The Douglas Choral Union certainly is riding the crest of a wave at present and it’s easy to see why! The last two years have seen the society stage arguably the most famous musical in history as well as the biggest Disney Classic ever to hit the stage. Many will remember the DCU’s sensational sell out run of Boublil and Schonberg’s ‘Les Miserables’ (Les Mis) in 2009 which was closely followed by their UK Premiere of ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’ earlier this year. Not a society to take things easy, the DCU have taken on, and risen to the challenge once again, in bringing Lerner & Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady’ to the Manx public. The production will run at the Gaiety Theatre from the 29th January – 5th February 2011. ‘My Fair Lady’ is a challenging production not only for those on stage but also for those backstage in that there are a vast array of props, wigs, a huge set as well as over 160 costumes. The DCU are under the fantastic direction of the award-winning Tony Finnegan. Tony, who hails from Ireland, has directed over 100 productions and has many comedy, acting, singing and directing awards to his credit. Tony is also co-director of Festival Productions, Dublin who went on to win the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival last year in Buxton, England for the second year running. Accompanying Tony as choreographer is Mary MacDonagh. Mary, who is classically trained and has worked as a dancer for many years, is Artistic Director and principal teacher at the Chapel Lane School of the Performing Arts, Sligo. She coaches professional dancers throughout Europe and as far afield as Japan. Musical Director for the DCU this year will be Wilson Shields. Wilson is a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland and last year alone was MD for three Northern Ireland Premiere productions – namely Rent, High School Musical 2 and Boogie Nights. ‘My Fair Lady’ is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's ‘Pygmalion’ with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a London flower girl who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so she can pass as a proper lady. The musical's 1956 Broadway production was a hit, setting what was then the record for the longest run of any major musical theater production in history. It was followed by a hit London production, a popular film version, and numerous revivals, most recently in 2001 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Martine McCutcheon as Eliza and Jonathan Pryce as Prof. Higgins. Therefore it has often been called "the perfect musical" The synopsis of the musical starts on one cold March night in Covent Garden Market where Professor Henry Higgins (Simon Fletcher – King, King & I and Bill Snibson, Me & My Girl), a Professor of Phonetics, encounters Eliza Doolittle (Kathryn Power – Nancy, Oliver! and Cosette, Les Miserables), a cockney flower girl. He declares to his friend Colonel Pickering (Alex Toohey – Bill Sykes, Oliver! and Gaston, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) that in three months he could transform Eliza into a duchess. Over the course of several months Eliza, who moves into the Higgins household, is put through a gruelling course of phonetics and elocution lessons by Higgins. Eliza's father, Alfred P. Doolittle (Geoff Shimmin – Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof) arrives at Higgins' house, claiming that Higgins is compromising Eliza's virtue. Higgins is impressed by the man's natural gift for language and his brazen lack of moral values so he and Doolittle agree that Eliza can continue to take lessons and live at Higgins' house if Higgins gives Doolittle five pounds for a spree. Eliza's moment of triumph comes at the Embassy Ball. She is beautiful, elegant and well-spoken and proves to be an enormous success particularly with the young gentleman Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Iain Dixon – Frederic, Pirates of Penzance and Monsieur D’Arque, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) who falls desperately in love with her. After the ball Eliza falls into despondency as she sees Higgins celebrating his triumph in passing Eliza off as a duchess, showing little consideration for her feelings. Unnoticed, she slips out of Higgins' house and seeks consolation with Higgins' mother (Denise Groenewald – Ruth, Pirates of Penzance). Higgins comes in search of her but Eliza refuses to return with him. Back at home, Higgins realises that he has become accustomed to Eliza when she suddenly reappears. Eliza has forgiven Higgins and decided to return. As well as a classic book by George Bernard Shaw, Lerner and Loewe’s music in ‘My Fair Lady’ is well known and legendary in musical theatre. With numbers such as “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “With a Little Bit of Luck”, “Just You Wait”, “The Rain in Spain”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, “Show Me”, “On the Street Where You Live” and the memorable “I Could Have Danced All Night”, this is sure to be a production that will make you laugh and warm your heart! My Fair Lady opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York on 15 March 1956 where it ran for 2,717 performances. The stars of the show were Rex Harrison (Professor Higgins), Julie Andrews (Eliza), then little known to American audiences, and Stanley Holloway as the dustman Alfred P. Doolittle. My Fair Lady subsequently opened in London with the same cast on 30 April 1958 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It enjoyed a record-breaking 5? year run at that theatre that remained unbeaten until 19 December 1994 when it was overtaken by the Cameron Mackintosh production of Miss Saigon. As many will know, the DCU have already secured the rights to stage Miss Saigon at the Gaiety Theatre in February 2012 in what will be another British Isles Amateur Premiere, the first of which was their record breaking production of ‘Les Miserables’. With a cast of over 40 of the islands most talented performers, this is a show for all the family and should not be missed. So, to avoid disappointment, book your seat early! The DCU are extremely proud to be sponsored by Dougherty Quinn Advocates & Notaries and are ever grateful for their support. For all ticket enquiries, please call the Villa and Gaiety Theatre Box Office on 600555. Alternatively you can call in at the Villa Marina or Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal. ENDS