One of my favorite parts of Hale Center Theatre in Sandy is the variety of the shows they offer. I can see something new from them like Hallmarked and Harmony (next week) but then also see tried-and-true shows like their new production of My Fair Lady that just opened on their theatre in the round Centre Stage. Of course they always have spectacle unmatched in Utah at Hale but what makes all their productions special are the talented casts and beautiful storytelling. My Fair Lady continues this tradition.

To begin with, just on terms of good music you will be hard-pressed to find better songs than in My Fair Lady. I know some have issues with outdated elements of the story but who can fault the beautiful songs? The night I attended (TThS) Scout Smith played Eliza Doolittle and the pure classic quality of her voice is outstanding. I loved hearing her sing songs like “Wouldn’t it Be Loverly,” “I Could Have Danced All Night.” and “Just You Wait.” Kelton Davis is equally strong as Henry Higgins. Not only does he do a very good British accent b

ut he has a nerdy charm to him that’s needed to keep the character as likable as possible. I like that he had a foppish curly hairstyle and had almost a bohemian quality to him. I said in my out of theater reaction that he reminded me of a young Kenneth Branagh and that is what I thought of throughout the performance! I especially loved his take on “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” which is where we finally see some vulnerability from Henry and that helps make the ending palatable.

This production at the Hale is directed by Ryan Simmons, and he uses his massive cast to fill the stage with movement and color. I was very impressed with the amount of sets they use. Some like the church for “Get Me to the Church on Time” or Mrs Higgins Garden for “Without You” are only used for the one scene. That’s a lot of effort for one quick scene. Scenic designer Nate Bertone is an incredible artist, and I especially loved all the flowers brought throughout and the incredible spiral staircases on both sides of the theater. There are times when their stage can create sightline problems for patrons and staying in Higgins study would have probably worked over Higgins House Upstairs but it was still an impressive and dynamic set. I am also surprised they didn’t use the screens surrounding the top of the theater much. It would have been an easy way to add more flowers and make things even more immersive.

The costumes by Joy Zhu are also works of art including the over-the-top hats (hair and makeup by Krissa Lent.) I do wish they didn’t feel the need to be so similar to the classic film but when you have the great Cecil Beaton’s iconic costumes in the movie I get the desire to emulate what people are familiar with. Nevertheless, we aren’t likely to see more beautifully crafted costumes in Utah this year especially in the Ascot scenes.

Like I said, they most importantly find a way to keep Henry Higgins as likeable as possible, which makes it a pleasant watch. I also really enjoyed Mark Pulham as Colonel Pickering and Doug Wadley sings a gorgeous “On the Street Where You Live” as Freddy Eynsford Hill. Barta Heiner is also great as Mrs Higgins especially when she tells Henry to stick to the weather and his health at the end. Very funny.

If you haven’t seen My Fair Lady in a while than now is your chance to see a wonderful version at Hale. It has all the spectacle you expect from Hale but also the great music and songs we know and love. It is playing through July 11th and tickets can be purchased here.

My Fair Lady has music by Frederick Loewe with lyrics and a book by Alan Jay Lerner. It is based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. It first premiered on Broadway in 1956 and the Oscar winning film in 1964.

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