Cygnet Theatre’s extraordinary staging of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe’s 1956 Broadway hit musical, “My Fair Lady,” is a musical and theatrical wonder.
No wonder. It is based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion.”
One might ask how a theater company stages such a big piece in a 146-seat theater. The answer is simple: one employs clever staging, fabulous choreography, minimalist design, meticulous sound design, and a small and mightily talented company devoted to each note and nuance.
In addition to co-directing the show with brilliant San Diego choreographer David Brannen, Cygnet artistic director Sean Murray flawlessly plays and sings the role of the stuffy phonetics professor, Henry Higgins, who bets his friend Col. Pickering (Tom Stephenson) that he can take a common flower girl named Eliza Doolittle (Amy Biedel) and pass her off as a duchess.
Audiences adore the scene at Ascot, where the partially transformed Eliza meets Higgins’ mother (Veronica Murphy), amuses the upper class with her outrageous and nearly disastrous “small talk,” and quite captures the devotion of Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Sean Cox).
In transforming Eliza into a “proper lady” Higgins imbues her with strength and individuation, and she becomes “a consort battleship.” Once she finds her freeing vowels and, as a result, her voice, expressed in “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Eliza would love to sing. A convincing actor, Biedel’s worry over high notes telegraphs to her face, decreasing belief in her character’s growing self-confidence. A slight quibble to be sure.
Eliza’s strength is an unexpected benefit and perplexing to Murray’s Higgins. Always affecting, “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” is a heartbreaker. The warmth of the man is indicated from the start in the actor’s eyes. There could be no other ending than the one he stages. It’s romantic, touching and suitable. Shaw would have hated it.
Murray also created the sketches of London and Higgins’ study that are projected behind the action. Jeanne Reith extends the feeling of pen and ink on parchment by costuming the ensemble in ecru and the main characters in color. Eliza’s dresses, gowns and hats are particularly marvelous and Biedel wears them to the manner born.
Ron Choularton wins the audience as Eliza’s rumpled, ne’er-do-well father, Alfred P. Doolittle. He is assisted on “With a Little Bit o’ Luck” and “Get Me to the Church on Time” by his pub mates, sweet-voiced and nimble Andy Collins and Erick L. Sundquist (and others who manage to sneak into the mix from time to time). Lee Lampard, a plus as Higgins’ housekeeper, and Jodie Bowman complete the ensemble.
A mere 10 people make theatrical magic. The production is enhanced by Amy Dalton’s music direction, Eric Lotze’s lighting, George Ye’s sound, and Sean Paxton’s digitally mastered orchestrations.
“My Fair Lady” has been extended through May 7 at Cygnet Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd. (near Montezuma). Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, with tickets priced at $25 to $29. For tickets and information visit www.cygnettheatre.com or call (619) 337-1525. n