Could he dance all night? Oscar winner Colin Firth, who was previously speculated to be the frontrunner for headlining a Broadway revival of My Fair Lady before supposedly being replaced by Ralph Fiennes, is now on board to play Henry Higgins. Theater titan James Nederlander Sr. reportedly told The New York Post, "Colin Firth is already set. The female isn’t cast yet.” Names in the mix to play Eliza Doolittle have so far included Oscar winner Anne Hathaway and Skylight's Tony nominee Carey Mulligan. A production directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher had been aiming for a 2014 opening; no word yet on when this incarnation will play Broadway.
Firth won the Oscar for The King's Speech and was nominated for A Single Man. His many other film credits include Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary, Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, Then She Found Me, What a Girl Wants, Girl With a Pearl Earring and the movie musical Mamma Mia!
Featuring music by Frederick Loewe and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, My Fair Lady premiered on Broadway on March 15, 1956, starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. The production won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Harrison snagged a Best Actor trophy. My Fair Lady was last seen on Broadway in 1993, starring Melissa Errico and Richard Chamberlain.