Clarkson Music Theatre proudly presents “My Fair Lady”. This is that rare musical by which all others are measured and features one of musical theatre’s greatest scores, including: “The Rain in Spain”, “I Could Have Danced all Night”,” On the Street Where you Live”, “Get me to the Church on Time” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”. Eliza Doolittle is a young flower seller with an unmistakable Cockney accent which keeps her in the lower rungs of Edwardian society. But “she wants to be a lady”. Enter Professor Henry Higgins, the arrogant world-renowned master of the English Language who bets he can “make a duchess of this draggle-tailed gutter snipe!” An unlikely friendship blooms along with a little bit of luck! “Wouldn’t it be loverly?” to join us?

Performances are as follows:
November 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 @ 8 pm / Nov.18, 24, 25 @ 2 pm

Show Rating: Suitable for all audiences

Directed and choreographed by Michael MacLennan

Music Director Jenny Peace

Producers: Rita Ferguson, Christine McMahon and Mike Giguere

About Clarkson Music Theatre:

In this, our 73rd season, Clarkson Music Theatre is pleased to present “My Fair Lady” at Meadowvale Theatre. CMT prides itself on offering the best of entertainment to the Mississauga community. CMT was honoured with a Marty by the Mississauga Arts Council and our president, Rita Ferguson, was the 2017 recipient of the Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year Award. Our productions vary from such classics as “White Christmas” (2017), “Hello Dolly” (2015) and “Mame” (2012) to newer musicals such as “Legally Blonde” (2013), “Hairspray” (2011), “All Shook Up” (2016) and “Young Frankenstein” (2014). “My Fair Lady” will take us to the streets of London and the life of Eliza Doolittle whose story this is.

About our cast:

Our Eliza, Alison O’Neill is a graduate of McMaster University where she studied Theatre/English, as well as Classical Voice. While completing her teaching certification in Glasgow, Alison also studied in the Music Theatre Intensive Course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Favourite credits include Nelly Forbush in 'South Pacific’ (Dreamtheatre), Ivy in ‘Bare’ (Watersedge/Hart House), ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ (Angelwalk Theatre/Koogle Theatre) for which she was nominated for a BroadwayWorld.com Award. Alison was also a Top 40 Maria on CBC’s ‘How Do You Solve a Problem…?’

Our cast also features many of Clarkson’s veteran performers, including Nick Forrow as Colonel Pickering, Susan Wray Toogood as Mrs. Higgins, Brian Wray as Doolittle, Rita Ferguson as Mrs. Pearce. We welcome back Clive Lacey (Henry Higgins) who returns to CMT’s boards after a twenty-year absence. The cast is listed below.

Cast:

Principals

Eliza Doolittle Alison O’Neill

Colonel Pickering Nick Forrow

Henry Higgins Clive Lacey

Freddy Eynsford-Hill Tommy Amoroso

Alfred P. Doolittle Brian Wray

Mrs. Higgins Susan Wray Toogood

Mrs. Pearce Rita Ferguson

Dancers

Kristen Amy, Emma Campbell (dance captain), Evan Delvecchio-Williams (Harry), Ron Harder (cockney), T. Richard Henry (Jamie/ cockney), Adam Holroyd (cockney / Karpathy), Alix Kingston, Delta Marando, Katie Westrope

Ensemble

Bill Bain, Melanie Baril (servant), Meagan Dowey (Mrs. Higgins’ maid), Miranda Gregorio (servant), Ronald Harder (Hoxton man, Cockney), Joanne Hines (Queen of Transylvania), Al Kingston (Servant, George the Bartender), Jacki Kingston (Mrs. Eynesford-Hill), Stuart LeFevre (Cockney, servant), Christine McMahon (Mrs. Hopkins), Theresa Morris(servant), Reid Mowat (Angry Man, Footman at Ball), Emma Prestage (servant), Jacky Sheppard(angry woman)

Production Elements

Community Theatre offers opportunities for volunteers to come together to build sets, make props, create light and sound magic and generally play backstage. Our set is designed by award winning Bruce Brown. The vision of our director, Michael MacLennan, will be realized by the “bird cage” arches which will dominate this production, and change to take audiences to such streets as Covent Gardens, Tottenham Court and the Ascot. Props have been gathered, crafted and glued into gramophones, sound machines, flower carts and more. Alex Amini’s award winning costumes will present a traditional “Lady”, complete with Ascot attire, ball gowns, Cockney flair – all of which will undoubtedly delight. Our fifteen-piece orchestra under the direction of Jenny Peace will be the backbone for this cast of 30, all of whom can’t wait to share their love of theatre with the Meadowvale audience.

Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady

Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe

Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s Motion Picture “Pygmalion”, Original production directed and staged by Moss Hart

My Fair Lady is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).