By Rachel Galvin

Simple and elegant with old-world charm, the newly renovated Museum Club at The Wick, located within The Wick Theatre building at 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton, is reminiscent of an old-school supper club complete with two-level seating and a small stage. Although the club tips its hat to yesteryear, it also fully embraces the future with state-of-the-art immersive technology with its 360-degree projections. When Kimberly and Marilyn Wick visited the Van Gogh experience down in Miami, they were inspired to employ something similar in this space. The projections can be changed to transform the space to anything and anywhere, from a starry night to a sunny beachside, from Italy to Paris. It makes for a unique space perfect for intimate events.

But, they took it a step further and created a documentary to display here, called “Ascot!” It is filled with imagery, videos and narration unveiling the story of “My Fair Lady,” including how it was made from the original tale of 1913 George Bernard Shaw play “Pygmalion,” turned into the Lerner and Loewe Broadway play in 1956 and turned into a movie in 1964.

Audrey Hepburn was in the leading role in that film, but the part was also played by Julie Andrews and many others in the various renditions of the play. Hepburn did not sing the famous songs like “I Could Have Danced All Night” herself, but rather used a voice-over actress, Marni Nixon, to dub over. Details such as this are revealed in the film, as well as how the costumes were made and all the ins and outs of the process of creating the classic.

During the presentation of “Ascot!” the spotlight moves about to point out mannequins placed around the room, each one wearing one of the carefully preserved dresses from “My Fair Lady.” Marilyn Wick has costumes from countless Broadway plays within her costume museum (Costume World), the largest collection in the world. This is a new way to showcase the costumes, by implementing them into a show like this. “I always try to go the next step, and leave the other theaters to catch up,” said Wick.

The ingenuity behind the experience that is the Museum Club was on display at an opening gala event on Sept. 23 for media and others. Besides the film and a few statements from Kimberly and Marilyn Wick, there were a few songs sung piano-side by local singers clad in more “My Fair Lady” costumes. Once witnessing the show, guests could have a drink in the attached bar, which also exuded an old-world sensibility. 

For those who want to experience the space for themselves, they can rent it for their next event. The price range from $45 to $85. For details, visit https://thewick.org/museum-club.