Duke to perform with Cd'A Summer Theatre

COEUR d'ALENE - Coeur d'Alene's local celebrity Patty Duke will be gracing the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre stage in July when she performs in "My Fair Lady," her favorite musical of all time.

This is the first time Duke will be performing as a character in a live CST production, although she participated in a reading of "Over the River and Through the Woods" in winter 2012. This will be her first time performing in "Lady."

"We're honored that she's willing to do this, because Patty could be working anywhere in the nation," said Laura Little, CST's executive director. "She carved out the time to make sure it would work."

Little said she is thrilled for Duke to be involved because of the quality of her acting.

"Our new artistic director wants to have the highest quality of acting on the stage for every show," Little said. "Putting somebody like Patty up there causes everybody to step up their game."

Jadd Davis, CST's artistic director, echoed Little's delight.

"I truly can't wait to work with Patty," he told The Press. "Over the last decade I've had the opportunity to collaborate with some 'big names' in the industry, but nobody who carries the living legend torch quite like Patty does. However, it's not her fame that has me so thrilled, it's her heart."

Duke will be playing the role of Mrs. Higgins, the socialite mother of phonetics professor Henry Higgins. The story revolves around Henry taking a bet that he can transform a simple and unrefined girl who sells flowers into a respectable lady.

Little, who is Duke's neighbor, said she recently watched a few episodes of "The Patty Duke Show," which starred Duke as a teen, and commented that Duke has an innate ability for timing.

"I absolutely adore that series," Little said. "She is so funny."

Little said Davis is "over the moon that he gets to direct," and that the set design for the production is spectacular.

"It's going to be fantastic," she said. "It's just exactly what we need to kick off this new venture for Summer Theatre."

"My Fair Lady" runs July 10 through 27 at the Kroc Center Theatre in Coeur d'Alene, located at 1765 W. Golf Course Road.

For tickets and information, call 660-2958 or visit www.cdasummertheatre.com.