A tale of two (fair) ladies

 

New York theatergoers have a rare chance to see two distinct versions of a time-honored tale with Lincoln Center’s My Fair Lady running concurrently with Bedlam’s Pygmalion.  (Fair warning: Pygmalion only runs through April 22nd while My Fair Lady is in previews until the 19th but has an open-ended run.)

Having caught a glimpse of Bedlam’s production at an invited dress rehearsal, I was struck by how relevant the story still is today. I could go into great detail about what I saw in that production, and how it surprised me and what I think makes it so poignantly relevant today. I was also intrigued by how differently the story plays compared to the musical I remembered. But I’d rather wait until you see it and see what you found in them as well.

Seeing both gives oneself a rare glimpse into the choices Lerner & Loewe made to turn the story into a palatable (if not delicious!) musical as well as get a great look at George Bernard Shaw’s underlying story still so powerful on it’s own.

See both! And tell me what you think.