As I look out on the beautiful
winter wonderland engulfing the Lansing area and think about My Fair Lady’s
opening at Wharton Center tonight, I am reminded of another time MFL played
Lansing.
Back in 1978 (way back
then?) My Fair Lady had a two-night stay at the MSU University
Auditorium (that was four years before Wharton opened). After the last
scheduled show, a huge snowstorm landed in Mid-Michigan and the My Fair Lady
company was unable to leave Lansing to go to their next stop.
They decided to stay for
another night at MSU and give a free performance for anyone who could make it
to the theater. Ken Beachler, head of
the Lecture-Concert Series then remembers, “All the parking lots were totally
covered, so everyone had to walk to the show.
But it turned out the it was a totally filled house – all 3300 seats.”
Most of the audience was
made up of students and some had never seen a Broadway show before. Beachler remembers that the crowd was electric
– wildly applauding and yelling after every song. It ended up being a joyous and festive
evening.
Months later when the tour
was closing, the cast was asked to describe the high points of the run. Without exception each cast member talked about the free performance in snowbound
East Lansing as the most special show of the tour.
This My Fair Lady
plays Wharton from February 26-March 1, 2020. www.whartoncenter.com
2 comments:
Hi Ken, thanks for sharing!! Happy to know that someone else remembers that memorable event!
I was just talking about that amazing evening way back when! I think they also said that anybody who could walk could go for free! I think we had already had tickets but it didn't matter. We could walk from our house on Milford Street! What an amazing event! I have never experienced an audience so interactive. It was such an exhilarating evening!! And I was thinking again how the snow is coming down now as then.
Can't wait to see it again tonight. By far, one of my most favorite musicals. Nothing like the old timers!
Stay warm -- Muffa
Just reread your blog. Had not remembered it was an extra evening -- so I guess we could not have had tickets already.
sorry
Mufa
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