[jazzygirlsings]

So I know a number of you on this board have done the show! Share your experiences here! Were they embarrassing/touching/amazing/funny/etc?

(As a teaser, mine involves a vegetable!)

[Cho Lo]

Well, there was that time in 'On the Street Where You Live', when the policeman entered stage left and the backdrop came down and hit him square on the head (and probably would have knocked him unconscious had he not been wearing a hard policeman hat). The audience found it hilariously funny and all started clapping, and I just had to stand there with my flower basket pretending nothing had happened.

At the point where Higgins storms out just before 'Just You Wait', he slammed the door so savagely that it almost fell off its hinges.

Gee... it was a long time since I did that show. I'd give an arm and a leg to do it again...

[Rachel W.]

Yes. My community theater did this about five years ago (soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks). One of the funniest things to happen during rehearsal was when we were singing "Ascot Gavotte", and no sooner had we sung "Look, it has begun", did somebody's cell phone ring. Our poor musical director kept playing, but we were laughing too hard so we couldn't sing.

One of the funniest/most interesting things happened during our final performance, though. During the part in Act One, Scene Five when Higgins is teaching Eliza how to properly pronounce "H", he lit the candle and did the demonstration ("In Hartford, Heresford, and Hampshire..."), and as soon as he finished his demonstration, he accidentally blew the candle out, and he relit it. To cover up his mistake, he said, "When you pronounce 'H' correctly, the flame will waver, when you drop your 'H', the flame will remain stationary, and if it goes out, that's all right, too. That way, you'll know you've done it properly."

[lc06]

My High School did this play last year at and the end were Higgins "Fetch me my slippers." we only had ONE slipper.... the other got last back stage.... we went mad looking for it... as well as the dusters for the maids... the always seem to go missing too.

Also.... During Ascot I had to enter from stage right... now our "stage" doesnt have small wings so basically I was hiding behind the curtian with a huge umbrella pressed up against the wall. When it was my cue to enter I pushed the curtin aside and walked out but my umbrella got stuck... I pulled it slyly to remove it which would have went fine if the umbrella didnt bend backwards. So I had to do the entire Ascot scene with a bent umbrella haha.... not fun.

[Frostbunny2]

[Webster]

Eliza kicked a book into the pit the first time she entered Higgin's library. She said "OH MY GOD!", kind of sidled over to the pit and looked in "slyly."

[Mark Walton]

The song "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" seemed to be jinxed for Rex Harrison in the original Broadway performance in 1956. One night a bomb threat was phoned into the Mark Hellinger Theater; the bomb was supposed to go off as Rex came in shouting "Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!" Rex was not told of it until after the show; when he was told, he said cuttingly: "It would appear that I'm expendable!"

Another time a heavy backdrop being flown across the stage during that song collapsed, the ropes holding it up having become dangerously frayed. After the loud CRASH!!, there was total silence, including the orchestra. Rex narrowly escaped being crushed to death, but recovered first. He shouted down to conductor Franz Allers (never daring to look at him during a show, but that's another whole story), telling him to get something playing. A clarinet, which carried most of Rex's melodies (Rex and Franz had got that down to a science) started up; Rex finished the song, then he and Julie Andrews winged a closing.

[All4theBest02]

Once-upon-a-tech week for MFL, I was playing up Zoltan Karpathy. I had the beard for the first time that night, and it was to be double-taped to me rather than spirit gummed...so of course, the thing didn't stay.

We continued on with the scene, even though my beard was slowly loosening up; I kept having to "stroke my beard in interest" to keep it on. Finally, I couldn't do it because I was in the middle of my lines with the gent who played Higgins...the side was all the way off, hanging wide open like a door hinge. When Higgins said "Why don't you shave?" the thing, without me even barely touching it just fell right off.

The whole thing was like it was on cue: my next line I said "Alright, there we are. If only I had your noble figure..." etc. whatever the line was.

The director LOVED it and as a honorary running gag I got a new beard every weekend of the run, progressively more grizzled than the last.

[jazzygirlsings]

^That's hilarious! And so coincidental as well!

I totally forgot to tell everyone my experience!

Pickering was supposed to say, "I've been begging you to call off this experiment ever since Ascot." Instead... this is what came out of his mouth: "I've been begging you to call off this ASPARAGUS ever since Ascot!"

He kept on with the scene as if nothing happened, then came off stage and said..."I'm not sure, but the word 'experiment' came out funny tonight." When we told him what he said, he cracked up! He didn't even realize he said it! LOL!

My production of MFL is was regional tour... We performed some matinees for some old blue-haired ladies at this beautiful banquet hall from time to time. We had to perform on the floor right on top of the audience, basically.

During Act II scene I.... After the ball... during the ring-flinging "Don't hit me" part, the ring rolled near this old lady's feet. She bent down and picked it up, so when I had to run and find the ring (in tears, mind you) this little old lady holds out the ring and says, "There you are, poor dear!" I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't!

In the same venue, I entered all sullen after the ball and cross to stage left to hang up my cloak, listening to Higgins and Pickering gloat about the ball.... Anyway, as I was crossing over, this little old lady grabs my arm and says, "You are amazing!" Right in the middle of the performance! It was flattering, yet extremely funny all at the same time! Performing on a floor is ummm....interesting!

And not to mention all the times the audience kept forgetting MFL wasn't an outright "Audience Participation" show!

At one performance, the scene before "Get Me to the Church" was going pretty well. Alfie says the line about having to marry the stepmother because now he has money. Eliza says, "If that's the way you feel, why don't you give the money back?" Some guy in the audience yells out, "What're ya' kiddin'?!"

During another performance, when Higgins comes on stage and says "Brown, brown, brown!" In response to Eliza's eye color, some old lady says really loud, "They're blue!" (My eyes are a DEEP shade of blue! It's a bummer! LOL!) Higgins came off and chuckled...

I learned so much from doing a touring show...I highly recommend it! LOL!

[audreydarling]

[quote="jazzygirlsings"]

During another performance, when Higgins comes on stage and says "Brown, brown, brown!" In response to Eliza's eye color, some old lady says really loud, "They're blue!" (My eyes are a DEEP shade of blue! It's a bummer! LOL!) Higgins came off and chuckled...
quote]

Our Eliza had bright blue eyes too..luckily no one noticed..anyway in the scene where Alfie Doolittle comes to retrieve Eliza from Higgin's house..on closing he slapped the backside of Mrs.Pearce and she couldn't top laughing..he was so funny that show! Other things happened I'm sure..but don't quite remember! but they were funny.

[jazzygirlsings]

^LOL!

Alfie's are always quite the rascals, aren't they?

Ours would do something different each night during the scene where he's "negotiating" with Higgins and Pickering...We never knew what he would do...But EVERY time, Higgins would have to do an "amused look with his finger to his lips"...

We would gather in the wings just to see what he would do...one of the funnier things is when he had his handkerchief and went to sneeze and he put talcum powder on it, so when he did it, it looked like his kerchief was SUPER dusty! Then he would use his hand and go to shake Higgins' hand! LOL!

People should put some of their pics here, too...(Inspired by the SOM thread)...

Here is a press pic of mine...if others share, I will share more...

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m78/Jazzygirlsings/MFL.jpg

[Savoyard]

Experiences and Bloopers?

One of the flower girls (age 12 or 13) kept hitting on me continuously backstage. Being 17 at the time, it was kind of creepy.

As for bloopers, in the opening scene, the clock in Covent Gardens once fell and struck Colonel Pickering on the head causing him to begin bleeding, but he finished the scene as if nothing happened. At some other point, Eliza's wig fell off while with Professor Higgins. Higgins was played by a professional improv commedian, but I can't recall his witty remark.

[jazzygirlsings]

Aw! They just had a little crush! That happens! LOL!

As for the clock in Covent Gardens...OUCH! That sucks!

And there are few things I hate worse than being wigged! LOL! Luckily, I just had hair extensions/pieces that converted really quickly from scene to scene...

Jazz