GET ME TO SF PLAYHOUSE ON TIME:
MY FAIR LADY CHARMS UNION SQUARE

Every summer, San Francisco Playhouse puts on a classic blockbuster musical that runs from early July into September. It’s an unbeatable gambit   taking advantage of the tourist traffic in the Union Square district.

Jillian A. Smith

This year’s offering is a stunning production of Lerner & Loewe’s beloved My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. A superb cast, a supremely talented production team, and an ace band combine to make this not merely one of the hottest tickets in the city, but an astounding follow-up to the phenomenal The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time that closed just two weeks earlier.

The Cast

How the Playhouse was able to rehearse this daunting production—and build Nina Ball’s imposing set—in such a short time is something of a miracle. But miracle it is—Ball takes huge advantage of the rotating stage, so that one side is a London street (or Ascot racetrack) and the other side is the interior of the home of Professor Henry Higgins, a linguist who boasts he can place any Brit within a few blocks of home simply by their accent. The narrow side of the set is the entrance to the Higgins residence—in this position revealing the band backstage under the expert direction of Dave Dobrusky.

Adam Magill, Jillian A. Smith, and Brady Morales-Woolery

Jillian A. Smith shines as street urchin Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl who implores passersby to spare a few pence for her pathetic offerings. Her braying nasality combined with one of the most unpleasant accents in the English-speaking world—forget the “h” or “t”—draws the attention of Higgins (Adam Magill), lurking nearby with notepad in hand. Higgins strikes up a friendship with Col. Pickering (Brady Morales-Wollery), a military officer on leave, and the pair make a bet as to whether or not Higgins can coach Liza to the point where he can pass her off as a properly educated upper-class lady.

(top) Jillian A. Smith, (bottom) Kareem Jenkins, Adam Magill, and Chachi Delgado

With that we are off and running. Mostly against her will, Liza agrees to take up residence with Higgins and submits to his tutelage. It’s a battle of wills in which she emerges victorious over her own reluctance. Liza’s a tough customer but Higgins proves even tougher as his lessons work their magic.

Nicholas Tabora, Jill Slyter, Andy Collins

Liza’s breakthough is heartrending and hilarious when she makes her first halting attempts to pronounce the country as “Spain” rather than “spine.” Heather Orth puts in a solid performance as Mrs. Pearce, Higgins’ patient, long-suffering housekeeper and Liza’s only sympathizer other than Col. Pickering.

Heather Pearce, BrieAnne Alisa Martin, Jurä Davis,
Andy Collins, Dian Sitip Meechai, Julio Chavez

Nicholas Tabora is wonderful as Liza’s would-be suitor Freddy Eynsford-Hill, who becomes smitten with her when she violates all decorum at Ascot, shouting at a favored horse to “move your bloomin’ arse!” Freddy lingers outside Higgins’ door hoping to catch a glimpse of the object of his affection. Tabora is blessed with a beautiful tenor voice and delivers “On the Street Where You Live” with the utmost conviction. It’s arguably one of the greatest love songs ever penned.

 Brady Morales-Woolery, Jillian A. Smith, Adam Magill, Jill Slyter & Nicholas Tabora

Jomar Tagatac is fantastic as Alfred Doolittle, Liza’s estranged and luckless father. Tagatac shines in the signature song-and-dance bit “Get Me to the Church on Time,” while Jill Slyter is calm and confident as Mrs. Higgins, the professor’s mother, another character who comes around to Liza’s side.

Chachi Delgado, Jomar Tagatac, Andy Collins, Julio Chavez

The lanky Magill absolutely nails the part of the disdainful, condescending Higgins. Morales-Woolery is perfect as his companion and co-conspirator. The entire supporting cast is tremendous, especially Chachi Delgado, one of the best dancers in the Bay Area. Choreographer Nicole Helfer is at her peak with this show, aided by wonderful costume designs from Abra Berman and Lex Noseworthy.

Julio Chavez, Adam Magill, Brady Morales-Woolery, and Heather Orth

Director Bill English has brought to life one of the greatest ugly-duckling stories ever conceived. A seatmate mentioned having seen the Lincoln Center production of this show with Kelsey Grammer as Higgins.

“I liked this one better,“ he said. Praise doesn’t get any higher than that.

Jillian A. Smith

Barry Willis is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and president of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.