July 07, 2005
'My Fair Lady' opens Friday at Summer Playhouse
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The charming musical "My Fair Lady" opens its two-weekend run at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 8, as part of the McLeod Summer Playhouse series at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Successive performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9, and at the same time the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, July 14-16. A single, closing matinee will begin at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 17. All shows are on the McLeod Theater stage in the Communications Building.
Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students and children. Call 618/453-3001 to reserve tickets. Box office hours are noon-5: 30 p.m. weekdays and an hour before each show.
Set in 1912, "My Fair Lady" follows Eliza Doolittle, a flower-selling street urchin who catches the eye and ear of speech pathologist, Professor Henry Higgins. Higgins bets on his ability to help Doolittle polish her language skills.
Eliza's transformation is so convincing, it propels her and the professor into the ranks of London's aristocracy, complicating their lives.
J. Thomas Kidd, associate professor of theater, is both director and choreographer on the production.
Famous collaborators Alan Jay Lerner penned the lyrics and Frederick Loewe wrote the score.
The production highlights the ever-popular show tunes "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "The Rain in Spain," "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "On the Street Where You Live."
The Carbondale Community Arts program is partnering with SIUC to resurrect the University's beloved summer stock program.
Expanding cultural outreach activities is among the goals of Southern @ 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it nears its 150th anniversary in 2019.
Stars of "My Fair Lady"