Clive has faith in new ‘Lady’
WHEN it was announced recently that the first Broadway revival in 25 years of “My Fair Lady” will hit the stage, insiders wondered where Clive Davis’ name was on the project.
The new version, directed by Bartlett Sher, will begin previews March 22, 2018. But it was music mogul Davis who very publicly spearheaded the effort four years ago to bring his favorite show back to Broadway with Sher attached.
Davis tells Page Six there are no sour grapes that the show’s going on without him.
The pop-music icon wrote in a 2014 Hollywood Reporter column on the project, “It’s taken over a year to secure the rights . . . We will do a first-class production that will remind everyone what a great musical is all about . . . I’m already eagerly anticipating an opening night no one will ever forget.” He told the LA Times, “I always wanted to produce a Broadway show . . . I don’t want to jinx myself, but we’re in discussions with two magnificent performers and a wonderful director to do that.”
Davis and the show’s producers reportedly hired Sher in 2013 and wanted Anne Hathaway and Colin Firth to star. But that plan fell apart and the option lapsed: We hear Sher could not get out of a Lincoln Center contract at the time, and moved on to “The King and I.”
Now Lincoln Center Theater is mounting the show with the Nederlander Organization, which previously brought in Davis.
We heard rumors Davis was disappointed his version did not make it to the stage. But he told us the opposite’s true: He’ll be there cheering.
“I’m excited to see the new production of ‘My Fair Lady!’ ” he said, explaining, “My previous involvement was purely to make sure that this all-time wonderful musical returned to Broadway. Our option to produce a new revival expired because we couldn’t get an agreedupon time frame that worked for all involved. I love the Nederlander Organization and Lincoln Center, and truly wish them all the best with their new revival . . . I’m sure this will be a fabulous new production. I can’t wait to see it.”