The Castle Opera in Szczecin staged another musical. After a very successful "Crazy for You" it's time for "My Fair Lady".
I am impressed with the production, which cost a lot of money, very good artists were involved and all the available technical means at the Castle Opera's disposal were put into operation.
The effect is very good, but ...
Will this old age musical - a very old-fashioned and as a result boring in the libretto - attract a young audience to the Castle?
Why invest a lot of money in a little funny and naive story with past hits?
I really liked the soloists in their roles, the team scenes were great, the choir was excellent, but ...
Hundreds of modern musicals are played in theaters all over the world, with amazing music that would bring this type of music closer to young listeners and, perhaps, would convince them to the world of opera?
Certainly, the licenses cost a lot of money, but it's a bit of a pity that our theatres stage new musicals so rarely...
For the record:
"My Fair Lady - a 1956 musical (based on the drama Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw) with a libretto by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a florist from the lower classes, who, under the influence of Phonetics Professor Henry Higgins, turns into a lady. Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews starred in the Broadway and West End premieres. The 1956 Broadway production was a major success at the time, setting the record for the longest-running New York show at the time. Production moved to London in 1958 and the musical was filmed in 1964. With Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison."
The program of the Szczecin production says:
“My Fair Lady is associated with good and addictive entertainment. The show invariably seduces viewers all over the world. It is a classic of the genre, enjoying unflagging popularity due to its excellent music and the recognized prototype - the art of Pigmalion. George Bernard Shaw's drama in the musical version returned to Opera na Zamku after over 20 years of break (...).
The setting is London, which retains some of the realities of 1912, but can also provide a credible background to reflect contemporary issues and attitudes. The story of the ruthless and self-centered professor Henry Higgins, told here from the point of view of three women: his mother, hostess - Mrs. Pearce and student Eliza Doolittle, forced to share their fates with him, gives the opportunity to read this story in a new way.
And all this is not devoid of singing and dancing musical charm, cynical English humor, great acting creations, and many opportunities to experience real emotions and emotions."
