Post by scarlet on Mar 13, 2011 21:36:49 GMT -5
When the latest La Cage revival started last year, I had no desire to see it. I'd seen it in 2005, and felt that it was too soon for another revival. Also, I wasn't interested in seeing Kelsey Grammer or Douglas Hodge in it. But when the announcement came that Harvey was going to be playing Albin, I had to go. Jeffrey Tambor was scheduled to play Georges, but he only managed 5 performances before leaving due to health reasons. So, Chris Hoch, who I'd seen and liked in Dracula, was playing Georges when I saw it. And he did a wonderful job. He and Harvey had an incredible chemistry and were totally believable as a couple of longstanding going through a rough patch.
Most of the acting was on par with Harvey and Chris, especially Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Jacob, the pair's faithful "butler". I felt that A.J. Shively was a bit weak as Jean-Michelle, and found the understudy playing Jacqueline to be boring. And while the men playing the Caglles were great dancers, I didn't believe that any of them were drag queens, their body type was wrong. This could have been easily handled by costuming, so I don't understand the decision to have their very masculine upper bodies showing so much.
This current production of La Cage plays up the night club aspect of the show, with table seating in the front of the orchestra section (where the orchestra pit normally would be), and the musicians visible on either side of the stage. This visibility leads to a few funny bits due to the presence of an accordion player where none should really be.
All in all, the show was fun and with the news that Chris Seiber is coming in to play Georges, I might just have to see it again.
Most of the acting was on par with Harvey and Chris, especially Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Jacob, the pair's faithful "butler". I felt that A.J. Shively was a bit weak as Jean-Michelle, and found the understudy playing Jacqueline to be boring. And while the men playing the Caglles were great dancers, I didn't believe that any of them were drag queens, their body type was wrong. This could have been easily handled by costuming, so I don't understand the decision to have their very masculine upper bodies showing so much.
This current production of La Cage plays up the night club aspect of the show, with table seating in the front of the orchestra section (where the orchestra pit normally would be), and the musicians visible on either side of the stage. This visibility leads to a few funny bits due to the presence of an accordion player where none should really be.
All in all, the show was fun and with the news that Chris Seiber is coming in to play Georges, I might just have to see it again.