Overview
Synopsis
Hailed by critics and audiences for its heart and its wit, My Fair Lady is a beautiful musical about transformation, patronage, gender politics and class, based on George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion. Acclaimed Professor and confirmed bachelor Henry Higgins makes a wager with his linguistic colleague Colonel Pickering that in six months he can pass off “gutter snipe” Eliza Doolittle as a duchess at an embassy ball. Through arduous training, day and night, Eliza learns how to speak English “properly,” and transforms into a lady respected and adored by all classes. Along the way she bewitches young Freddy Einsford-Hill into falling in love with her, and convinces a supposed linguistics expert that she is royalty.
Through her transformation process, Eliza forges a deep connection with Colonel Pickering and most especially with Professor Higgins. However, she finds herself in a difficult position, now too refined to go back to her old life and not with any means or desire to live life as a lady of leisure – especially by herself. When Higgins completely fails to acknowledge Eliza’s role in her own transformation, she leaves his home. It is only then that Higgins realizes that he cares deeply for Eliza. The musical ends with Eliza’s return to Higgins’ home, and the ending is left ambiguous, yet it is beloved for being both one of the cleverest and one of the most romantic shows of all time.
Show Information
Context
Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady is based on Pygmalion, a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1912. The title refers to a Greek mythological character who features in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In the original story, Pygmalion was a sculptor (Henry Higgins) who fell in love with a statue he had carved (Eliza Doolittle.) In the Shaw play, Eliza ultimately marries Freddy Einsford-Hill. The public uproar about Shaw’s ending led to Shaw writing an additional postscript essay, detailing the
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Act One
Our scene opens outside the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, where the “gutter snipe” Eliza Doolittle begs exquisitely dressed patrons to “buy a flower off a poor girl” as they exit the theatre on a cold March evening. Freddy Eynsford-Hill, a well-dressed young man of twenty, is attending the theatre with his mother and clumsily collides with a busker, and then stumbles into Eliza, knocking her violets into the mud. Despairing with Freddy, despite her interest in him, Eliza
to read the plot for My Fair Lady and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
Showing 8 of 30 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in My Fair Lady.
Showing 8 of 44 portrayals
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Songs
- 1. Overture and Opening Scene – Orchestra, 3 buskers
- 2. Why Can’t the English? – Higgins
- *3. Wouldn’t it Be Loverly? – Eliza and Costermongers
- *4. With a Little Bit of Luck – Alfred Doolittle, Harry, and Jamie
- 5. I’m an Ordinary Man – Higgins
- 6. With a Little Bit of Luck (Reprise) – Alfred Doolittle and Friends (Ensemble)
- 7. Just You Wait – Eliza
- 8. The Servants’ Chorus – Mrs. Pearce and Servants
- *9. The Rain in Spain – Higgins, Eliza, Pickering
- *10. I Could Have Danced All Night – Eliza, Mrs. Pearce, Maids
- 11. Ascot Gavotte – Spectators at the race (Ensemble)
- 12. End of Gavotte and Blackout Music - Orchestra
- 13. On the Street Where You Live – Freddy
- 14. Eliza’s Entrance – Orchestra
- *15. Introduction to Promenade – Orchestra
- *16. Promenade – Orchestra
- *17. Embassy Waltz – Higgins, Eliza, Karpathy, Guests
- 18. Entr’acte
- 19. You Did It – Pickering, Higgins, Mrs. Pearce, Servants
- 20. Just You Wait (Reprise) – Eliza
- 21. On the Street Where You Live (Reprise) – Freddy
- 22. Show Me – Eliza and Freddy
- 23. The Flower Market / Wouldn’t It Be Loverly (Reprise) – Eliza and Costermongers
- *24. Get Me to the Church on Time – Alfred Doolittle, Harry, Jamie, and Costermongers
- 25. A Hymn to Him – Higgins
- 26. Without You – Eliza and Higgins
- 27. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face – Higgins
- 28. Finale - Orchestra
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Key Terms
An adaptation is a reworking of a story from one medium or cultural context into another, such as turning a novel into a play or updating a classic play’s setting. Adaptations often reinterpret themes, characters, and style for new audiences. They can range from faithful recreations to bold reimaginings.
A period of artistic flourishing, often referring to 1940s-60s Broadway or English Renaissance theatre. This term plays a vital role in understanding theatrical structure and is commonly encountered in stagecraft or performance settings.
The “Golden Age Musical” refers to Broadway shows written roughly between the 1940s and 1960s, a period known for integrating songs, story, and character development. These musicals often balanced romance, comedy, and social themes with memorable melodies and large ensembles. Classics from this era continue to shape the foundation of modern musical theatre.
An “I Want Song” is a number, usually placed early in a musical, where a main character expresses their deepest desire or ambition. This song sets the character’s journey in motion and gives the audience a clear emotional stake in the story. It has become one of the most recognizable and enduring conventions of musical theatre structure.
