SOUTH PORTLAND – Lyric Music Theater is presenting “My Fair Lady” from Feb. 20 to March 7 at the theater, 176 Sawyer St. The shows will be 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

A theater spokesman said that if the musical is sold out by the second week, the run will be extended for a fourth weekend.

Directed by Linwood Dyer, the musical has well-known lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner set to music by Frederick Loewe. It was adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture, each called “Pygmalion.”

“My Fair Lady” is the story of the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney street urchin, into a “proper lady” by England’s leading linguist, Professor Henry Higgins. Higgins, a brilliant, crotchety, middle-aged bachelor is drawn into it on a bet with his friend Col. Pickering.

With witty dialogue and beautiful costuming, this musical has such familiar songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”

This classic of American musical theater opened in New York on March 15, 1956, where it ran for 2,717 performances. The original production included Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins, and it made an overnight star of Julie Andrews as Eliza. It garnered six Tony awards including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical (Harrison).

“My Fair Lady” was the longest running musical of its time with nearly two years on Broadway and another 16 months in London at the Drury Lane Theatre. In 1964, Harrison reprised his role as Henry Higgins opposite Audrey Hepburn in a movie version of the play. The movie won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Picture and Harrison won for Best Actor.

More information about Lyric Music Theater, including directions to the theater, is available at www.lyricmusictheater.com.

The shows will be Feb. 20-22, 27-29 and March 5-7. People can make reservations by calling (207) 799-1421 or (207) 799-6509. Ticket prices are $15 and $13. The box office is open Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday to Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 12:30 to 2 p.m.


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