Customer Reviews

My Fair Lady (20th Anniversary Broadway Cast)

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Okay. Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews will always be the definitive Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolitle. But if there's one recording that might make you reconsider, it's this recording of the 20th Anniversary Broadway Revival. "Bravo" to Sony/BMG for this excellent, first-time-on-CD release.

Even though George Rose received a well-deserved Tony for his turn as Alfred P. Doolittle (his performance is truly remarkable), it is Ian Richardson and Christine Andreas who make this recording as special as it is. First of all, as wonderful as Julie Andrews was in the role of Eliza, her real-life personna was just a little too refined, too lady-like for me to truly believe her as a gutter snipe. Not so with Ms. Andreas. Her cockney may not be as good, but there is a degree of course-ness to her flower girl that makes her transformation really special. I wish I had been in the audience to experience the moment. Teetering betweeen two worlds, it's not jarring when Andreas/Eliza reverts to her former speech patterns during "Show Me" and "Without You." Very believable characterization.

Richardson's take on his character is a revelation. Yes, he's an upper-class snob, and yes, he sees himself superior to Eliza and everyone she represents, but he's also terribly conceited and honestly believes that he doesn't need anyone in his life. When he says, "Why can't a woman be like me," he truly believes it. Therefore, "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is a true cathartic moment for him, and I guarantee you'll get a lump in your throat - to match the on in Richardson's - when he delivers the final lines of the show: "Eliza? Where the devil are my slippers?" It's one of those magic moments every theater-goer prays for.

Added bonuses are Jerry Lanning's excellently sung Freddie, and an extremely well-played and beautifully-recorded "Embassy Waltz."

Masterworks/Broadway engineers have done a superlative job of remastering, achieving the same three-dimensional multi-layered effect as on THE KING AND I. Not only does it enable one to pick out individual instruments and follow each vocal or instrumental line, but it also helps us to appreciate better the outstanding Robert Russell Bennett & Phil Lang orchestrations and the choral arrangements by Gino Smart. Theodore Saidenberg's tempi are sometimes more brisk than Franz Allers', but everything works overall.

VERY highly recommended.

PS. If you want to hear another interesting version of MY FAIR LADY, I recommend the Original Israeli Cast recording. After all, they had " . . . to learn it backwards, which is absolutely frightening."

In 1976, MY FAIR LADY returned to Broadway, in a revival touted as the "20th Anniversary" production. Perhaps most famously, this particular revival was the first big professional splash of a young soprano called Christine Andreas...

At long last, this much sought-after cast album gets its CD premiere. Christine Andreas is one of the best Eliza's ever captured on disc, and Ian Richardson's performance as beleaguered tutor Higgins is full of wit and humour. George Rose (in a Tony-winning turn as Eliza's dustman father) is very enjoyable in his main numbers "With a Little Bit of Luck" and "Get Me to the Church on Time". Jerry Lanning also makes for a fine Freddy, with the winsome "On the Street Where You Live". This recording also features the "Embassy Waltz" sequence, which was never included on the OBC, and only featured as a bonus track on the reissue of the OLC.

The production itself heavily recreated the original production, complete with Oliver Smith's sets and Cecil Beaton's costumes. Hanya Holm's choreography was revived thanks to original dance captain Crandall Diehl. Christine Andreas picked up a Theatre World Award for her breakthrough performance. The show opened at the St. James Theatre on March 25th 1976, but later moved to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre where it closed the following year after 377 performances.

The following year, Andreas returned to Broadway in another important revival, the 1978 production of "Oklahoma!" in which she made a thrilling Laurey (cast album available on RCA); before cememting her position as Broadway's ingenue of choice, with the role of Frankie Frayne in the 1983 revival of "On Your Toes" (cast album available on Jay/TER). More recently, she played Marguerite St. Just, in the original company of Frank Wildhorn's flawed "Scarlet Pimpernel" (cast album available on Atlantic).

I heartily recommend this particular MY FAIR LADY.

I saw this production on B'way twice, and it really was lover-ly. The leading players were perfectly cast, and Christine Andreas sang beautifully. I've been waiting for this CD ever since...and despaired that it would ever be released. Thank you, Sony and Amazon, for making a wish come true!

I saw this production of "My Fair Lady" and loved every moment. My seat was in the middle of the first row, and at intermission, members of the orchestra asked me if I was enjoying the show. A very treasured memory of a wonderful and fresh production.

The only reason I purchased this recording was because of Christine Andreas who may be one of the most talented singers from the theatre and her Eliza is totally believable due to the fact that she had four very big shoes to fill such as with Ms.Andrews and Ms.Hepburn. However I was a little disappointed in Ian Richardson's portrayal as Henry Higgins I did not think he had the personality as Sir Rex Harrison displayed in his numbers. Also Jerry Lanning as Freddy also disappointing his version of "On the Street Where you Live" was weak and just does not live up to John Michael King or Jeremy Brett's versions. In all honesty that is my favorite song in this entire score.Part of the reason I like different recordings is because of the different takes on songs and characters but this is just my little old opinion. George Rose is charming as Mr.Doliitle at times you would think Stanley Holloway was on this recording. All in all if you are a musical theatre lover such as myself and want to hear everything go ahead and splurge. If you are a bit more selective than perhaps you should look through the amazon catalog a little more until you find the perfect something.

I grew up with Rex Harrison's iconic performance as Henry Higgins. However, while Rex Harrison was a personality to be reckoned with, he was no singer. Neither is Ian Richardson, but therein lies the difference. While Harrison premiered the role, Richardson goes it one better. Here is one of the great Shakespearean actors, a jobbing actor with years of experience in the many ways the inflection of a voice can shape a line, taking on the part. As an actor in full command of his natural vocal gifts (and they were immense), he manages to set aside anything an audience might have remembered about Rex Harrison; if not surpassing Sexy Rexy's portrayal in the minds of those wedded to it, giving it a very long run for its money. For those who admire the many ways in which Ian Richardson brought his roles to stinging life, this will be a recording to treasure.

Christine Andreas is the fairest lady since Julie Andrews. Her crystal clear notes and sensitive rendition of these classic Broadway songs are truly music to the ears of all who hear her. Add this to your collection, whether it be a collection of Broadway, Lerner & Loewe, or "girl singers"!

I am a HUGE fan of classic Broadway musicals. In my opinion, MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY tie for the
#1 spot as Best Musical Of All Time. I've seen several productions of Lerner amd Loewe's loverly masterpiece,; both professional and
community theatre, and I enjoy collecting various recordings of Broadway musicals. Both the original cast recordings of MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY were recorded at Columbia's historic 30th Street Studios-- as
was this 1976 20th Anniversary recording of MY FAIR LADY.
The Anniversary production achieved a respectable
run of 384 performances. Goddard Lieberson, who produced the classic original 1956 Broadway Cast Album, again serves as producer here.

This 20th Anniversary recording used to be available at my local public library. I grew up listening to the 1956 Broadway Cast Album,
but I remember also being delighted with "20th Anniversary."

I used to own this version on audio cassette tape.
I was delighted to discover that Amazon.com offered "20th Anniverrsary" remastered on CD, and I purchased it immediately.

First, I must praise Didier C. Deutsch for the outstanding reissue and and digital remastering job he has done here and on countless other titles for Sony Broadway Masterworks. The sound quality here is sparkling and crisp.

Lightening did not exactly strike twice in terms of casting. Those hoping for another Higgins and Eliza to equal the magical theatrical partnership of Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews will be somewhat disappointed. Ian Richardson is bloody annoying and flat-out weird as Higgins. Christine Andreas, however, is thrilling as Eliza.
I know Higgins is supposed to be passionate about the proper pronouncation of the English language to the
exclusion of all else-- but Richardson has a habit of over-emphasizing/over-pronouncing almost every single word and musical phrase. The overall effect is--
there's simply no other way to describe it-- bizarre and weird! Higgins is a snobby male chauvanist-- but I never thought of him as a crackpot until I heard Richardson again. As Alan Jay Lerner so wittily wrote in his lyrics:
"An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks, he makes some other Englishman despise him!"
Richardson's performance proves this point perfectly.
But even Richardson going wildly over the top never brings this recording down. There are other compensations and splendid performances galore.

Robert Coote makes a welcome return to his original role as Col, Pickering. He sounds like he hasn't aged a
day. Good old Coote is as vital and vibrant as ever.
I have never been fond of Freddy's song "On The Street Where You Live"; feeling it is just a filler while the actors portraying Higgins and Eliza get dressed for the Embassy Ball. But Jerry Lanning (the adult "Patrick"
opposite Angela Lansbury in the original Broadway cast of "MAME") sings it beautifully. George Rose is especially robust as Eliza's drunk, garbage-man dad Alfred P. Doolittle. I love how Rose bursts into tears on his final phrase of, "I'm gettin' married in the mornin'. Ding- Dong! The bells (sob! sob!) are-- (complete crying collapse) gonna chime!" It's the perfection illustration of the old joke: Q: "What's the difference between
a wedding and a funeral?" A: "Perception."

While Julie Andrews will always be the definitive Eliza Doolittle (her performance won rapturous reviews and
deservedly became a theatrical legend), Christine Andreas is, in my opinion, the only other Eliza worthy enough to follow her--
and the only other Eliza worth listening to on a recording.

Her performances of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and particularly, "Show Me," are outstanding.

Christine Andreas's musical phrasing and dramatic emphasis show a thorough and complete understanding of Eliza. After an emotional argument with Higgins at the start of Act Two,
Eliza runs into the street to find love-struck Freddy waiting for her like a puppy dog. Caught between the chauvanist snob professor who refuses to show her the slightest human respect
and the dim-wit suitor who will not stop fawning over her, Eliza explodes with rage.

Christine Andreas is perfect as she explodes at Freddy, "I get words all day through--
first from HIM, now from YOU! Is that all you blighters can do?"

In short, whereas Ian Richardson goes miserably wrong as Henry Higgins, Christine Andreas is absolutely right as Eliza Doolittle.
This 20th Anniversary recording still earns its place where it belongs-- on the shelf next to the classic 1956 Broadway Cast Recording.