CECIL BEATON
Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle. Costume design illustration for My Fair Lady on Broadway, 1956. Gouache on paper. 425x356 mm; 16 3/4x14 inches. Signed "Beaton" in lower left image.The smash hit play My Fair Lady premiered on Broadway in 1956, starring Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle. A critical and popular success, the production won six Tony Awards, including Best Costume Design by Cecil Beaton. It set a record for the longest run of any musical on Broadway up to that time. Beaton's designs were crucial to effectively tell the story of Eliza's transformation from "mere guttersnipe" into sophisticated Lady. Her bedraggled dress, apron, tattered blue coat, and straw hat reflect the poor and humble life of the flower girl. Yet the paisley flowers she holds are an indication that there is potential for elegance and charm.