From March 8-16, The Rexburg Community Theatre presents “My Fair Lady” at the Romance Theater in Rexburg. The show focuses on Eliza Doolittle, a flower seller, and Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician.
Confident in his skills, Professor Higgins boasts that he can make Eliza learn how to speak like an aristocrat and pass her off as a duchess. Eliza hears Higgins boasting and believes he can help her secure a place at a flower shop. The musical shows the improvement and change of Eliza and Professor Higgins as they spend more time together.
This musical was adapted from a play called “Pygmalion” written by George Bernard Shaw in 1913. The book and lyrics were written by Alan Jay Lerner with the music by Frederick Loewe. Before its film adaptation, Eliza Doolittle was played by Julie Andrews and Henry Higgins was played by Rex Harrison. In 1964, the musical became a film, and Audrey Hepburn replaced Eliza Doolittle while Rex Harrison kept his role as Professor Higgins.
BYU-Idaho faculty member Todd Kelson plays many roles for the upcoming play. Kelson has participated in musical theater for 12 years and decided to audition for “My Fair Lady.” Kelson will play the parts of Higgins’ butler, an aristocrat, a servant and one of the city people.
“So far, my favorite part about the musical is getting to know, of course, the other actors and getting to interact with them and getting to interact with them,” Kelson said.
“My Fair Lady” has actors who are in high school, college and members from the community. This experience allows members of the cast to get to know each other and become friends.
“It has been so much fun to go to rehearsal like every night everyone is so committed … it’s just so inspiring to be around all these people,” said cast member Reegan Nielsen who is a vocal performance major at BYU-Idaho.
For Kelson, the play shows how people really can change for the better.
"I think that too often I feel like I’m the way I am, and I’ll never change, I’ll never be any different from the way I am today, but life is all about trying new things and becoming a better person and even a lowly flower girl can get the training that she needs to become a princess,” Kelson said.
Tickets are available online at rexburgarts.org.