The musical My Fair Lady is a theatre classic, and the film version starring Audrey Hepburn is loved by millions. The Winding Rivers Arts and Performance Society is excited to announce that it will be producing My Fair Lady in November 2015; and you could be a part of it!
My Fair Lady - based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion - tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower seller who isn’t happy with her lot in life but has no idea how to change it. Then she meets Henry Higgins, an expert in phonetics, who announces that he can turn Eliza into a lady simply by teaching her how to speak properly. The feisty Eliza decides to take the rather pompous Higgins up on his challenge, resulting in a delightful battle as these two strong-willed characters set out to achieve what they want.
The songs by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe are classics, from the romantic “On the Street Where You Live” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” to the comic “Get Me to the Church on Time” and “The Rain in Spain” to the bittersweet “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”:. At the heart of the musical are unforgettable characters: besides Eliza and Henry there are Henry’s patient friend Colonel Pickering; Eliza’s father, Alfred, a dustman who proudly declares himself one of the “undeserving poor”; Freddy, the young man smitten by Eliza; Zoltan Karpathy, a rival of Henry’s who decides to find out if Eliza is a fraud; and Henry’s strong-willed mother, determined that her son’s “experiment” won’t backfire on the innocent Eliza.
WRAPS is looking for actors and singers who would like to take part in My Fair Lady. There are a large number of parts: some require singing and acting, some are speaking parts only, and some are singing parts only (as members of the chorus). Anyone interested in auditioning for a role should attend the auditions, which will take place in the Ashcroft Secondary School music room on Wednesday, April 29 (7-9pm) and on Saturday and Sunday, May 2–3 (2–4pm). Scripts, scores, and a piano accompanist will be provided.
WRAPS is also looking for people willing to take part backstage: hair and makeup artists; seamstresses; painters; lighting and sound technicians; and props people. Anyone who is able to assist in these areas should come to one of the auditions. For more information contact Jessica Clement at 457-7128.
The WRAPS production of My Fair Lady is going to be an extraordinary event. Get involved and be a part of it; you’re guaranteed to have a loverly time!
Barbara Roden