Tickets on sale on Friday for 70th Anniversary My Fair Lady Melbourne season

Celebrating 70 dazzling years since its glorious Broadway debut, Lerner and Loewe’s iconic My Fair Lady will be the first major musical to perform at Arts Centre Melbourne’s refurbished Ian Potter State Theatre when it opens in November 2026.

In keeping with the anniversary milestones, Opera Australia is also marking its platinum 70th anniversary this year, making it an extra special double celebration with My Fair Lady in 2026.

From its groundbreaking Broadway debut to the iconic Oscar‑winning film, My Fair Lady remains one of the world’s most enduring and loved musical treasures, with this lavish recreation based on the 2016 Australian production which was directed by Julie Andrews.

The cast for this beloved musical includes a mix of Australia’s best new and emerging performers and established musical theatre favourites, including the return of some musical theatre icons.

 

 

Leading cast members include Reg Livermore returning to the role of Alfred P. Doolittle, Robyn Nevin returning to the role of Mrs Higgins, Tony Llewellyn-Jones returning as Colonel Hugh Pickering, the much-loved Anne Wood as Mrs Pearce and Freddy Hellier in his mainstage musical theatre debut as Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

The Ensemble cast includes Anton Berezin, Eleanor Blythman, Devon Braithwaite, Rachel Cole, Natasha Dumlao, Blake Erickson, Peter Ho, Anthony Garcia, Matt Heyward, Tisha R. Kelemen, Naomi Livingston, Madeleine Mackenzie, Kassie Martin, Mary McCorry, Julia McRae, Oscar Mulcahy, Tom New, Lachlan O’Brien, Morgan Palmer, Matthew Predny, Suzanne Steele, Troy Sussman, Natasha Veselinovic and Sam Ward. Swings include Andrew Broadbent, Deborah Caddy, Ellie Nunan and David Sirianni.

Casting announcements for the key roles of Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins will be made in the coming months.

 

 

A heartwarming story of identity and change, My Fair Lady brims with razor sharp wit, unforgettable characters, and a stunning score including ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?’, ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’.

When Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe premiered their brilliant adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion in 1956, it became an instant classic — hailed as “the perfect musical” and winning six Tony Awards. This production broke box office records when it premiered at the Sydney Opera House for its 60thanniversary in 2016.

A 20-year-old Julie Andrews was catapulted to superstardom when she originated the role of Eliza Doolittle — an irrepressible Cockney flower girl who transforms into a lady of society. The man attempting to remake her? The appealingly arrogant phoneticist Henry Higgins, who may just be the one who is transformed.

 

 

Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honoured star of stage, screen and television for more than half a century. She created the role of Eliza Doolittle in Lerner and Loewe’s Broadway musical My Fair Lady, which became an instant classic and the longest-running musical of its day. Andrews also won a New York Drama Critics Award and garnered a Tony Award nomination for her performance.

She made her feature film debut in 1964’s Mary Poppins which brought her an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. She earned a second Oscar® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music plus a third Academy Award® nomination and another Golden Globe Award for her “dual” role in Victor/Victoria.

Miraculous. Ridiculously Beautiful.” The Australian
One of the best musicals of the century” The New York Times

Opera Australia and John Frost for Crossroads Live present My Fair Lady.

 

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Season Details

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne| State Theatre
Date: From Nov 2026

For more information click HERE