Based on George Bernad Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion and film of the same name with Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady, the 2018 Lincoln Center Broadway revival has made its stop to Orange County.

The production that will play until January 23 makes Eliza Doolittle a hero. The text and lyrics are still outdated and problematic, (For example, having a song called “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man?” is so cringy to hear), but has new changes that make the beloved classic musical more relevant for our times. Eliza is no longer a prop to Henry Higgins. She is a strong woman that says no to insults and humiliation. A change made to this production is that Eliza ends up walking away from Higgins to pursue her own life, due to Higgins’s horrendous treatment. I really appreciated the change. Director Bartlett Sher is known for reviving musicals with problematic elements and switching them around in a more positive light. He does it again with My Fair Lady. Some of his past work includes revivals of “South Pacific” and “The King and I”.

The acclaimed production from the Lincoln Center still includes musical numbers known worldwide like Eliza’s desire of a better life in “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, Eliza’s father Alfred’s “With a Little Bit a Luck”, “The Rain in Spain” and the beautiful “I Could Have Danced All Night”. All numbers are beautifully performed with well-crafted costumes, a diverse ensemble, and set designs that will immerse audiences in London in the 1900s.

The first act started rough with technical issues like a set piece not stopping and continuing to move. Sadly, it was noticeable because all three actors broke character. Also, doors were left open, stage crew appeared on stage during a big number trying to fix the set while the actress sang which created conflict between the actress and stage crew. Actors on stage struggled to recover showing less energy on stage for the first 45 minutes of the show. The first act is much better than the second. The second moves slower as there are fewer musical numbers and more dialogue.

Shereen Ahmed who plays Eliza glows in every scene. Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology & Anthropology with a Concentration in Criminal Justice from Towson University is so scrumptious! She is very enjoyable to watch. Ahmed succeeds in making Eliza her own. She captures Bernad’s descriptions of Eliza so well, it’s hard not to fall in love with her. I hope Ahmed finds more work in the theatre. She is brilliant.

The truth of the revival of My Fair Lady is that it outgrows the original play and film. The final image of Mr. Sher expresses that treating others unfairly can cause solitude. Overall, the show is marvelous and teaches us a lesson that there is more to a tale of poor to riches. We all deserve to be treated the same and if not, we have the option to step away.

 My Fair Lady plays until January 23 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Tickets can be purchased by visiting https://scfta.org/