both kinds of opportunities. Ken Reiss showed the depth of his acting experience in the role of Alfred P. Doolittle, and his strong voice carried the songs in the tavern scenes. You could see that the audience was with him completely — clapping rhythmically — in “With a Little Bit of Luck. David Rogers brought the much-loved “On the Street Where You Live” to life for us with his fine tenor voice. Kay Jones (as Mrs. Pearce) and Jennifer Frick (as Mrs. Eynsford-Hill), whether in those roles or as part of the ensemble were also key to the success of this show. And Robin Haney (as Mrs. Higgins), along with solid acting, gets my prize for the most consistent English accent.

The Lincoln Theatre Company’s production of My Fair Lady was both charming and authentic. I’ll confess that, except for the fraught scenes between Higgins and Eliza, I never stopped smiling. After the lights went down, I was quickly mesmerized by the constant activity, the exuberance of the big familiar numbers, the brilliant acting. For the better part of 3 hours, I was oblivious to both the people around me and the room itself — immersed in the many pleasures of this inspired show. If this production doesn’t garner a basketful of Elly nominations from the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance, there’s something wrong with the nomination process.

I hope you’re reading this in time to catch one of the performances before the show closes on March 2. Find out about this and future productions of the Lincoln Theatre Company at www.lincolntheatrecompany.org.