My Fair Lady
Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning story of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady is widely considered one of the greatest musicals of all time.
Show Essentials
10
Roles
+ Ensemble
PG
Rated
2
Acts

Full Synopsis

Act One

A rainy night in Edwardian London near the Royal Opera House, a young cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, is selling violets. A young man, Freddy, bumps into her and spoils her flowers. Eliza is cheered up when an elderly gentleman, Mr. Pickering, buys a flower, but again has an outburst when she notices another gentleman writing down how she talks. He introduces himself to the older gentleman as Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, and bets that he can make Eliza a lady by improving her speech ("Why Can't the English"). As they depart he unwillingly throws some loose change into Eliza's bucket, and she imagines what it would be like to live a life like the proper folk ("Wouldn't It Be Loverly"). 

The next morning Alfred Doolittle, Eliza's father, seeks out Eliza for some money for a drink ("With A Little Bit of Luck"). Meanwhile Higgins and Pickering are discussing linguistics when they get an unexpected visit from Eliza. She is seeking speech lessons to be able to get a job as an assistant at a florist's shop. The two men reinstate their previously discussed wager, and Higgins begins the preliminary attempt to refining Eliza ("I'm An Ordinary Man"). Arthur Doolittle hears of Eliza's lessons, and decides to try and see if he can score a little money out of the arrangement ("With a Little Bit of Luck - Reprise"). 

Higgins, impressed by Arthur's linguistics and lack of moral code, agrees to pay Arthur to go on a spree so Eliza can continue lessons and also recommends him to an American millionaire seeking a lecturer on moral values. Liza's tumultuous lessons continue, and she frustratingly imagines ways to get rid of Higgins ("Just You Wait"). The tired servants are on the verge of giving up when suddenly Eliza has a phonetic breakthrough and perfectly recites "The Rain in Spain." An overjoyed Eliza is too thrilled to sleep ("I Could Have Danced All Night"). 

Eliza is brought to the racecourse to to test her new skills ("Ascot Gavotte"). After an initial good first impression, Eliza shocks the attendees with vulgar slang and Cockney attitude - but not without entrancing the young man, Freddy Eynsford-Hill, she bumped into outside the opera. Freddy is denied by Eliza when he calls on her, but swears to wait for her as long as necessary ("On The Street Where You Live"). 

The final test is at the Embassy Ball where Eliza dazzles as a lady and impresses everyone, including the Queen of Transylvania ("Embassy Waltz"). A former student of Higgins, Zoltan Karpathy, is employed to discover the truth about Eliza through her speech. Though cautioned by his mother and Pickering not to let Karpathy dance with Eliza, Higgins relents. 

Act Two

The test at the Embassy Ball is considered a success as Karpathy has concluded that Eliza must be of Royal Hungarian blood. Pickering and Higgins are ecstatic at the success and declare the experiment over ("You Did It"). Eliza feels used and alone, her feelings unnoticed by Higgins. She lashes out at him and decides to leave. Higgins insults her and abruptly leaves ("Just You Wait - Reprise"). Outside she finds Freddy, still waiting for her ("On The Street Where You Live - Reprise"). He begins to explain his feelings of love towards her, but she cuts him off, tired of words ("Show Me"). The two return to Convent Garden where Eliza is unrecognizable with her new demeanor ("The Flower Market / Wouldn't It Be Loverly - Reprise"). Her father also happens to be there, well dressed and with news that he has been bequested four thousand pounds a year and now must marry Eliza's "step-mother" to be a respectable gentleman ("Get Me To The Church On Time"). 

Higgins reflects on life with and without Eliza ("A Hymn to Him"). Higgins seeks his mother's advice and is surprised to find Eliza having tea with her. Left alone, the two can clear the air. While Higgins always treated Eliza like a flower girl, Pickering treated her like a lady. Higgins denies any difference in treatment, and Eliza announces she will marry Freddy because he loves her. She says she was foolish to think she needed Higgins and will never see him again ("Without You").

Henry Higgins realizes his attachment to Eliza ("I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face"). He re-plays the recordings of their first lesson and only hears his harsh and disparaging words. He is interrupted by a Cockney accent, Eliza, who has returned for a possible reconciliation. 

 

 

 

 

Casting
← Back to My Fair Lady
Cast Size: Large (21 or more performers)
Cast Type: Older Roles
Dance Requirements: Standard

Character Breakdown

Eliza Doolittle

A flower girl who works outside Convent Garden. Strong willed and Cockney. 

Gender: female
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Henry Higgins

A world renowned phonetist of the upper class British society. 

Gender: male
Age: 35 to 60
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: B2
Colonel Pickering

A former British officer and author. Friends with Henry Higgins and a fellow phonetics enthusiast. 

 

Gender: male
Age: 50 to 70
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Freddy Eynsford-Hill

A young, upper class British man who falls in love with Eliza. 

Gender: male
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Alfred P. Doolittle

Eliza's boisterous and charismatic father. 

Gender: male
Age: 50 to 70
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: G3
Harry

A friend of Alfred P. Doolittle's. 

Gender: male
Age: 30 to 70
Jamie

A friend of Alfred P. Doolittle. 

Gender: male
Age: 30 to 70
Mrs. Pearce

Higgin's housekeeper. 

Gender: female
Age: 40 to 60
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: E4
Mrs. Eynsford-Hill

Freddy's mother and a friend of Mrs. Higgins.

Gender: female
Age: 40 to 70
Mrs. Higgins

Henry's mother. 

Age: 60 to 80
George

A bartender at the Tottenham Court Road Pub. 

Gender: male
Age: 20 to 50
Mrs. Hopkins

A Cockney woman. 

Gender: female
Age: 30 to 60
Professor Zoltan Karpathy

A Hungarian phonetist and former student of Henry Higgins. 

Gender: male
Age: 20 to 40
Ensemble

Cockney men and women, townspeople, servants, stewards, lords, ladies.

Gender: any
Full Song List
My Fair Lady : Overture
My Fair Lady : Why Can't The English?
My Fair Lady : Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
My Fair Lady : With A Little Bit of Luck
My Fair Lady : I'm An Ordinary Man
My Fair Lady : Just You Wait
My Fair Lady : The Rain In Spain
My Fair Lady : I Could Have Danced All Night
My Fair Lady : Ascot Gavotte
My Fair Lady : On The Street Where You Live
My Fair Lady : Embassy Waltz
My Fair Lady : You Did It
My Fair Lady : Show Me
My Fair Lady : Get Me To The Church On Time
My Fair Lady : Without You
My Fair Lady : I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
Lerner And Loewe's My Fair Lady : Finale

Show History

Inspiration

My Fair Lady is based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion

Productions

The musical opened on Broadway on March 15, 1956 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and later the Broadhurst Theatre and The Broadway Theatre. It ran for 2,717 performances, a record at the time, and starred Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews. 

A 1958 West End Productionopened at the Theatre Royal and ran for a total of 2,281 performances. 

The show has been revived on Broadway and the West End numerous times throughout the decades, and new Broadway revival is set to open in 2018 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. 

Tony® Award

1957 - Best Musical, Winner (My Fair Lady)
1957 - Best Performance By A Leading Actor In A Musical, Winner (Rex Harrison)
1957 - Best Direction Of A Musical, Winner (Moss Hart)
1957 - Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Winner (Oliver Smith)
1957 - Best Costume Design of a Musical, Winner (Cecil Beaton)
1957 - Best Conductor and Musical Director, Winner (Franz Allers)
1976 - Best Performance By A Leading Actor In A Musical, Winner (George Rose)
2018 - Best Revival Of A Musical, Nominee (My Fair Lady)
2018 - Best Revival Of A Musical, Nominee (My Fair Lady)
2018 - Best Costume Design of a Musical, Winner (Catherine Zuber)

Drama Desk Award

1976 - Outstanding Actor in a Musical, Winner (Ian Richardson)
1976 - Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Winner (George Rose)
2018 - Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Winner (My Fair Lady)
2018 - Outstanding Costume Design, Winner (Catherine Zuber)

Outer Critcs Circle Award

2018 - Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Winner (My Fair Lady)

Outer Critics Circle Award

2018 - Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Winner (Lauren Ambrose)
2018 - Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Winner (Norbert Leo Butz)
2018 - Outstanding Director Of A Musical, Winner (Bartlett Sher)
2018 - Outstanding Costume Design, Winner (Catherine Zuber)

Drama League Award

2018 - Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Winner (My Fair Lady)

Billing

Requirements

You must give the authors/creators billing credits, as specified in the Production Contract, in a conspicuous manner on the first page of credits in all programs and on houseboards, displays and in all other advertising announcements of any kind.
Percentages listed indicate required type size in relation to title size.
Lerner and Loewe's
(75%)
 
MY FAIR LADY

(100%)

 
Book and Lyrics by
ALAN JAY LERNER
(75%)
Music by 
FREDERICK LOEWE
(75%)
Adapted from George Bernard Shaw's Play and
Gabriel Pascal's Motion Picture "PYGMALION"
 
Original Production Directed and Staged by Moss Hart
(50%)
 
No names shall be billed in type as large or as prominent as those of the authors except the name of the play and stars. In the programs, the credits shall appear on the title page thereof.

Video Warning

In accordance with the Performance License, you MUST include the following warning in all programs and in a pre-show announcement:

ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Included Materials

ItemQuantity Included
LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK32
PIANO VOCAL SCORE2

Production Resources

Resource
CUSTOMIZABLE SHOW POSTER
FULL SCORE VOL. 1 OF 4
FULL SCORE VOL. 2 OF 4
FULL SCORE VOL. 3 OF 4
FULL SCORE VOL. 4 OF 4
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON-10/CS
HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON?
LOGO PACK DIGITAL
ORCHEXTRA
PRODUCTIONPRO
REFERENCE RECORDING
REHEARSAL ACCOMPANIMENT RECORDING
SCENIC PROJECTIONS
SCENIC PROJECTIONS PRO
SCENIC PROJECTIONS-ANIMATED
SCENIC PROJECTIONS-STILL
STAGE MANAGER SCRIPT
STAGE WRITE APPLICATION
CUSTOMIZABLE SHOW POSTERS
PERFORMANCE ACCOMPANIMENT RECORDING

STANDARD ORCHESTRATION

InstrumentationDoubling
BASSACOUSTIC BASS
CELLO(2 PLAYERS MINIMUM)
HARP
HORN
HORN 2
PERCUSSIONBASS DRUM , BELLS , CASTANETS , CHIMES , COW BELL , HORSE RACE SIGNAL , SLIDE WHISTLE , SNARE DRUM , SNARE DRUM (DEEP) , SUSPENDED CYMBAL , TAMBOURINE , TIMPANI (2) , TOM TOM , TRIANGLE , WOOD BLOCK , XYLOPHONE
REED 1FLUTE , PICCOLO
REED 2ENGLISH HORN , OBOE
REED 3CLARINET
REED 4CLARINET
REED 5BASSOON
TROMBONE
TROMBONE 2BASS TROMBONE
TRUMPET
TRUMPET 2
TRUMPET 3
TUBAACOUSTIC BASS , TUBA
VIOLA(2 PLAYERS MINIMUM)
VIOLIN(4 PLAYER MINIMUM)
VIOLIN 2(2 PLAYERS MINIMUM)