Bryce Pinkham didn鈥檛 want to miss seeing Lisa O'Hare in My Fair Lady, so he found a novel way to make sure he鈥檇 have the best seat in the house: He signed on to do the show with her.
鈥淚 have no problem telling you that part of the reason I鈥檓 here is to watch her do this role,鈥� Pinkham says, and when he got the call about playing Freddy in the Lyric Opera鈥檚 My Fair Lady in Chicago, he told O鈥橦are straightaway. 鈥淗e called me and said we might be working together in April,鈥� she recounts. 鈥淲e had a lengthy talk about the show. I鈥檓 fascinated to see his Freddy. I think there might be more of a genuine dilemma choosing between Henry and Freddy this time.鈥� Though O鈥橦are has played Eliza before, on both the U.K. and U.S. tours of the show, she鈥檚 excited to take on the role again. 鈥淚t arguably launched my career. I learned who I was as an actor working on this show. I think I could do it until I die and never get bored of it.鈥�
The pair met sharing the stage in the surprise Broadway hit, A Gentleman鈥檚 Guide to Love and Murder, where O鈥橦are played Sibella to Pinkham鈥檚 Monty. 鈥淲e just had such an amazing experience together. I feel like those people are family to me,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 always nice to go into battle with a former war buddy.鈥� Since then, they鈥檝e developed a great appreciation for each other both onstage and off. 鈥淚 love how brave Bryce is,鈥� O鈥橦are says, when asked what she loves about performing with him. 鈥淚t always excites me to work with him. He鈥檚 also an extremely generous actor, and those are two things I value immensely.鈥� Pinkham has plenty of praise for O鈥橦are in return. 鈥淢y favorite part about Lisa as an actor is her passion for the character. The best actors put their characters before themselves. She鈥檚 going to look under every rock and uncover all the colors to be found in Eliza.鈥�
They only have a few weeks together to rehearse the show before their first performance on April 28th, so coming into the process with a bond already established has been a huge asset. 鈥淚t鈥檚 much easier, because there鈥檚 a shorthand that we have as friends. She knows what to expect from me in the rehearsal room,鈥� Pinkham says, and O鈥橦are agrees. 鈥淲e get advice from each other. We can speak honestly about the play and I think that鈥檚 incredibly important.鈥� She also sees some similarities between My Fair Lady and Gentleman鈥檚 Guide. 鈥淎s Sibella and Monty, in the beginning, Bryce sort of follows me around,鈥� she explains. 鈥淗ere, he鈥檚 basically doing the same thing. We need to find our next show where you just follow me around!鈥� Pinkham suggests Around the World in 80 Days or The Music Man. 鈥淲e joke about it, but I鈥檒l happily come up with something else for us to do,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just amazing to have someone you can trust with the parts of your soul you鈥檙e letting them have a peek at.鈥�
Take a look inside rehearsals with Pinkham and O鈥橦are:
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