My Fair Lady
at West Broward High School

Reviewed on March 1, 2019

Reese Abrahamoff
Cooper City High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

"The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated." Taking us on a journey through transformation, gender politics, and class, West Broward High School's enchanting production of "My Fair Lady" delves into the theme of self-discovery proving that it's never too late to dance all night.

With lyrics and a book by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway in 1956, earning six Tony Awards, including "Best Musical". Based off George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play, Pygmalion, this production, at the time, set the record for the longest running show on Broadway and was followed by several revivals and an eight-time Oscar winning movie. The story revolves around Eliza Doolittle, a young flower seller whose heavy Cockney accent keeps her in the lower rungs of an Edwardian society. When Professor Henry Higgins takes on the challenge of teaching her how to speak like a proper and classy lady, friendships emerge, relationships are tested, and characters are faced with life-changing decisions.

Leading lady Francesca Pinilla did an exceptional job as the stubborn, yet tough, Eliza Doolittle. Taking place in a time where lower class citizens were essentially always compared to the elite class, Pinilla excelled in showing the sharp variation between her initially rugged and improper persona to that of a classy, however conflicted, character. A standout element of Pinilla's performance was her ability to show the contrast in her two accents. The shift from her cockney accent to a more formal and proper one showed the audience a clear distinction between her true personality and one where her public facade had masked her internal struggles. Alongside Pinilla was Carson Marc (Henry Higgins) whose authoritative figure and constant feeling of superiority led to the unsound relationship between his character and Eliza. Both actors worked well off each other, allowing their final reunion to be both heartwarming and genuine.

The role of Colonel Pickering was played by Angel Martinez whose charismatic and considerate nature contributed to Eliza's arc of self-respect. Martinez's earnest and positive persona allowed for a truly enjoyable performance. An additional standout was Anthony Mejias (Professor Zoltan Karpathy). Despite having a limited number of lines, Mejias never failed to humor the audience through his outgoing, energetic, and jokester attitude, evidently seen through his encounter with Professor Higgins.

As a whole, the ensemble's performance was superb, most notably in the show stopping number, "Get Me to the Church on Time". With endless energy, proper stage business, and consistent commitment towards the required accents, the ensemble was able to precisely transport us into the harsh realities of the early 1900's where social division was not uncommon. Despite a lack of personal connections among certain characters, it was obvious that each cast member had a clear understanding of their roles, allowing for easy understanding of the mature components of this long-lived classic. The technical elements of the show were executed extremely well. The lighting (Alex Ortiz) was a strong contribution to the production. Matching each scene with lighting that represented the mood, each character's emotions and inner struggles were clearly depicted, allowing the audience to grasp a complete understanding of each cast member.

West Broward High School's heartfelt production of "My Fair Lady" not only challenges the period's societal pressures of women, but proves that no matter who you are, an individual can only have control over oneself.

Susanna Ninomiya
Somerset Academy
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

"Wouldn't it be Loverly" to see a timeless show about transformation mixed with witty humor, great dancing, and catchy tunes? Well you're in luck with West Broward High School's production of My Fair Lady.

Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, My Fair Lady follows the story of Eliza Doolittle, a "flower girl" with a strong cockney accent, as she becomes the subject of a misogynistic and condescending professor's bet. Professor Higgins attempts to mold Doolittle into a lady presentable to high society by fixing her speech in just six months. Along the way, Doolittle must confront the changes that come with her social class transformation. With book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, the show's 1956 production became the longest running show of its time.

Leading the show with charisma and charm was Francesca Pinilla as Eliza Doolittle. Throughout the show, Pinilla gave it her all with her beautiful voice and dedication to her character's progressive transformation. Her transition from a Cockney accent to that of an upper-class lady was impressive. Playing the ever-patronizing professor, Carson Marc did a commendable job tackling his accent, quick tongue, and fickle moods. Angel Martinez completed the trio by playing Colonel Pickering. His commitment to playing an older man shone through his physicality and maturity towards both Higgins and Doolittle.

Noah Levin (Alfred Doolittle) maintained high energy as Eliza's carefree and stumbling father. Anthony Mejias had incredible energy and comedic timing as Professor Zoltan Karpathy, making a vivid impression that created an engaging character and greatly enhanced the show. The ensemble as a whole had good harmonies and admirable dedication as they were always engaged on the stage. With this particular story, accents are essential. Although some performers showed difficulty with the dialect, and some lines were lost with the accents, the ensemble overall turned in a believable performance. Even though energy and chemistry were lacking in some scenes, the wonderful number "Get Me to the Church on Time" brought the house down, showing the best of the ensemble and their dancing abilities, particularly with Noah Levin.

The lighting added to the moods of the show with great timing, emphasizing the bipolar nature of Higgins and showcasing Eliza's conflicting feelings. With the direction of stage manager Gabriella Scott, the crew was swift and silent, hitting all the quick scene changes with ease.

West Broward took on the difficult task of performing this classic musical with stride and determination. "With a Little Bit of Luck", you'll get to enjoy West Broward High School's production of My Fair Lady!

Sarah Lynch
Archbishop McCarthy High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

My fair ladies and gentlemen! Wouldn't it be loverly to journey on a tale of transformation? Well, just you wait for West Broward High School's production of My Fair Lady to waltz you into a story of renewal and personal growth.

Lerner & Loewe's award winning musical, My Fair Lady, has graced the stage and captivated audiences since 1956. Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, the story follows a young Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from Henry Higgins so that she may transform into a proper young lady. Yet, the musical begs the question: "who was really transformed?"

Commanding the stage with a beautiful vibrato and melodious voice was Francesca Pinilla who played the challenging role of Eliza Doolittle with professionalism and poise. She expertly showcased the transition of not only her accent, but also her outwardly transition as she blossomed into a young lady before the audience's eyes. From mastering the physicality and inflection that the role "Eliza" demands, Francesca gave a simply "loverly" performance in her acting and singing alike. Alongside Pinilla was Carson Marc who portrayed Henry Higgins. Throughout the musical Higgins remained very animated and showcased his talent in memorable numbers such as "I'm an Ordinary Man," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face."

Kaleb Hobson-Garcia additionally gave an outstanding performance as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. With a voice like velvet, he serenaded the audience and was able to clearly bring to life his character. Further, Professor Zoltan, who was played by Anthony Mejias, automatically captured everyone's attention with his standout performance filled with comedic moments.

The Cockney ensemble members brought life and vibrancy to the production! Though some performers lacked energy at times, overall, they were lively and sang beautifully impressive harmonies. In the musical number "Get Me to the Church on Time," every member shined as the choreography and singing was highly energetic and executed perfectly.

The show consisted of a very clever lighting scheme that set the tone for the entirety of the musical. The lights beamed with vibrant red tones to emulate the feelings of the actors on stage, which was especially effective in "Show Me" to reflect Eliza's brewing anger. Additionally, Gabriella Scott did a commendable job as Stage Manager and the show consisted of speedy set changes and very few technical issues.

All in all, with a little bit of luck and a whole lot of talent, West Broward High School's production of My Fair Lady left audiences wanting to dance all night!

Leah Tomas
JP Taravella High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

"Wouldn't it be Loverly" to sit "abso-bloomin'-lutely still" in the West Broward High School auditorium and watch their "loverly" production of "My Fair Lady"? The story follows Eliza Doolittle, and her journey to become a proper lady under the instruction of Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetics teacher who has made a bet with his colleague Colonel Pickering that in six months he will have taught Eliza, "a woman from the gutter condemned by every syllable she utters," to speak proper English.

With a book and lyrics written by Alan Jay Lerner underscored by music composed by Frederick Loewe, "My Fair Lady" is based on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion." The hit musical premiered on Broadway in 1956 and held the record for the longest run of a Broadway show at the time. The production won a plethora of awards, including the 1956 Theatre World Award for Outstanding New York City Stage Debut Performance, and several Tony Awards. The original Broadway cast featured Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins.

Francesca Pinilla (Eliza Doolittle) led the production with a stunning voice and captivating characterization. She flawlessly executed both choreography and multiple British dialects. Carson Marc (Henry Higgins) provided excellent contrast to Pinilla's character. He demonstrated smooth vocals and clear understanding of his character's dynamics, with strong moments of both calm composure and furious anger. Both Pinilla and Marc showed immense character development throughout the production, as each character experienced a dramatic transformation in ideas, values, and behavior.

Angel Martinez (Colonel Pickering) clearly displayed strong acting and vocal abilities, as well as excellent focus. He flawlessly executed an eloquent British dialect, and his diction was excellent. Noah Levin (Alfred Doolittle) possessed a commanding stage presence and endless energy, along with brilliant execution of choreography and a cockney British dialect.

Kaleb Hobson-Garcia (Freddy Eynsford-Hill) demonstrated beautiful vocals and effortlessly captured the earnest nature of his character. Julissa Ciara Perez (Mrs. Higgins) delivered an engaging performance and did an excellent job portraying an older character. Though lacking energy and expression at times, the ensemble of this production provided strong dynamics to the overall cast, as shown in the high-energy "Get Me to the Church on Time" along with the elegant and disciplined "The Embassy Waltz." Each member of the ensemble did an excellent job tackling the difficult and demanding accents required by this production.

The technical elements of this production were very well executed. The stage was decorated with beautiful scenery and transitions between locations were efficient and smooth. The lighting aspect expertly established the tone and mood of each scene through the illumination of the stage in a vibrant array of colors. The costumes, hair, and makeup effectively conveyed the Edwardian time period in which the story takes place, and clearly delineated each group of characters.

Themes of transformation, female empowerment, and discovery combine to create West Broward High School's production of "My Fair Lady", a story about "filling up the deepest cut that separates class from class and soul from soul" that will make you want to "Dance all Night."

Jaime Happel
JP Taravella High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

Find your slippers, rehearse your words, and indulge in some chocolate as you prepare for a "jolly good" journey to Wimpole Street with West Broward Drama Program's sophisticated and witty production of "My Fair Lady."

Based on "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw, "My Fair Lady" features book, music, and lyrics from Lerner and Loewe. The award-winning musical premiered on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in March 1956. After a record-breaking 2,717 performances, The Broadway Theatre saw the show come to a close in 1962. The original production, starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, became critically acclaimed and continues to render countless adaptions and revivals. The original cast recording became the country's best-selling album and the show won six Tony Awards in 1957, including Best Musical.

Carson Marc portrayed the haughty phonetics professors, Henry Higgins, with tremendous animation. A crisp, lulling voice and eager physicality aided Marc in creating a clear contrast between the cultivated upper class and the nature of London's gritty, impoverished dwellers. Higgen's wagers he can transform an inarticulate lady, Eliza Doolittle (Francesca Pinilla), into a duchess of the highest stature. Pinilla exhibited a dynamic, "loverly" soprano register, most notably in her dreamy rendition of "I Could Have Danced All Night." Expressive facials accentuated Pinilla's discoveries and fostered her development into a "glorious girl" dawned in diamonds.

Angel Martinez (Colonel Pickering) showcased eminent focus and constant engagement throughout the production, illuminating the dialect-savvy associate's intriguing reactions. Noah Levin, who commanded the stage with strong character commitment, brought Eliza's boisterous father, Alfred Doolittle, to life. Little did he know, his daughter was being pined after by the debonair, Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Kaleb Hobson-Garcia). Hobson-Garcia exuded confidence with his broad stance and sustained velvety vocals in hopes of making Miss Doolittle swoon.

The ensemble braved a challenging classic by exploring various relationships between their vibrant characters. Communion was evident between ensemble members, commendably the Cockneys, as they took advantage of every moment by engrossing themselves in realistic, amusing stage business. Convincing accents remained consistent for the show's duration, but at times too much focus was placed on them and articulation was lost. While some scenes lacked urgency, energy was prominent in large group numbers with clean partner work and pleasing harmonies, specifically "Get Me to the Church on Time."

Lighting was wonderfully timed and corresponded with the characters' moods. This clever idea greatly contributed to each scene's overall atmosphere; however, a lack of variation caused the washes to become less impactful as the story progressed. The picturesque set was versatile, allowing for fast changes of the greatest efficiency. Set changes were plentiful and the crew's professionalism was highly admirable. Rich colors and ornate furnishings abetted easily distinguishable locations and emphasized attention to detail.

To be proper is not defined by how you speak, but rather by the way in which you treat others. West Broward Drama Program's production of "My Fair Lady" reminds us that perception is not everything and that at the end of the day, an ideal lady is a unique and independent one.