Exclusive: All-star cast announced for My Fair Lady 60th anniversary concert

Casting has been announced for the 60th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady at St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden on Sunday 19 June.

Several West End leading ladies will share the role of Eliza Doolittle including Gina Beck (Show Boat, Wicked), Alexia Khadime (Wicked, Book of Mormon), Amy Lennox (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music) and Kara Tointon (The Sound of Music Live).

Comedian Frank Skinner will play Alfred P. Doolittle and BAFTA award winner Anthony Andrews (My Fair Lady, Drury Lane) will star as Henry Higgins, with more casting to be announced soon.

The production, which will be directed by Alastair Knights with musical direction by Alex Parker (Les Miserables), will include rare material cut from the original 1956 production including two new songs – "Come To The Ball" and "Say A Prayer For Me Tonight", which have never before been heard on the London stage.

Accompanied by an 18 piece orchestra, the concert will also feature much of Lerner and Loewe’s score including "Wouldn’t It Be Loverly", "I Could Have Danced All Night"
and "On The Street Where You Live".

The evening will be narrated by Liz Robertson, widow of playwright and lyricist, Alan Jay Lerner, and star of the 1979 London production, and also include classic scenes from My Fair Lady, its source material Pygmalion and excerpts from Alan Jay Lerner’s autobiography The Street Where I Live.

Talking about the event, Frank Skinner said: "I'm supporting this event because on a selfish level I realise it's probably my only chance to play Doolittle, and on a less selfish
level I'm happy to support any church that isn't being turned into luxury flats or a gymnasium."

The evening is supported by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and produced by ebp. All proceeds from the gala will go towards the restoration of St. Paul’s Church and to improve disabled access.

To celebrate 60 years since the first Broadway performance in 1956, tickets are on sale from £19.56 and details can be found here.