Colin Firth to Take On Henry Higgins in Broadway Revival of MY FAIR LADY?

BROADWAY WORLD
by Caryn Robbins
May 27, 2015



Reports of an upcoming Broadway revival of MY FAIR LADY from James Nederlander Sr continue to surface and according to Page Six of the New York Post, the lead role has already been cast.

The Post quotes Nederlander Sr.: "New generations never saw it. Colin Firth is already set. The female isn't cast yet."

Asked if Firth, who showed off his singing abilities in the big screen adaptation of Broadway's Mamma Mia!, has the vocal chops to pull off the role of Henry Higgins, the 93-year-old theater owner and producer quipped, "Rex Harrison didn't either. And everyone wants to see Colin Firth."


READ MORE HERE: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Colin-Firth-to-Take-On-Henry-Higgins-in-Broadway-Revival-of-MY-FAIR-LADY-#.VWYXNSkPtbU.facebook

Jeremy Brett - the OTHER Holmes, and equally magnificent

I am a great fan of Benedict Cumberbatch - that's fairly obvious, and rather recent.  But, I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan forever, from the early black and white film, Basil Rathbone days.



However, the only Holmes to compare with Benedict, in my mind, is the wonderful Jeremy Brett.  He speaks here about his character, and I could not help but believe that Benedict Cumberbatch would say many of the same things.  Jeremy Brett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_VJHMCTmY

Colin Firth: MY FAIR LADY Broadway Revival Set for 2014; Ralph Fiennes as a 'Contender' for Henry Higgins? by broadwayworld.com

We reported earlier this year that the Nederlanders and Clive Davis were hard at work planning a 2014 Broadway revival of MY FAIR LADY, to be directed by Bartlett Sher. Sher's recent credits include South Pacific, Golden Boy, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

At the time, Clive Davis recently announced that he was eyeing LES MISERABLES star Anne Hathaway and Colin Firth to play Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, respectively. Firth has also starred in a big screen musical in the past, taking on Harry in 2008's MAMMA MIA. Neither actor, however, has yet starred in a Broadway production. Today, Michael Riedel reveals in the New York Post that both actors were unable to commit for more than 6 months, so the casting process has moved on elsewhere.

He writes "Ralph Fiennes has emerged as a contender for Henry Higgins. As far as I can tell, he's never done a musical before, but he's a fine actor, and as Rex Harrison famously proved, a good actor can talk-sing his way through 'I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face.'" He additionally notes that producing alongside the Nederlanders and Clive Davis will be producer Roger Berlind.

My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so that she may pass as a well-born lady. The musical's 1956 Broadway production was a hit, setting what was then the record for the longest run of any major musical theatre production in history. It was followed by a hit London production, a popular film version, and numerous revivals. It has been called "the perfect musical".


Read more about MY FAIR LADY Broadway Revival Set for 2014; Ralph Fiennes as a 'Contender' for Henry Higgins? by broadwayworld.com

Colin Firth set to play super spy in Matthew Vaughn's 'The Secret Service' Are you ready to see Mr. Darcy kick some ass? BY DREW MCWEENY MONDAY, APR 29, 2013 2:30 AM (HIT FIX)

I've been on enough sets with Matthew Vaughn to know how much he loves actors. One of the great pleasures for him during the making of a film is seeing how actors enhance and evolve the scenes that have been playing in his head since he decided to make the film.

I have yet to catch up with "The Secret Service," one of the 47,378 series that Mark Millar is currently publishing, but when I was in London in November to visit the set of "Kick-Ass 2," there was already a sense that Vaughn's next film would be "The Secret Service," and that he was in a hurry to get it started because he was worried someone would try to make a similar movie if he didn't do it soon.

According to a report tonight on Latino Review, Colin Firth is the first name cast in the film, and he'll be playing a superspy working for MI6 who becomes a mentor to his young slacker nephew. The spy, known as Uncle Jack, wants to usher his nephew into the same life that he leads, but he's not sure it's going to work. Mark Millar has described the series as "James Bond meets 'My Fair Lady,'" and that certainly seems like a high concept that could kickstart a series if done correctly.

Read more athttp://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/colin-firth-set-to-play-super-spy-in-matthew-vaughns-the-secret-service

Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn: 'I don't bite you know... unless it's called for!' Audrey Hepburn's cheeky entreaty to Cary Grant is voted sexiest line in cinema By AMELIA PROUD PUBLISHED: 21:44 EST, 21 February 2013 | (MAIL ON LINE)

It's telling that a poll to rate the sexiest line in cinematic history favored movies from the 1940s and ranked a line from the '60s classic Charade as the hottest.

A line from Audrey Hepburn's demure rosebud mouth has been voted the sexiest of all time.

She won for telling Cary Grant in 1963's Charade: 'I don't bite you know... unless it's called for.'

READ MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2282625/Audrey-Hepburns-cheeky-entreaty-Cary-Grant-voted-sexiest-line-cinema.html

Record Producer Clive Davis Eyeing Anne Hathaway and Colin Firth for My Fair Lady Broadway Revival By Michael Gioia 20 Feb 2013 (PLAYBILL)

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/colin%20firth

Grammy Award-winning record producer Clive Davis, who plans to produce a Broadway revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Tony-wining My Fair Lady, is eyeing Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway and Oscar winner Colin Firth for the show's leading roles, according to USA Today.

As previoulsy reported, Davis plans to bring the classic back to Broadway in 2014. He will produce the musical alongside Roger Berlind, Scott Landis and The Nederlander Organization.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/colin%20firth

"I always wanted to produce a Broadway show, and I've never done it," Davis previously told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm hopeful we will prepare and finalize everything this year to bring My Fair Lady next year to Broadway with a stellar cast. I don't want to jinx myself, but we're in discussions with two magnificent performers and a wonderful director to do that."

According to Davis, Hathaway ("Les Misérables," "The Devil Wears Prada") and Firth ("The King's Speech"), who would play the respective roles of Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins, were up for the same roles in a screen adaptation of "My Fair Lady," which fell through and made the rights available for a Broadway remounting.

READ MORE: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175182-Record-Producer-Clive-Davis-Eyeing-Anne-Hathaway-and-Colin-Firth-for-My-Fair-Lady-Broadway-Revival

Colin Firth: Anne Hathaway to be Colin Firth's 'Fair Lady' on stage? Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY

Music mogul Clive Davis has gotten lots of attention for revealing his bisexuality in the new memoir The Soundtrack of My Life, out Tuesday. But for musical theater fans, it may be equally big news that Davis plans to stage a revival of the Lerner and Loewe classic My Fair Lady — with some big stars in mind to play the title character, Eliza Doolittle, and her self-appointed Svengali, Professor Henry Higgins.

Davis writes in Soundtrack that he is "about to realize another of my life's dreams: producing a Broadway musical," with theater veterans Roger Berlind, Scott Landis and the Nederlander Organization.

Chatting with USA TODAY on Monday, Davis elaborated on this dream project, noting that "our first choices" to play Eliza and Higgins were Anne Hathaway — a top Oscar contender this Sunday for her singing performance in the screen version of Les Misérables — and Colin Firth.

READ MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/02/19/clive-davis-eyes-stars-for-broadway-revival/1930977/

Kate Middleton proves she’s a-head of the crowds yet again The Duchess of Cambridge has been credited with influencing Royal Ascot’s rules women’s headwear… Find out more below. 17 May 2012 15:00 GMT(STV)

Hat's the way to do it: Kate Middleton has been spotted in stylish headwear Pic: ©Ikon Pictures Ltd/Rex Features

Kate Middleton is undeniably a woman of style, and now the Duchess of Cambridge has been credited with smartening up one of the dress code for prestigious sporting event Royal Ascot.

Ladies attending this year’s event will need to adhere to newly introduced guidelines that ban fascinators and insist on all female visitors wearing hats instead.

And milliner Stephen Jones thinks it’s the example that the super-groomed Duchess set which has had influence on organisers.

Speaking to The Telegraph’s Mandrake column, the milliner said: “The Duchess is so well dressed, and I think that has helped to push things in that direction.

Another fine hat.  Audrey Hepburn's costume for the Royal Ascot scene in My Fair Lady

READ MORE:  http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/306823-kate-middleton-proves-shes-a-head-of-the-crowds-yet-again/

5 Great Movies About London By Petulia Melideo of CONTEXT TRAVEL (THE DAILY TRAVELER)

Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady 

British cinematic heritage dates back to 1889, when English inventor William Friese Greene created the first moving pictures on celluloid film. Over the years, award-winning films, actors, directors, and locations (London in particular) have helped keep the UK in the spotlight. Here are five films that showcase London's beauty and unexpected corners of British culture.

Somers Town 
This unique story about a friendship between two boys takes place in London, around the time of the construction of the chunnel and the launch of the first Eurostar train (disclaimer: the movie was partially funded by Eurostar). Even so, it’s a delightful portrait of cross-cultural friendship in London that goes from ugly (Somers Town is still a less-than-idyllic neighborhood) to a joyful playground for Tomo and Marek, the main characters. It's worth watching to see the area around St. Pancras before its overhaul in 2007.

My Beautiful Laundrette 
A very young Daniel Day-Lewis puts on the hat of a troubled Londoner divided between his childhood friends—a group of lazy skinheads—and his love for a first generation Anglo-Pakistani man who is eager to change his fortune. The story is set during the ‘80s, at a time when England was struggling with the Thatcher government and social and racial tensions were high.


READ FURTHER:  http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2012/04/Context-London

COLIN FIRTH

Colin Firth is to star in My Fair Lady remake opposite Carey Mulligan

Colin Firth has told the producers of My Fair Lady that he wants to play Professor Henry Higgins.
by Richard Eden (The Telegraph)

Having won an Oscar for his portrayal of George VI’s attempts to overcome his speech impediment, Colin Firth is to teach a Cockney flower seller to “talk proper”.

Mandrake hears that the actor has told Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy that he will play Professor Henry Higgins to Carey Mulligan’s Eliza Doolittle in their remake of My Fair Lady. “He is keen,” says an associate.

The script for the musical has been written by Emma Thompson. As with Firth’s role in The King’s Speech, his part was offered, but rejected, by Hugh Grant.

Kenworthy is coy. “It’s in the planning stages, so it’s not the time to talk about casting,” he tells me. Keira Knightley took singing lessons to play Eliza before Mulligan was cast.

COLIN FIRTH TO STAR IN MY FAIR LADY

Having won an Oscar for his portrayal of George VI’s attempts to overcome his speech impediment, Colin Firth is to teach a Cockney flower seller to “talk proper”.

Mandrake hears that the actor has told Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy that he will play Professor Henry Higgins to Carey Mulligan’s Eliza Doolittle in their remake of My Fair Lady. “He is keen,” says an associate.

The script for the musical has been written by Emma Thompson. As with Firth’s role in The King’s Speech, his part was offered, but rejected, by Hugh Grant.

Kenworthy is coy. “It’s in the planning stages, so it’s not the time to talk about casting,” he tells me. Keira Knightley took singing lessons to play Eliza before Mulligan was cast.