Producers John Frost and Opera Australia’s Lyndon Terracini have announced that Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady, directed by Julie Andrews, will play seasons in Brisbane and Melbourne following the Sydney season at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
“The response we have had to the Sydney season has been truly overwhelming and to meet demand we have announced that the show will travel to Brisbane and Melbourne,” said Producer John Frost. “This 2016 recreation of My Fair Lady has been more than a decade in the making and we are excited to share it with Australian audiences.”
The production will travel to Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 12 March and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 11 May 2017. Tickets for the Brisbane and Melbourne season will go on sale in October.
Young Australian performer, Anna O’Byrne will star as Eliza Doolittle with the full Brisbane and Melbourne cast to be announced later this year. Anna was cast by Andrew Lloyd Webber to create the role of Christine Daaé in Love Never Dies, his sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, and has since gone on to enjoy an international career spanning opera, theatre, concert and film.
Julie Andrews, who created the original role of Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway and London productions directed by the legendary Moss Hart, said “My Fair Lady is one of the great musicals from Broadway’s golden age, and I am delighted to help bring it to Brisbane and Melbourne in 2017.”
Associates of the original design team have come onboard for this production to help bring to life once again the stunning sets by Oliver Smith and glorious costumes by Cecil Beaton. Contributing to the creative team is Tony-award winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli, musical director Guy Simpson, lighting design by Broadway and West End legend Richard Pilbrow and sound design by Michael Waters.
“This is a brilliant musical that charms audiences with its warmth and vivid characters,” said Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director Opera Australia. “It is indeed a privilege to work with Julie Andrews and we are thrilled that Brisbane and Melbourne audiences will have the opportunity to see the magic she has created for this new production of My Fair Lady.”
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of this beloved musical, which took the world by storm, it tells the tale of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle, whose world was forever changed by the brilliant and demanding phoneticist, Professor Henry Higgins. The clash of cultures sparks some of theatre’s most witty dialogue and wonderful songs.
My Fair Lady plays the Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House from 30 August 2016 (opening night – 6 September). It will then play Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre – QPAC from 12 March 2017, and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 11 May 2017. For more information, visit: www.myfairladymusical.com.au for details.
Image: Deidre Rubenstein, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anna O’Byrne, Alex Jennings, Reg Livermore, Robyn Nevin, Mark Vincent feature in the Sydney season of My Fair Lady – photo by Brian Geach