Review: MY FAIR LADY at Broadway Palm is Loverly!

MY FAIR LADY at Broadway Palm was an incredibly delightful, very lovely--or should I say Loverly--production. Broadway Palm has once again brought a classic story to life on their stage, and they did a spectacular job (as they always do!). From the gorgeous costumes, to the fun musical numbers, to the funny, heartwarming storyline, this is not a show to be missed.

MY FAIR LADY tells the story of Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins. After a chance encounter, Eliza, a poor Cockney flower girl, goes to Henry for lessons on dialect and mannerisms. Henry's mission is to teach Eliza for 6 months and improve her speech, then have her attend the Embassy Ball and convince everyone she is a lady--a Duchess. Of course, this is quite an adventure for both Eliza and Henry, and there are most definitely some bumps along the road.

Maxwell Porterfield was phenomenal in the role of Eliza Doolittle. I was thoroughly impressed with her acting and singing, and it was rather amazing how well she did at holding her character's accent--especially since she had to change her dialect as her character learned from Professor Henry Higgins. She was quite captivating every time she was on stage; her facial expressions and movements as her character were perfect. The emotion she put into every line she spoke and each word she sang was very strong; "I Could Have Danced All Night" was one of the most beautiful, bright songs in the show, and Porterfield did a fantastic job at showing Eliza's feelings through it. I appreciated how strong Eliza's character was, especially when clashing with Henry, and thought Maxwell Porterfield and Daniel James Canaday did a great job at creating that tension on stage.

Daniel James Canaday played Henry Higgins, and he was a wonderful match to Porterfield's Eliza. They had a wonderful energy together on stage. Though his character made many insulting comments to Eliza, I enjoyed how he evolved very much, especially near the end of the show, and Canaday executed this brilliantly.

The rest of the cast, featuring Megan Urz as Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, Charlie Tingen as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Dale Given as Colonel Pickering, Joshua Lehman as Alfred P. Doolittle, Regina Harbour as Mrs. Pearce, and Sherry Konjura as Mrs. Higgins, along with the entire ensemble, was sensational.

The orchestra was fantastic in this production. There are so many entertaining and fun musical numbers in MY FAIR LADY, and the music, of course, truly makes them lively. From "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" to "The Rain in Spain" and beyond, the music was truly sensational in this show.

Costume Designer John P. White has outdone himself with this production of MY FAIR LADY. I think this show had some of the most stunning costumes of this season at Broadway Palm. Also, I was enthralled with how beautiful the set pieces were; Dominic Lau, the Set Designer, did a wonderful job.

I highly recommend seeing Broadway Palm's MY FAIR LADY, if you get the chance. This is one of my favorite productions Broadway Palm has brought to Southwest Florida this season; it is elegant, witty, thoroughly entertaining, and very charming. It will leave you wanting to dance all night, just like Eliza Doolittle after she finally begins to master proper English dialect.

MY FAIR LADY is playing at Broadway Palm now through May 19. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings, with selected matinees. Ticket prices range from $45 to $70, with discounts for children and parties of 20 or more. Advance reservations are required and tickets can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, by visiting BroadwayPalm.com, or by stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida.

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