A loverly night

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The box office outside the theatre displays a gigantic poster for the “My Fair Lady” national tour. Anticipation is high and the buzz of theatre-goers can be heard all around. (Photo Credit: Anna DiCrisi)

Katie Thomas, Arts & Entertainment Editor

If you were to show up to Segerstrom Center for the Arts this past Sunday, Jan. 23, you would find your fair share of Royals and Friars in attendance for the final performance of the “My Fair Lady” national tour at the Costa Mesa location.

I was one such audience member and had the privilege of interviewing a couple other Royals and Friars on their thoughts surrounding this musical theatre staple.

“My Fair Lady,” which first appeared on Broadway starring the legendary Julie Andrews in 1964, tells the story of phonetics Professor Henry Higgins and his mission to transform Eliza Doolittle, a working class girl with a heavy Cockney accent, into a member of high-society.

This is the classic picture: the show playbill in front of the beautiful curtain. (Photo Credit: Katie Thomas)

Servite’s Matt Ellersick ‘23 exclaimed, “I LOVED this show! I had no idea what was happening going in, but I thought it was absolutely amazing. I especially loved Henry Higgins and the song ‘Get Me to the Church On Time.” I will definitely be adding these songs to my playlist.”

Similarly, Makayla Palos-Rodriguez ‘24 went in blind, and came out a certified “My Fair Lady” fan. She explained, “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was beyond thrilled to find that ‘My Fair Lady’ is such a fantastic show. This tour cast in particular was incredible!”

Presdient Elena Walz ‘22 is a certified Freddy fan, explaining, “My heart stopped beting during ‘On The Street Where You Live,’ and I will be using the Bobby Darin version of this song at my wedding.”

Junior class president Cadiz Salazar also found her way into the audience that night, explaining, “This show was fantastic. There was a moment where the cast was moving the set, they knocked into each other, and everybody froze for a couple seconds. Having experienced that moment many times myself, I was dying laughing. It was a perfect reminder of how much I love performing.”

My mom and I take a picture after the show. We loved this production! (Photo Credit: Katie Thomas)

Senior Brooke Kizziar and her boyfriend Shane Faley ‘22 were, you guessed it, also in attendance for the show. Brooke expressed, “I walked into the theatre knowing nothing about the plot, characters, or even the soundtrack. This is very out of character for me walking into a show because I usually have every song and names of characters memorized. But I wanted to walk in with no knowledge as to what would happen. I absolutely loved the show. The music, the story, the comedy, it was all just so perfectly put together. Even Shane, who is not a big musical lover, also really enjoyed the show. Will I be seeing it again? Absolutely I will.”

Though I have continued performing on the Servite stage for the past year, this was my first time back at Segerstrom watching a show in a very long time. I hadn’t realized how much I missed enjoying live theatre with my mom by my side, making a date out of a Sunday night. And, although I’ve seen the movie, I had never seen the stage version before, and I absolutely adored this production. Eliza was exceptional, Freddy was fantastic, and Henry was hilarious.

If you get the chance, you should definitely try to catch this tour across the country. Or, catch any live theatre show you can! Get your tickets now for “Wicked” at Segerstrom in February, “The Band’s Visit” there in March and April, or for our very own Trinitas Arts Conservatory’s production of “The Sound of Music” in May.