THE INCOMPARABLE REX

Theatrical veteran Patrick Garland directed Rex Harrison in the ill-fated 1980-1981 revival of MY FAIR LADY. This experience, and Garland's uneasy sixteen-year friendship with Harrison, forms the basis of this memoir. Garland has excellent timing, accelerating and slowing his narration for dramatic or comedic effect. His crisp enunciation of each syllable, especially the frequent Harrison expletives, holds the listener's attention effortlessly. Garland's empathy for the many people Harrison stepped on during his eighty-plus years is evident throughout his reading. A nice surprise is Garland's dexterous mimicry: His voicings of Harrison, Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, and even Louis Armstrong are perfect. G.M.N. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]