Higgins, a well-known linguistics professor, is outraged by how often his fellow Englishmen dishonor their own native language. His frustration reaches fever pitch when he harshly scolds Eliza Doolittle, a simple flower girl, upon hearing her “inhuman” treatment of the language. With no small amount of confidence, he proposes a bet to his new friend, Colonel Pickering: he will provide Eliza with six months of “training,” after which she will be capable of effortlessly blending into the highest circles of society.
After her initial resistance, Eliza’s thirst for knowledge gets the better of her and Pickering agrees to the bet. Thus begins Eliza’s transformation, a journey filled with hard work, rebellion, obstacles, and mistakes, yet ultimately crowned with success. Intoxicated by his triumph, Higgins once again forgets to acknowledge Eliza’s achievements. After the wounded and confused girl receives no recognition, she decides to leave. But what will become of her now? Meanwhile, Higgins realizes just how dearly he misses her…
The musical’s libretto is based on Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, inspired by the myth of the sculptor who falls in love with his own creation. Unlike the myth, however, the musical’s plot does not reach an unambiguous happy ending; instead, in Andrei Șerban’s direction, the story culminates in an open ending.
Director: Andrei Şerban
