Wouldn't a busk be loverly?!

When last we blogged here at Bristol Show Choir, we’d been getting acquainted with “Wig in A Box” from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. That’s sounding brilliant, and now it’s a matter of finessing everything and continuing to grow in confidence, which we have been the more we’ve sung it through. 

For one of our final new additions to the Show Choir repertoire this term, we’ve returned to a show we visited back when Show Choir first started: My Fair Lady! Only this time, we’re not bursting with joy about the towering feelings that come from being on the street where you live, oh no… this time it’s all about enormous chairs, warmth, chocolate and having someone take care of you as we ask Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?

Originally on Broadway in 1956, My Fair Lady was the third collaboration between Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, an adaptation of the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The story revolves around Eliza Dolittle, a cockney flower girl who is taken under the wing of stern phonetician Henry Higgins, who is determined that she speaks like a “proper” lady. The show set records at the time for the length of its run, and won six of the ten Tony Awards for which it was nominated. 

It was adapted into a film in 1964, and was a critical and commercial success. It drew criticism from some for the casting of Audrey Hepburn as Eliza, given that Julie Andrews starred originally onstage and was regarded by many audiences as perfect for the role, but Andrews went on to star in Mary Poppins that same year winning both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actress!

It’s been great to revisit the show but learn something new: it’s a simple yet beautiful melody that always brings a smile in rehearsals. Huge props to the Sopranos for their amazing accent and characterisation work on this arrangement, we are incredibly excited to sing it for a crowd…

Which leads us nicely on to some news: Show Choir are busking this Sunday 21st November at Wapping Wharf, at 3pm! We’ll be performing all our songs we’ve learned this term in order to get “concert ready” – more on that next post! We’ll be raising money for Changes Bristol, a community led charity which offers fantastic support to anyone over 18 suffering from poor mental health, without the need for a GP referral or a diagnosis. After the effects of the pandemic, we’re delighted to be supporting such a wonderful and important cause.

So please do pop down, hear us sing and bring some loose change!