TBTS’s ‘My Fair Lady’ has winning combination

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Take one of the best musicals of all time, add an Emmy Award-winning TV star, surround him by a good supporting cast with capable voices, and how can you lose.

Theatre-by-the-Sea has been promoting Charles Shaughnessy’s appearance at the barn theatre for more than a year now. The star of TV’s sit-com “The Nanny” and soap opera “Days of Our Lives” is certainly a draw, and should be.

Shaughnessy, who has played the role of Professor Henry Higgins before, is most convincing and has a better voice than the original star, Rex Harrison. So are his co-stars, especially Kerry Conte, who played Mary Poppins at TBTS last summer as the cockney street urchin, Eliza Doolittle.

Local actor Tom Gleadow, who has previously shined at TBTS, makes a fine Colonel Pickering. Add the hilarious Bill E. Dietrich as Alfred B. Doolittle and Zachary Berger as the lovelorn Freddy, and you have the makings of an enjoyable evening of theatre.

The familiar tale of the egocentric bachelor who turns the unpolished flower girl into an elegant “fair lady” comes to life, enhanced by the timeless music of Lerner and Loewe and good voices to interpret it.

The seven-member orchestra, led by keyboardist Milton Granger, does quite well, with special mention to Rika Ikeda’s haunting violin playing.

Michael P. Kramer’s sets are minimal but functional, with the large ensemble moving them around with a bit of style. The costumes were provided by Music Theatre Wichita and are quite stylish.

Director Charles Repole does wonders with the large cast (over 30) moving quickly and smoothly through the numerous scenes.

The transition of Henry and Eliza’s characters and feelings for each other seemed a bit bumpy and abrupt, but this is musical theatre, and the musical, which was originally three acts and still goes on a bit too long, gets the story told, even if you may wonder how these two opposites could ever co-exist.

While it is an interesting and original book, the music is the big draw. They just don’t write songs these days like “On the Street Where You Live,” “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Get Me To the Church on Time.”

“My Fair Lady” is at Theatre-by-the-Sea through July 18. For tickets, priced from $45 to $65, call 782-8587.

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