WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Piia Haas. September 20, 2011:
Westchester Broadway Theatre brings back perhaps the most popular musical of the 1950s, My Fair Lady, this week from September 21 to November 27, and a return run from December 28 to January 29.
Broadway's Greatest Love Story, based on George Bernard Shaw's classic play Pygmalion returns. The story revolves around Eliza Doolittle,(Jennifer Babiak) a coarse little peddler of flowers in Covent Garden who agrees to take speech lessons from phonetician Henry Higgins (Tom Galantich) in order to fulfill her dream of working in a flower shop. The musical of their love story is the stuff dreams are made of. Photo, Courtesy WBT by John Vecchiolla
Henry Higgins bets his friend, Colonel Pickering, that he can pass the common girl off as a society lady. Eliza succeeds so well, however, that she outgrows her social station and even and manages to become an indispensable part of Higgins' life. The
musical features an award-winning score, with hits such as "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "Get Me to the Church on Time."
Jennifer Babiak (Eliza Doolittle) Returns to Westchester Broadway Theatre
after appearing here as the spunky Emma Carew in Jekyll & Hyde. WPCNR praised her performance in J&H as a "steadfast haunting diamond-like voice of divine inspiration," and "precise as a finely cut diamond."
Her previous credits include: Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof (Anya/ Chava, Shprintze, Bielke u/s and performed). National Tours: West Side Story (Maria), Evita (Mistress) and Grease (Sandy). Regional: Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), Green Gables (Diana),
and North Shore Music Theatre's A Christmas Carol (Meg). Jennifer is a
Graduate of New York University's Steinhardt School of Music and Performing
Arts Professions.
Broadway staple, Tom Galantich plays Henry Higgins. His credits include Boeing Boeing, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mamma Mia!, The Boys From Syracuse, City of Angels, Into The
Woods. Off-Broadway: Distracted (Roundabout), Ghosts and Biography (Pearl
Theatre). He has toured nationally with starring roles in White Christmas,
Company, and Dracula. Among his many regional credits are his most recent as
Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music at North Carolina Theatre and here
at WBT in City of Angels, 42nd Street and Jekyll & Hyde.
Tom was seen as recurring character Joe Chappell, on Law & Order. Other TV: Ed, Law & Order: CI, Chappelle's Show, The Cosby Mysteries, All My Children, One Life To
Live, Another World. Film: Julie & Julia, Watching TV With The Red Chinese,
and The Chosen One. Tom is a veteran of numerous commercials and has sung at
Carnegie Hall in a salute to 100 years of Broadway.
The original 1956 production of My Fair Lady featured Rex Harrison as Henry
Higgins and Julie Andrews as Eliza. The production helped define the modern
musical theater.
MFL opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15, 1956 and enjoyed a run of 2,717 performances, which lasted more than nine years. It won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Rex Harrison. The national tour began on March 18, 1957 and ran for several years, and broke box-office records in city after city.
The 1964 film which won several Oscars, including Best Picture, starred Rex
Harrison, Stanley Holloway and Audrey Hepburn.
The WBT production, stars Jennifer Babiak as Eliza Doolittle, Tom Galantich
as Henry Higgins, and William McCauley as Colonel Pickering. Bill E.
Dietrich will play Eliza's father, Alfred P. Doolittle, Joe Chisholm will
play Freddy. Kathleen Huber takes on Mrs. Higgins,
The multi-talented ensemble features: Gabriel Beck, Brittany Bohn, Gina
Duci, Glenn Giron, Jordan Grubb, Jennifer Hatzes, Cort Larson, Robin
Lounsbury, Megan Marod, Karen Murphy, J.P. Qualters Tara Sweeney, Joe
Torello, and Michael Warrell.
The Production is Directed by Charles Repole who had been at the helm for
several WBT productions including I Love you,You're Perfect, Now Change and
Sugar. Choreography is by Michael Lichtefeld, Set Design is by Steven
Loftus, Costume Design by Gail Baldoni, Lighting Design is by Andrew Gmoser,
Sound Design by Jonathan Hatton. Properties are by Grumpy's Props, Wigs/Hair
by Gerard Kelly, Production Stage Manager is Victor Lukas and the Assistant
Stage Manager is Ron Rogell.
William McCauley (Colonel Pickering) You may remember him as R.F. Simpson in
"Singin In The Rain" and Mr. Potter in "A Wonderful Life," Bill returns for
his 10th show for WBT. Named LA Actor of the Week for "Autumn Canticle," he
was also Scrooge in LA's musical "Christmas Carol." He replaced Jerry Orbach
in "Chicago," playing Billy Flynn for three years. He has played Henry
Higgins, Harold Hill, Daddy Warbucks, and Dick Cheney. Broadway debut in
Zefirelli's "Saturday Sunday Monday" with Sada Thompson and Eli Wallach. TV:
Tyrone in PBS's "Long Day's Journey Into Night," a year on "Loving," "Law &
Order: CI," and "30 Rock." One of New York's finest cabaret performers, he
was resident entertainer at the St. Regis Hotel for two years.
Charles Repole (Director) City Center Encores! Series: Dubarry Was a Lady
starring Faith Prince and Robert Morse and Call Me Madam starring Tyne Daly.
Broadway: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Lauri Strauss Leukemia Foundation
Benefit at Carnegie Hall starring Regis Philbin, Marvin Hamlisch, Judy
Collins, Anne Reinking and the NY Pops conducted by Skitch Henderson, the
Easter Bonnet Competition at the Palace Theatre and A Salute to Frank
Sinatra at Carnegie Hall. He conceived and directed Dance! featuring the
works of the Alvin Ailey dance company, the Martha Graham dance company,
the Cleveland Ballet, David Parsons and Stomp!; Lyrics And Lyricists 25th
Year Celebration with Angela Lansbury, Rosie O'Donnell, Joel Grey, Beebe
Neuwirth, Jerry Herman, Cy Coleman, Stephen Schwartz and Sheldon Harnick;
Folk Songs USA starring Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, Art Garfunkel and Odetta,
and Standing Ovations with Tony Randall, Carol Channing, Elaine Strich,
Nell Carter, Leslie Uggams and Donna McKecknie. George M! starring Joel
Grey, Zorba starring Anthony Quinn, Call Me Madam starring Leslie Uggams,
Annie starring Rue McClanahan, The Solid Gold Cadillac starring Charlotte
Rae. The San Antonio Art Festival's La Pericole starring Angelina Reaux and
Joel Grey. Mr. Repole was nominated for Chicago's prestigious Joseph
Jefferson Award for A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, He has also
directed many productions for WBT including his first professional directing
job, They're Playing Our Song , Anything Goes, Sugar and I Love You,You're
Perfect, Now Change!
For Showtimes, go to www.BroadwayTheatreBlog.com, or call 914-592-2222.
