Broadway Will Finally Get The "Fair Lady" It Deserves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Didn't I tell you, time and again, girls, that Lauren Ambrose could not cut it, dramatically, OR vocally--especially the latter--in the role of Eliza Doolittle???????   Then, what happened?  Lauren lost the TONY, the show only won for its costumes, and the downward trajectory began.

                                First, Lauren claimed overwhelming exhaustion in the role--which she should never have attempted to take on--and next thing we knew, understudy, Kristen Anderson, starting July 8, is doing the Sunday performances.  Diana Rigg rightly expressed her disdain at Lauren's inability to do eight shows a week--which is standard for a Broadway performer--so her shows were reduced to seven, with the rest of the cast doing eight, and not being informed of the change.  Rigg was supposed to exit the show in December, when her contract was up, but now she is mysteriously leaving September 9.  Rosemary Harris--good choice!--will take her place.

                                 Laura is scheduled to step into the role on October 23, playing it through February 17, 2019.  I don't know if a new Eliza will step in, or the show will close; that remains to be seen.  Ambrose will give her final performance on October 21.  She is leaving to return to dramatic acting, which is a wise choice for her, as she will never grace the musical stage again.  But she is doing some Apple series for the director, M. Night Shyamalan, and you know, darlings, most of his projects tank.

                                  The word is Benanti will be doing only seven shows a week.  Why?  She HAS the chops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Frankly, I think this is all a matter of convenience.  Those who know the show were scandalized by Ambrose's inability to perform it, and I know I was not the only one.  I can still recall her having to gasp, and then just make the final notes to "I Could Have Danced All Night."

                                  When Laura played Louise in "Gypsy," she was moving.  And her rendition of "Dear Friend" in the 2016 revival of "She Loves Me!" broke my heart.  I can just hear her on "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and her other classics.

                                    I bet the company is thrilled to be getting rid of Lauren, who was a fly in the ointment from day one.  She may get a going away party, but it will be more of the company celebrating her departure, than missing her.  They should have another one to welcome Laura, a real singer, on board.

                                     Bartlett Sher's goose is sure cooked, and deservedly so.

                                     If only it did not have that ending, I would go again.  Even if it was tweaked to what I suggested, in my original post, it would be OK.

                                      But to have a singer like Benanti in the role--who should have been cast in the first place--would be almost worth it.

                                       Staring October 23, the show, vocally, will be simply "loverly!!!!!!!!!!!!"