Barrowman as Zaza... the horror pics return — Page 2

Awful, just awful.

He couldn't be more wrong for that role.

absoulutely hideous!!!!

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Oh it is 100% NOT Zaza, but he looks stunning!

He looks good in a dress but totally wrong for Albin/Zaza, mind you I thought Graham Norton looked bad in his press shots.

He would be great in Priscilla for Tick/Mitzi.

Look, when you think about it, Zaza, like Sally Bowles, should really look quite naff and amateurish. After all La Gage Aux Folles isn't exactly Las Vegas. Doesn't John Barrowman, in those photos, fit the bill?

Regardless, I'll be there, at a cabaret table at the front, in a ridiculous outfit (see my upcoming 'Priscilla' post) on September 18th.

Barrowman has a look of a young Rita Fairclough from Corrie when she used to do cabaret, lol.

That's the first pic i've seen of Hodge as Zaza and he looks shocking! More Lynn Perrie on The Word than anything else.

I agree with the general comments that Barrowman feels and looks a bit young for the role, but i'll reserve judgement till i've seen him. Have tickets for 18th sept same as you hotjohn.

I saw the show last night, front row. Philip Quast was out, but his understudy was my favourite Georges I've seen (I've seen all 3 casts of this production) and to be honest, I'm looking forward to hearing someone who can actually *hit* the notes! Douglas Hodge and Roger Allam, (particularly Allam) were actually quite flat on most held notes, and I Am What I Am was..interesting.
John Barrowman looks young, but if the son is 24, he only needs to be about 45, so he's only a couple of years younger, and I'm sure they can make him look older.

Oh, the show was still AMAZING! Front row is intense haha. I was just behind a cabaret table, and I thought I was going to get kicked in the head by a Cagelle haha!

^ The son's age is specified in the script. Georges says at one point "You're 20 years old, Jean-Michel" and Jean-Michel corrects him, "I'm 24".

I'm looking forward to hearing someone who can actually *hit* the notes! Douglas Hodge and Roger Allam, (particularly Allam) were actually quite flat on most held notes, and I Am What I Am was..interesting.

I don't think anyone doubts that Barrowman will sing it well. The problem is just... err... everything else!

I agree that Allam's singing is pretty bad, but I still loved his performance. I actually prefered him to Douglas Hodge overall (and I didn't have a problem with Hodge's singing at all). Despite the big songs, I think it's more important that Albin is played by a good actor than a good singer.

A shame you missed Philip Quast though, he and Roger make a lovely couple! Robert Maskell, his understudy, also covered Albin when Douglas Hodge was ill over New Year, and he was apparently brilliant. And he understudies M. Dindon too, as well as being in the ensemble! That's a lot of lines to learn.

The age thing is interesting. A good actor could over-come that, but my worry is that Barrowman "acts" a lot younger than he is. He only looks mid-30s or so in those pictures. Mind you, Stuart Neal (Jean-Michel) looks pretty young himself, so maybe it will work.

Though technically it makes sense for Albin to be only mid-40s, it works a lot better if he's more like mid-50s IMHO.

Updated On: 8/8/09 at 10:10 AM

"A shame you missed Philip Quast though, he and Roger make a lovely couple! Robert Maskell, his understudy, also covered Albin when Douglas Hodge was ill over New Year, and he was apparently brilliant. And he understudies M. Dindon too, as well as being in the ensemble! That's a lot of lines to learn."

Yesterday, there were 7 understudies! It ended up with Darren Carnall playing Etienne as well as being a Cagelle,he doesn't even cover Etienne! I know it's a very small part, but it meant he missed out on the beginning of the can can and stuff when he had to change, but I didn't notice that he'd come back in for a while! If I was further back, I would have thought he was there the whole time haha.

I don't think I'd heard of Nolan Frederick before this, but he's been on as Jacob every time I've been! He didn't really make any impression on me whatsoever, but I do wish I'd seen Jason Pennycooke after all the great reviews (and Olivier nomination) he's got.

The Jean-Michel understudy was pretty bad when I saw him, though I think it may have been his first performance so I'll let him off. He's on for two weeks later this month, so I may get the chance to see if he's improved.

Yesterday, there were 7 understudies!

Who were they? This cast does seem to get ill quite a lot! Mind you, the notices they put up at 'La Cage' list ALL the understudies, even the small ensemble roles. Most shows I've been to only list principal understudies.

On a (slightly) related note - does anyone know why this production switched around so many of the ensemble's names? There were characters called Colette and Etienne in the original production, but they weren't Jean-Michel's ex and her new boyfriend (those characters were called Paulette and Hercule, according to the script). Also Tabarro was someone different, not the fisherman. Were these some of the changes made for the Broadway revival? I understand there were quite a few script changes done for that production - plus some new lyrics (including all the extra bits of "With Anne on My Arm").

Updated On: 7/9/09 at 10:54 AM

He did the accent when I saw him. Or at least he tried to. Whatever it was, it wasn't his own accent. Oh, he's just awful.

Just remembered, I have seen Nolan Frederick before! He played Paul (who sings "Too Darn Hot") in "Kiss Me Kate". Again, didn't make any strong impression but I don't remember him being awful or anything. I do remember seeing his (white!) understudy at least as many times as I saw Nolan, though.

He hasn't used any accent other than what I presume is his own when I've seen him as Jacob. The accents in this production are quite eclectic, aren't they?

Updated On: 7/9/09 at 11:09 AM