[Sydney] My Fair Lady Returning to Sydney Opera House in 2026 to celebrate 70 Dazzling Years
Celebrating 70 dazzling years since its debut, Lerner and Loewe’s iconic My Fair Lady returns to the Sydney Opera House guided by musical theatre and Hollywood royalty Julie Andrews and co-directed by Karen Johnson Mortimer from September 2026.
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“My Fair Lady is a grand and ground-breaking musical which, alongside Opera Australia, I present with immense pride. I look forward to introducing the beloved story of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins to a new generation of theatre audiences along with so many who will return to hear one of musical theatre’s greatest scores and witness a breathtakingly beautiful production,” said Producer John Frost.
In keeping with the anniversary milestones, Opera Australia will also mark its platinum 70th anniversary in 2026, making it an extra special double celebration with My Fair Lady in 2026.
A heartwarming story of transformation and identity, My Fair Lady brims with unforgettable characters, razor-sharp wit, and a glorious score including Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?, I Could Have Danced All Night and Get Me to the Church on Time.
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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 60th anniversary 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 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.