Why should Eliza relinquish her personal freedom and sense of self-respect in order to return to a selfish, condescending child of a man who never showed her the care she needed and craved?īut, for all the applause for this bold decision, there's also a side to the discourse that argues against Sher's choice. ![]() In its place, Eliza decides that Henry is not the right one for her and, in a tenderly tragic moment, bids a silent farewell to the phonetics professor before disappearing from his life forever. Many of today's critics and theatregoers applaud this decision after all, the way Professor Higgins treats poor Eliza throughout the show is nothing short of reprehensible. In Sher's Broadway revival of “the perfect musical,” the ending with reconciliation and shared love is gone. A tale of change, forgiveness, and compassion-what romance-adoring audience could ask for more?Īpparently, according to Bartlett Sher, a modern audience could. And, in the case of My Fair Lady, audiences express delight when Eliza finds it in her heart to forgive Henry and return to his waiting arms. Audiences wish desperately for these characters to set aside their differences and admit their feelings for each other. Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, a will-they-won't-they pair who spend their entire story at odds and interlocked in a struggle for power and respect, are the epitome of a trope that audiences have enjoyed in romances for years: the sparring couple. The pair of leads who, despite bickering and expressing biting disagreements, cannot contain the romantic, sometimes sexual tension sizzling underneath all the seeming dislike for each other. Audiences agonize over the painful conflicts and want them together. What's in an ending? What is it about the way a story closes that defines everything to come before it? As one of Broadway's most classic musicals, My Fair Lady prides itself on offering an ending that wraps the story up in a nice, romantic bow that leaves audiences sighing happily over the reconciliation of the musical's leads. Think of him this way: he's a stereotype of a bombastic barfly…with an oratorical twist.“Eliza.where the devil are my slippers?” He's the character most prone to lecturing-yes, even more so than Higgins-and though his theories may not be entirely logical, his little sermons do raise some issues regarding class relations. Lucky for us, his intentions are (mostly) honorable. ![]() He can't handle all the money he doesn't want to be "touched" (asked to spare some change) in the same way he "touched" Higgins.ĭoolittle demonstrates how powerful and potentially dangerous words can be. These skills get Doolittle into trouble when Higgins nominates him for some such speaking position…and he gets it, along with a generous income. Whether or not we believe what Doolittle's talking about doesn't matter, it sounds nice. You can describe what Doolittle's saying with all sorts of fancy Greek words, but it's enough to note how he repeats those three phrases that Higgins singles out, and how his speech is sort of singsong-y. He is the sum of his mysterious speaking ability. It also accounts for his mendacity and dishonesty. "I'm willing to tell you: I'm wanting to tell you: I'm waiting to tell you." Sentimental rhetoric! That's the Welsh strain in him. ![]() Observe the rhythm of his native woodnotes wild. Pickering: this chap has a certain natural gift of rhetoric. ![]() This exchange is notable:ĭOOLITTLE I'll tell you, Governor, if you'll only let me get a word in. In order to understand Doolittle, you have to understand how he speaks. He wants just enough money to have a few drinks and some fun. In other words, he's kind of like Henry Higgins: a philosophizing scuzzball that we somehow enjoy watching.Īlfred Doolittle has principles, but they're not exactly conventional: he has no trouble milking five pounds from Higgins, but he doesn't want anymore than that. He's got a lot to say about "middle class morality" and complicated theories about the deserving and undeserving poor. Alfred Doolittle Silver Tongued DevilĪlfred Doolittle is a smooth-talking garbage man, a serial monogamist (although he's not always really married), a drunk, and a deadbeat dad.
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