Henry, Eliza get a ‘Fair' shake in Clinton production Ruby Nancy The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre kicks off its summer season with a lively production of the '50s-era theater chestnut "My Fair Lady. "Based on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," a 1914 story version of a much older Greek myth, "Lady" features plenty of popular songs like the classic "I Could've Danced All Night," and this particular production is full of energetic, perfectly rendered performances that audiences will love. Jay Berkow, CAST's artistic director, stars as Henry Higgins, the speech teacher whose ear for dialect earns him an international reputation and eventually leads him to boast that he can teach a Covent Garden flower peddler to speak like a English lady. Megan Kramer plays Eliza Doolittle, the cold and hungry young woman who wants to take speech lessons if doing so can help her get a steady job. Both performers do fine work here, with Berkow's dynamic stage presence and Kramer's evocative singing voice as key elements of that work. His Higgins is a crusty bachelor whose bombastic pomposity is as annoying as it is easy to laugh at, and her vocals are the single finest thing in the entire production. A host of great ensemble players and lots of vibrant dancing are Showboat musical trademarks, and this version of "My Fair Lady" has plenty of both. From the earthy fun and comradery of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "Get Me To The Church On Time" to the stiff upper lip hilarity of "The Ascot Gavotte," this cast is ready for anything the libretto can throw at them, and they do all of it well. Colin Douglas is particularly wonderful as Alfred, Eliza's ne'er do well father, and he pretty well steals every scene he's in. Joshua Culpepper — who plays Freddy Eynsford-Hill, the young man who so adores Eliza — shows off a fabulous smile and an absolutely incredible voice in his romantic, endearing rendition of "On The Street Where You Live," and Showboat audiences are sure to love this fresh new face on their stage. Hilary Mullany, OSF, is also fabulous and funny as Higgins' perfectly tart mother, and her sardonic delivery and wisecracking wisdom are perfectly done.  A simple set that transforms easily from an upscale study to a rundown section of town allows for maximum flexibility, and plenty of fine costuming — especially some of the doesn't-quite-fit urchin wear seen on Kramer, and the dramatic black and white formal wear at Ascot — works very well. Other artistic and technical elements including superb choreography and classic lighting also add to the quality of this show. Like "The Taming of the Shrew" when it is presented without its play-within-a-play bracket, "My Fair Lady" has enough barely-veiled hostility in this realistic presentation to probably make some folks uncomfortable. It can generate plenty of laughs as lighthearted farce, and the music is often lovely, but the basic story of a man egotistical enough he can only love a woman who is his creation might not be as palatable to audiences as it once was. Definitely not the best choice for an egalitarian first date, this excellent "My Fair Lady" is nonetheless a familiar show that many will love.