Dame Julie Andrews brings My Fair Lady to life in Sydney

One of the best loved musicals of all time will open at the Sydney Opera House in early September with one of the greatest performers of all time at the helm.

Dame Julie Andrews, the doyen of musical theatre and musical cinema, will take the reins as the director of My Fair Lady, which will open at the Joan Sutherland Theatre on September 6.

It has been 60 years since Dame Julie Andrews starred on the Broadway stage as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in 1956. Now celebrating My Fair Lady’s 60^th anniversary, Dame Julie returns to where it all began, directing the iconic musical that helped to make her a household name.

Young Australian performer Anna O’Byrne will star as Eliza Doolittle in the Opera Australia and John Frost production. The talented performer has big shoes to fill and will no doubt be feeling added pressure being directed by the very person who made her character famous.

Acclaimed UK actor Alex Jennings will take on the role of Henry Higgins, which was originally played by Rex Harrison both on stage and on screen.

The recreation of My Fair Lady – particularly one that has the involvement of Dame Julie – is a worldwide coup for Australian theatre. The 60^th anniversary production would not be out of place on the most famous stages throughout Broadway and London’s West End. The fact it will premiere in Sydney should not be underplayed; it is a wonderful achievement and a demonstration of the strength of theatre in Australia.

The love and anticipation for the upcoming production of My Fair Lady is apparent. The Sydney season has already been hugely popular with ticket buyers and, amazingly, extraordinary demand has already prompted producers to schedule My Fair Lady in Brisbane and Melbourne before the Sydney season has even opened.

My Fair Lady will open at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on May 11, which will no doubt send Victorian theatre lovers into a spin.

My Fair Lady is an iconic musical and tells the story of a cockney flower girl and a phonetics professor who takes her under his wing.

The original Broadway production was a momentous hit as was the 1964 American film of the same name, which won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

The musical comes to life on stage thanks to the iconic music of Lerner and Loewe and the sets and costumes combine to create a wonderful spectacle. The dialogue is witty and interesting; with Eliza’s cockney accent a highlight.

Ticketmaster is extremely proud to be a part of the upcoming production at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. Theatre lovers will need no encouragement to attend My Fair Lady under the direction of Dame Julie Andrews; the talent and quality of My Fair Lady truly speak for themselves.

My Fair Lady will premiere at the Sydney Opera House – Joan Sutherland Theatre on September 6. Click here to purchase tickets.

My Fair Lady will open at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on May 11. Ticket details will be released shortly.

Image credit: Brian Geach