PHOTO CALL: Kate Baldwin Is a Fair Lady at Sacramento Music Circus

By Matthew Blank
08 Aug 2008

Richard B. Watson and Ron Wisniski
Richard B. Watson and Ron Wisniski
photo by Charr Crail

The 2008 Music Circus season at Sacramento's California Musical Theatre continues with Lerner and Loewe's masterpiece My Fair Lady.

With direction by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreography by Josh Walden, the renowned Northern California summer stock company "brings to life Eliza Doolittle, an uncommon Cockney flower girl who is taken under the tutelage of the arrogant Henry Higgins as he attempts to teach her proper diction and pass her off as a lady."

The cast is led by Kate Baldwin as Eliza Doolittle and Richard B. Watson as Henry Higgins, both of whom are making their Music Circus debuts.

Baldwin has been seen on Broadway in the recent revival of Wonderful Town and in the original company of Thoroughly Modern Millie. A Paper Mill Playhouse favorite, she has appeared on the Milburn, NJ, stage as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Ellen in Miss Saigon and Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly!

Watson's credits include the title role in Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror at Sarasota's Asolo Theatre, Banquo in Orlando Shakespeare Festival's Macbeth and Lawyer Hawkins in The Devil's Disciple at Off-Broadway's Irish Repertory Theatre.

Also featured are Ron Wisniski as Colonel Pickering, J.B. Adams (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Parade and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway) as Alfred P. Doolittle, Dan Callaway as Freddy, Melinda Tanner (original Broadway cast of The Robber Bridegroom) as Mrs. Higgins, Annie O'Sullivan as Mrs. Pearce and Rodger McDonald as Kaparthy.

Miki Berg, Shelby Braxton Brooks, Dan Debenport, Michael Dotson, Claybourne Elder, Keith Fortner, Shiloh Goodin, Robert Hartwell, Tim Hausmann, Garett Hawe, Pegah Kadkhodaian, Matthew J. Kilgore, Joël René, Natalie Ross, Stacey Scotte and Nikki Tomlinson round out the ensemble.

Next up on Sacramento's summer schedule is an Aug. 12-17 staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita starring Julia Murney (Wicked, Saved, Lennon) and Eric Kunze (Jesus Christ Superstar, Whistle Down the Wind). Closing out the series is a new production of Hairspray running Aug. 19-28.

Tickets and information may be found at www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com

Here is a look at My Fair Lady, which concludes its run Aug. 10:

Richard B Watson as Henry Higgins and Kate Baldwin as Eliza Doolittle


"The Rain in Spain"
Ron Wisniski as Col. Pickering, Kate Baldwin as Eliza Doolittle and Richard B. Watson as Henry Higgins


Ron Wisniski as Col. Pickering, Kate Baldwin as Eliza Doolittle and Richard B. Watson as Henry Higgins


J.B. Adams (center) as Alfred P. Doolittle with Shiloh Goodin and Shelby Braxton-Brooks


Photos by Charr Crail