Check out "La Cage" gross this week

It was Daniel Davis' appearance that brought me back to see La Cage more than once. It looks like others felt the same way.


This week's grosses

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Quite a drop in gross. Wow.

I don't know if Davis has all that much to do with the drop in attendance...the show just ISN'T very good and it's beginning to show.

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Are there any charts which show weekly production costs?

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LA CAGE doesnt have a star right now. Gary Beach is out doing the PRODUCERS movie more often than not and Daniel Davis is gone. Its no wonder last week and this week probably wont be that superior in its gross. HOWEVER, I am 100% SURE that by Apr. 15 and La Goulet joining the cast, it will have quite the healthy run & Beach returning to a more tradional playing schedule.

I personally LOVE La Cgae and hope for GREAT things for this PHENOMANAL production!

Updated On: 4/4/05 at 10:39 PM

I saw it yesterday and I was shocked to see so many empty seats in the theater. John Hillner played "Georges." I enjoyed it,

It was opening week, the entirely comp'd opening night normally severly hurts box office totals for the week.

Look at DOUBTS totals, same thing - after those immaculate reviews I expect to see a huge improvement there next week.

Maybe the grosses are telling the producers they should have followed thier original instincts--get a star for one of the leads and cast them younger. Had the show opened with Kelsey Grammer and Bryan Batt, it might be doing business now. Davis and Beach are talented guys but neither was a big enough name and the talented Beach is miscast.

People always say things like, "Why didn't those stupid producers hire a star, like Kelsey Grammer?" There isn't some "star" department store that producers can walk into and buy whoever they want. Mr. Grammer doesn't WANT to star in La Cage, and if he did, believe me, he'd be in it right now. It's hard to persuade A-list stars to appear on Broadway, and the ones that do are either real theatre lovers, or trying to resurrect a stalled career (or, in the case of "Spamalot", a chance to work with Mike Nichols.)

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Updated On: 5/28/05 at 08:58 AM

I don't think this production holds a candle to the original. That being said, Davis was the best thing in it, though.

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Mr. Goulet is certainly a "star," especially to those over a certain age. Younger folks hopefully know him AT LEAST because his name is mentioned in the montage on the OCR of A CHORUS LINE. HIs is a famous name. Gary Beach is not very well known outside of the New York Theater Area. Mr. Goulet should bump the box office. HOPEFULLY, someday, they will get rid of the DREADFUL BOOK for this show. Like MACK AND MABEL, Jerry Herman's LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (though a hit and success and won the Tony for best book over the pulitzer prize winning SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE-how bizaare was that?)never ever came even close to the greatness of HELLO DOLLY or MAME because of its rather awful "book." The theater community looooooves Harvey Fierstein. They were VERY generous awarding him a Tony for the book of La Cage.
And Jerry Zaks as director of this revival(I am remembering correctly?) I simply DO NOT get what people think is special about this man's work on the stage. I adored him as Motel in the 1976 revival of FIDDLER starring Zero Mostel. His performance was a delight. I very much enjoy some of the episodes of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND which he often directs. His productions of GUYS AND DOLLS and ANYTHING GOES both involved a great deal of "luck," or specifically, very special performers. Mr. Zak's work on GUYS AND DOLLS and ANYTHING GOES was highly overrated....he was very lucky. Have Nathan Lane and Faith Prince star in your production of GUYS&DOLLS and you too can direct a smash hit! Have Patti Lupone as Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter's ANYTHING GOES and you do not have the challenge of a lifetime before you to provide an evening of great theater. Yes, Mr. Zaks is highly overrated.
Why on earth did they select him to direct a "second rate" Jerry Herman musical?

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