![]() In this tale, there is no change in the dynamic between Eliza and Henry. There is no difference in the way Professor Higgins regards Eliza, no evolution that encourages much of wanting the two to end up together in a healthy, fulfilling relationship. After all, the original Pygmalion doesn't end on any reconciliation between Eliza and Henry at all! The aforementioned scene where Eliza declares her independence from Professor Higgins and goes off on her merry way is the last we see of her, and Higgins, laughing to himself, spends every final second-even as the curtain falls-stubbornly believing Eliza will fetch his tie and gloves just as he demanded. The history surrounding the nature of Henry and Eliza's dynamic is an old and consistently ongoing discourse. Will Eliza succeed on her own and marry Freddy, or will she come crawling back to Professor Higgins, ready for reconciliation and eager to begin a relationship?įirst, it's important to explore where it all began. Both the audience and Henry Higgins are left to watch her leave, each party wondering whether Eliza is truly serious in her bold claims. ![]() And, in both versions, after her declaration, Eliza proudly exits the scene, more sure of herself than ever before and ready to begin a new life filled with countless possibilities. This moment-in both versions of the complicated story of Eliza and Henry's friendship -is a defining moment for our leading lady, a moment of towering empowerment where dear Eliza realizes she can do well without Higgins and his classist, sexist attitudes. When Eliza Doolittle utters this line in My Fair Lady, her intention at the moment is to replicate her original Pygmalion counterpart, who defiantly declares in the final act of the famous play that she will not see the “cruel tyrant” again. ![]() Who does this director think he is to change the ending of such a classic musical?! Why would Sher discourage a tale of change, of realizing mistakes and overcoming setbacks with the pure power of love?! Much debate can be made over whether or not Sher's choices were the right ones to make, both in regards to preserving the integrity of the original piece and presenting a story that's acceptable to modern sensibilities. So today, I'll be taking a look at the history of Eliza and Henry's relationship and ask myself: Is Bartlett Sher right? 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. ![]()
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