Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...American musical theater is not opera, even if it is an eclectic outgrowth of that form and often demands voices that might qualify as "operatic." The failure to understand this, and how it requires different thinking in terms of staging and acting, has been a persistent problem with Lyric Opera of Chicago's productions since the "Broadway at Lyric" initiative began five years ago. And as lavishly designed and staged as much of this "My Fair Lady" might be, the problem remains, with much of it involving the overall directorial concept."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"...For music lovers, the chance to hear a classic score, splendidly played by a full complement of strings, woodwinds and brass, rarely happens outside of an opera house. An experience not soon forgotten, it has been a highlight of Lyric's Broadway revivals. And it is one of the supreme delights of its latest -- the witty, elegant "My Fair Lady," Alan Jay Lerner's and Frederick Loewe's 1956 musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion.""
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...This show is a good fit for Lyric. And in hindsight I see there are many reasons for this. For one, the show already has impeccable high-brow credentials: it's a faithful adaption of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 social comedy Pygmalion and the screenplay Shaw penned for Gabriel Pascal's 1938 movie version. In adapting Shaw's original, about a gentleman phonetician, Henry Higgins, who on a bet teaches a cockney flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, to talk and act like a lady, Lerner wisely left most of the original dialogue and story intact. For another, Lerner and Loewe's witty, intelligent, elegant score can hold its own alongside the best operas in the repertoire."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...For more than a century, people have been arguing about the ending of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," the play behind Lerner and Loewe's beloved musical "My Fair Lady." Now the Lyric Opera of Chicago jumps into this amusing fray, but don't expect the matter to be cleared up. When it comes to the cockney guttersnipe Eliza Doolittle and the phonetics professor who successfully passes her off as an aristocrat, the romantic stakes are still dizzy with spin."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Director Robert Carsen's production was originally created for Paris' Theâtre du Châtelet. While Tim Hatley's set design comes across as rather monochrome, it transparently and elegantly evokes London without detracting from Anthony Powell's sumptuous costumes, such as Eliza's chic ball gown or her whimsically matching polka-dot dress, parasol, and hat. The comfortable pace of the production and smooth set changes contribute to making this fair Lady a stunning success and high note on which to end a remarkable season."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Viewing this well-crafted production with the visually stunning show-stoppers, the rich vocals and the vivid costumes make this production a rare classic. Keep in mind at 2 hours, 55 minutes, this production contains all the elements of the original 1956 Broadway production. Young actors, directors and producers need to see this production to see that the little details can sure make a difference. The Lyric’s production is world class and one of the finest I have ever seen and I have seen many. This production sent me remembering the original as I watched O’Hare sing “Wouldn’t It be Loverly?” Kudos to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for selecting My Fair Lady. How about Brigadoon in the next few years?"
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This is year 5 of the Lyric’s summer Broadway programming, and if the energy of the crowd on opening night is any indication, these events are enormously popular with the public. Certainly, there could hardly be a better opportunity to hear Loewe’s music, and the original director of this new-to-Chicago-production, Robert Carson (who also directed the Lyric’s last show, Eugene Onegin), maximizes the humor in the piece. And if one gets the distinct feeling that he vastly prefers Pygmalion to what Lerner and Loewe did to Shaw’s script, and especially its ending, that just makes the production more interesting."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Luckily for Chicago this exquisite production, which musically and dramatically has so much to recommend it, is playing at the Lyric for several weeks. Olivier Fredj, his support team and large, gifted cast have created an enchanting evening of theatre that’s true to original 1956 Broadway production. It will transport audiences back to the elegance and innocence of London during the 1950’s. As gorgeous-sounding as Lerner and Loewe’s lavish, Tony Award-winning musical score is, Shaw’s original play truly shines forth. This new Broadway caliber production is guaranteed to make theatergoers want to “dance all night.”"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Somewhat Recommended
"...Or perhaps these flaws are imagined, and everything the production needs is there, but merely lost. Shaw’s class-consciousness and Lerner’s wit need the precision of scalpels, and such precision is lost in the large auditorium. Odd for a production originally conceived and mounted in an opera house; in this case, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Also odd for director Robert Carsen, whose deeply intimate production of Eugene Onegin played earlier this season in the same space to great success."
Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...From the opening notes of the overture we hear a rendition that has more brass sound than one might have recorded in our minds' ear. The audience gasped and applauded as the curtain came up on a scene of an opera house exterior, not totally unlike the scene outside the Lyric's doors. The opening, and also later scenes in this production, have a somewhat surprising amount of dialogue with true-to-Shaw pacing."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...But to the lady go the spoils. Lisa O'Hare, whether in tiara or equine admonishment, is practically perfect in every way. Trained as a ballerina and an opera singer, and now a Broadway leading lady, beautiful of face and voice, and with a garn that can melt stone, O'Hare is Lyric's winning ticket."
