It's one of the show's hardest roles. With little stage time, the guy has to come on and establish that he's totally smitten with Eliza. Carothers looks great in Freddy's swell duds, and he's got a marvelous singing voice. It's a jewel of a performance, small and perfect. Wood and Tinnaro have played their roles so often, both separately and together, that their comfort level is tangible.
Wood is simply outstanding.
His is a low-key Higgins, with none of the eccentricities of Rex Harrison. Tinnaro, looking every bit as lovely as filmdom's Eliza, Audrey Hepburn, uncovers depths of emotion in the poor girl's plight. By early in the second act, it's clear that Eliza has gained a new life she can never fully be part of and lost an old one she can never return to. And the scene where the indignant Eliza and smug Higgins clash is electric. Sharell Martin has crafted period- faithful costumes, and Debra Garcia Lockwood and A.J. Gonzalez ably deliver, respectively, the show's lighting and sound effects.