My Fair Lady comes to Minneapolis as part of a U.S. premiere tour direct from its West End run and a 2005 U.K. national tour. Christopher Cazenove, one of England’s most respected stage and screen actors best known to U.S. audiences as Ben Carrington on television’s “Dynasty,” and Lisa O’Hare, who recently starred in the title role of Mary Poppins in London, will re-create their critically acclaimed roles as Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. The cast also features Marni Nixon (who was the singing voice for Audrey Hepburn as Eliza in the 1964 movie) as Mrs. Higgins, Walter Charles as Colonel Hugh Pickering, Tim Jerome as Alfred P. Doolittle, Barbara Marineau as Mrs. Pearce and Justin Bohon as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. At selected performances the role of Eliza will be played by Dana DeLisa.

This new production was hailed by the London Daily Telegraph as “probably the greatest musical of all time” and U.S. critics were equally unanimous in their praise: “A joyous smash revival,” says Ben Brantley of the New York Times. My Fair Lady is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion” and features a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It tells the story of phonetics professor Henry Higgins, who bets his friend, Colonel Pickering, that he can transform cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a duchess in three months. As Eliza undergoes a grueling course of elocution lessons and becomes a lady, the professor begins to see her in a different light.

This production originally opened at the National Theatre of Great Britain in March 2001 before transferring to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on London’s West End in July 2001 where it ran for 2½ years. The show opened to record-breaking advance sales and went on to win five Laurence Olivier Awards, including Outstanding Musical Production and Best Theatre Choreographer for Matthew Bourne. In 2002, it received The Hilton Award for Outstanding Musical Production.

The original production of My Fair Lady starred Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison and opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City on March 15, 1956 where it ran for 2,717 performances–the longest-running musical of its day and still one of the top fifteen longest-running Broadway musicals of all time. It won eight 1956 Tony Awards including Best Musical. My Fair Lady subsequently opened in London with the same cast on April 30,1958 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and it enjoyed a record-breaking 5 ½ year run. The 1964 film of “My Fair Lady,” starring Audrey Hepburn as Eliza and Rex Harrison reprising his role as Professor Higgins, has become a beloved classic worldwide, winning eight 1964 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Throughout February, Twin Cities Public Television be airing the BBC Omnibus documentary, “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” (2001), created in association with London’s West End production of My Fair Lady, now touring the U.S. with a stop in Minneapolis. This one hour special offers a behind-the-scenes modern perspective through interviews with Trevor Nunn, Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh, as well as an historic overview with clips from the 1956 Broadway production and the hit movie. Local air times are: Feb. 2 at 8 p.m., Feb. 3 at 2 a.m., Feb. 17 at 10 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 4 a.m. on TPT Channel 2 and Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. on TPT Channel 17. For more information, please visit www.myfairladythemusical.com.

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for My Fair Lady are on sale now and range in price from $23-78 depending on performance time and seating preference. All prices include applicable facility fees. Additional charges may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55402), online at HennepinTheatreDistrict.org, or through Ticketmaster by calling 612-673-0404 or visiting ticketmaster.com.

Performance dates for My Fair Lady are Wednesday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, March 2, 2008 at the Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55403. Show times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. There is an additional matinee performance on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.

Groups of 15 or more should call 612-373-5665 for discount information and reservations.

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST
Hennepin Theatre Trust is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization dedicated to enhancing the cultural and economic vitality of the Hennepin Theatre District. With a focus on engaging community members in a diverse array of live performances and educational experiences, the Trust’s annual presentations include the M&I Bank Broadway Across America–Minneapolis Season, National Geographic Live! Speaker’s Series and an eclectic range of variety entertainment including theatre, dance, comedy and music. The Trust’s additional community programming includes the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, Critical View (a student reviewer program), the Starbucks Ticket Access Program and Kids’ Night on Broadway. Over 500,000 patrons visit the Trust’s State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres annually.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
Broadway Across America presents first-rate touring Broadway shows, family productions and other live theatrical events throughout a network of over 40 North American cities. A leader in subscription series programs and group ticketing, Broadway Across America is dedicated to creating memorable and accessible experiences for all guests, selling over five million tickets to over 3,000 performances each year. As a producer, current and recent Broadway productions include Hairspray, Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalot and The Producers. It also manages, operates or consults in the operation of 13 theatres across North America. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent, go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.