- March 26, 2026
Chelsea Conrad sings as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Chelsea Conrad stars as Eliza Doolittle in the Daytona Playhouse production of "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
The cast of "My Fair Lady" perform a dress rehearsal at Daytona Playhouse. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp, Dee Oatway, Timothy Akers and Chelsea Conrad rehearse "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Cast members of "My Fair Lady" perform a dress rehearsal at Daytona Playhouse. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp as Henry Higgins and Timothy Akers as Colonel Pickering during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp, Chelsea Conrad, Timothy Akers and cast during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Dee Oatway, Khloë Perez-Mathis, Beth Kingsbury, Jenna Blaine and Laura Buckley rehearse a musical number in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Cast members of "My Fair Lady" during dress rehearsal at Daytona Playhouse. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Danny Crile as Alfred P. Doolittle and Chelsea Conrad as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Cast member rehearse a musical number in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Timothy Akers, Chelsea Conrad, Laura Buckley and Curt Knupp star in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Timothy Akers and Curt Knupp during dress rehearsal at Daytona Playhouse. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Laura Buckley as Mrs. Pearce and Curt Knupp as Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Timothy Akers, Danny Crile, Curt Knupp, and Laura Buckley during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Chelsea Conrad rehearses as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp as Henry Higgins and Chelsea Conrad as Eliza Doolittle during dress rehearsal at Daytona Playhouse. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp as Henry Higgins and Chelsea Conrad as Eliza Doolittle during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
The snsemble cast of "My Fair Lady" during dress rehearsal. Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp and Chelsea Conrad star in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp and Chelsea Conrad star in "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Chelsea Conrad during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Timothy Akers, Chelsea Conrad and Curt Knupp rehearse a musical number for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Curt Knupp and Chelsea Conrad rehearse "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Chelsea Conrad stars as Eliza Doolittle in the Daytona Playhouse production of "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
Timothy Akers as Colonel Pickering and Kathy Thompson as Mrs. Higgins during dress rehearsal for "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
The orchestra warms up for the dress rehearsal of "My Fair Lady." Photo by Suzanne McCarthy
The Daytona Playhouse presents "My Fair Lady," with an opening night performance scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27.
Cast and crew have spent this week finalizing preparations for the show, directed by Daniel Mills, of Ormond-by-the-Sea, with musical direction by Melissa Cargile and choreography by Ashley King. The production features a full cast, orchestra and period-inspired staging. Chelsea Conrad stars as Eliza Doolittle alongside Curt Knupp as Professor Henry Higgins.
The musical follows a Cockney flower seller who undergoes a transformation under Higgins’ guidance and features well-known songs including “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “I Could Have Danced All Night.”
Daytona Playhouse president Kathy Thompson said the production was inspired by a personal connection to the show.
“My interest in musical theater was from when my dad, a Navy pilot, flew to London and saw the original production with Julie Andrews, and he bought the cast recording and played it over and over,” she said. “When we were choosing shows, I thought, 'Nobody has done "My Fair Lady" around here' — our patrons will love it.”
Thompson also plays the role of Mrs. Higgins in the musical.
Mills, the director, first came to the Daytona Playhouse about six years ago to help build sets. He then submitted his theatre resume — Mills has a bachelor's degree in theater from the University of Southern Maine with a focus in directing — and was asked to direct "The Drowsy Chaperone" in 2022. He has directed every spring musical since then: "Urinetown," "Bonnie and Clyde," "Something Rotten" and now, "My Fair Lady."
Mills spends his winters in Ormond-by-the-Sea and summers in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he and his wife Joan run the Chiltern Inn Bed and Breakfast.
In addition to the opening night performance, "My Fair Lady" will run March 28; April 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances March 29 and April 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. All performances will take place at the Daytona Playhouse, located at 100 Jessamine Blvd. Tickets are available through the box office.
Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas contributed to this story.
