Pygmalion

This performance of Shaw's perceptive comedy sparkles with wit and scintillating characterizations. Outstanding performances by the entire company, especially the actors portraying major characters, contribute to the vitality of this production. As her cockney accent gradually gives way to refined, articulate sentences, Shannon Cochran makes us believe in Eliza's transformation from flower girl to cultured lady. Nicholas Rudall artfully captures the self-centered swagger and joie de vivre of Eliza's father. Nicholas Pennell intelligently portrays the egotistical Professor Higgins. Basic sound effects are all that's necessary to create a context for this drama. The adult or high-school-age listener will find this audio production the next best thing to being there. R.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Probably Shaw's most endearing play and the basis (and libretto) for MY FAIR LADY, this witty comedy concerns an expert linguist who, on a bet, seeks to pass off a flower girl as a duchess. Naxos's production wisely incorporates a narrator who sets the scene with Shaw's own stage directions, as he expanded them for publication. Under John Tydeman's confident direction, the excellent cast fully realizes the intelligent humor and persuasive characterizations of the text. My favorite is Geoffrey Palmer as Colonel Pickering, foil and sidekick of Henry Higgins. Perhaps Anton Lesser's voice is a bit flimsy for the overbearing professor, but not so his acting. His Eliza, Lucy Whybrow, could be less irritating and more sympathetic. But otherwise, the ensemble provides a splendidly satisfying rendition. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine