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A review of Pygmalion
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Posted on Apr 09 2009
[B]By SYLVIA HAYWOOD[/B]
[I]Special to the Saipan Tribune[/I]
[I]The Friends of the Arts will be presenting the musical, My Fair Lady, on two successive weekends in the spring. This is the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. Shaw was interested in exploring the power divide between the rich and the poor as well as the differences between accents and ideas of the different social classes. The following is a condensed explanation of Acts I through V of the play, Pygmalion, and will appear on four successive Fridays before the musical is presented at the Multi-Purpose Center on Beach Road. The first part was published on March 20, 2009; the second on March 27, 2009; the third April 3, 2009.[/I]
[B]Week Four[/B]
Eliza has disappeared! Henry shows up at his mother’s complaining that he can’t find anything, nobody is reminding him of his appointments and he has called the police to report Eliza missing. Suddenly Eliza’s father shows up complaining that Henry has ruined his life. He is prepared to marry Eliza’s mother at last and Mrs. Higgins and Pickering go off to help him accomplish this task.
Henry and Eliza talk at length about the future. Eliza tells Higgins that Freddie loves her and writes her letters every day. But she has come to care a great deal about Higgins and only wishes that he would treat her with kindness.
Realizing that any future with Henry is impossible, she leaves with Mrs. Higgins after Henry asks her to run some errands for him, including buying some cheese and ham. She tells him goodbye, but he seems confident that she will do as he commanded.
[I]The play ends on this note. However, in an epilogue, Eliza realizes that Henry will always be a bachelor, so she marries Freddie and after some financial problems, she opens a flower shop and they are successful and live a comfortable life.The biggest difference between the play and the musical production seems to be that in the musical, Eliza appears to stay with Henry. Although it is left unsaid, the impression is that Henry and Eliza live happily ever after!
The Friends of the Arts hope that this will give you a little insight into the wonderful story of a young, struggling lower-class flower seller who becomes a beautiful, well-spoken lady. This musical story of love will fill your romantic heart with joy!
Sylvia Haywood is the publicity chairman for the Friends of the Arts.
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