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 its season opens in November 2026.
This news comes after it was announced that the production would be returning to Sydney from September 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.
Producer John Frost said:
“Presenting this special anniversary production of My Fair Lady alongside Opera Australia gives me immense pride. I’m delighted that such an iconic performance, featuring one of the world’s greatest scores, will be the first musical to return to the rejuvenated and beloved Ian Potter State Theatre in Melbourne.”
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.
Opera Australia CEO Alex Budd said:
“When it premiered in 1956 My Fair Lady was hailed as ‘wise, witty and winning,’ a musical that felt nothing short of miraculous. It set a new standard for the art form, and seventy years on, its brilliance continues to shine.
To once again present this beloved work with Producer John Frost in Opera Australia’s platinum anniversary year, is to honour a landmark of musical theatre that has delighted generations and continues to enchant audiences today.”
A heartwarming story of identity and change, My Fair Lady brims with razor sharp wit, unforgettable characters, and a stunning score. Songs include 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,” it won 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 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. She earned a third Academy Award® nomination and another Golden Globe Award for her “dual” role in Victor/Victoria.
Casting announcements will be made in the coming weeks.
My Fair Lady runs at the Ian Potter State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne from November. It opens in Sydney on 12 September 2026 at the Sydney Opera House.
Tickets for Sydney are available here and the waitlist for Melbourne tickets is here.
Website: https://myfairladythemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/myfairladyaus/
Photo credits: Jeff Busby
Book & Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Music by Frederick Loewe. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion. Based on the 2016 production by Julie Andrews. Directed by Karen Johnson Mortimer.
