A Love Letter to Nathan Lane From Charles Isherwood

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 8:31am

In Sunday's New York Times, critic Charles Isherwood writes a true love letter to the peerless Nathan Lane. isherwood falls over himself in his praise of Lane's comedic talents, including the mentioning of Lane being the one bright spot in the critical bomb THE ADAMS FAMILY. Also mentioned are his successes with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, GUYS AND DOLLS, and THE PRODUCERS, among many other shows.

As usual, I need help in providing a link.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 9:24am

The link

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 10:11am

He had me until he called The Birdcage and the film of La Cage Aux Folles "grisly." Then I remembered why I hate him as a reviewer.

I like the idea of this article more than the article itself. Nathan Lane is truly one of the last of his kind, and he's giving old school Broadway effort into Addams Family, which wouldn't even be tolerable if it weren't for him. He definitely deserves a piece dedicated to him. I just wish Isherwood wasn't the one who wrote it. He wrote a very similar article two years ago about Kelli O'Hara. It felt a tad bit less fan boy, though, as he had an actual interview with her to work with.

Updated On: 5/30/10 at 10:11 AM

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 10:36am

I, too, was totally turned off by Isherwood's very negative thoughts of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. I saw it coming, because in The Sunday Times of a few weeks ago, where he and Ben Brantly were discussing the upcoming Tony Awards, Isherwood totally put down the concept of LA CAGE as being demeaning and in poor taste. Perhaps he thinks his flimsy book about the gay porn star Joey Stefano is more enlightening in dealing with gay characters. Hah!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 10:56am

Haha!
https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1016750&dt=1&boardid=3

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 12:53pm

I mean, I've heard the argument, and there IS a certain amount of merit to it, that a gay-equality or gay-acceptance piece that portrays all its gay characters as flamboyant drag queens doesn't get the "don't you get it, they're just like us" message across; rather, it presents a "gays are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from straights, but you should accept them anyway as a whole 'nother thing" message.

Some people, indeed, some gay activist groups are more than happy with that stance. It just rubs a lot of other people, including, I would wager, most gay people, the wrong way. It just sort of reeks of "separate but equal."

That being said, I thought La Cage was a pretty okay show, and I LOVED The Birdcage. Comic gold.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 2:06pm

I don't look for any deep meaning in The Birdcage. I just think it's incredibly hilarious. I've seen it numerous times and it never fails to make me laugh.

Posted: 5/30/10 at 4:01pm

I hated Birdcage when it came out but I guess I've mellowed as there are a few scenes I cannot help but watch when I stumble across it on cable.

But I will say in all my years I have never run across a gay couple who looked acted or sounded like Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. If you squint and sort of imagine it taking place on some other planet it has some moments.

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 4:24pm

I didn't care for Birdcage and would have walked out after the first half hour had I not been with friends. It was also the point where I found Nathan Lane to be annoying and had no desire to see him in another movie or onstage. However, for some reason, I do want to see him in the Addams Family.