LA CAGE review - May 25, 2010

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 3:32pm

This revival of LA CAGE is a real winner! There were no understudies last night so my opinions issued here are of the full original cast...

Firstly, about the show. It's the quintessential musical, with comedy and sentimentalism in perect places throughout the show. Everybody had such great chemistry and I highly recommend this over watching "THE BIRDCAGE" any day...

Kelsey Grammer - What a voice! For a Broadway musical debut, he carries himself as if he has been doing this his entire life. I did not notice one speck of Fraiser...

Douglas Hodge - He's got his Tony all locked up...enough said.

Robin de Jesus - So incredibly cute and funny as Jacob. He has such a youthful effervesence (sp?). Many people have said how annoying him and this character are, but I found him to just be plain, endearing comic relief.

A.J Shively & Elena Shaddow - They are the cutest Jean-Michel & Anne and its believable that they legitimately care for each other though others find their union unsatisfactory.

Fred Applegate & Veanne Cox - My only problem...BORING! That is, until they become Cagelles at the end.

Christine Andreas - Such a fireball! And what a set of pipes she has, she is amazing.

All in all, this show is strong buy and you will enjoy yourself thoroughly just so long as you don't have long legs and site in the front row of the left or right orchestra...

STAGE DOOR INFO: Everybody came out and signed (with the exeception of Elena Shaddow who had to get somewhere)...Grammer, Hodge, and de Jesus are so gracious at the door and will do pretty much anything (sign, pictures etc)

[HBP]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 4:50pm

thanks for the review! i'm looking into buying tickets for the show. has anyone sat in the balcony 36.50 seats? is there a lotto/student rush/anything else going on? how much are the tickets usually at tkts & what has their availability been?

thanks for any info anyone can provide :)

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 4:53pm

Douglas Hodge - He's got his Tony all locked up...enough said.

That's really too bad.

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:13pm

HBP, I went up to the balcony at intermission to get a different vantage point (I sat first row behind the cabaret tables). The balcony will give you a nosebleed since it's so ridiculously high up...At least shoot for mezzanine since, from the balcony, nothing can be seen that well...

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:16pm

"That's really too bad..."

Why so? He recieved rave reviews, and rightfully so...He deserves that Tony.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:28pm

I sat in the last row of the balcony and saw everything fine. It's high up, but not as high as the Shubert or the New Amsterdam. Definitely a good value for the money.

[actionjaxson91]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:30pm

"Why so? He recieved rave reviews, and rightfully so...He deserves that Tony."

Because his performance is just a stereotypical gay person. There's nothing special about it. Also, his HORRIBLE voice distracts from any acting he may be doing. This shoddy production of this show deserves no Tonys and the same goes for the actors.

[actionjaxson91]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:33pm

Kelsey Grammer - Boring as hell

Douglas Hodge - Dreadfully stereotypical

Robin de Jesus - Cute but nothing special

A.J Shively & Elena Shaddow - Oh my god...they were dreadful

Fred Applegate & Veanne Cox - Veanne Cox was the only good part of this show.

Christine Andreas - I don't see why everyone is raving about her performance. It's so small and unimportant.

[keithp]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:39pm

Yes - I've never met any gay drag queens who act like Albin. They are all very butch and in no way camp.

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 5:46pm

Ironically, I hated Veanne Cox the most...she was so stiff and mannequin-like.

I also forgot to mention Les Cagelles...Talented as hell and DELICIOUS!

[actionjaxson91]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 6:01pm

"Yes - I've never met any gay drag queens who act like Albin. They are all very butch and in no way camp."

I didn't say he needed to be butch. I'm just saying, everyone is praising his performance, saying that he's revolutionary in the part and I don't see any of that. I only see a British actor trying to play a drag queen on stage, in no way revolutionary.

[keithp]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 6:40pm

You said 'his performance is just a stereotypical gay person'. I was trying to counter that.I'm not quite sure what his being British has got to do with it? What an odd thing to say.
I haven't heard anybody say his performance is revolutionary - it isn't an adjective that I have seen used before about an actors performance.Perhaps the word you were trying to find was revelatory.
It is certainly, in my opinion, a great performance and deserving of awards. Some may not agree but obviously many others do.

[PReeves2]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 6:46pm

i agree with action91 in how there really isn't anything new or revolutionary in his performance. regardless he does a wonderful job portraying the role he was given and directed to give. if we start getting into the who deserves what tony award game for whatever performance my vote would go to Sahr well above Douglas.

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 7:41pm

I loved Veanne Cox.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 8:29pm

Count me as another one who doesn't get all of the Hodge worship. Thankfully he didn't win the Drama League award.

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 9:52pm

I'm not worshipping Douglas Hodge. I thought his performance was outstanding and that a Tony award seems more than likely to be in his future...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 1:33am

"Kelsey Grammer - Boring as hell"-I thought he did a fine job.

"Douglas Hodge - Dreadfully stereotypical"- I agree, plus he had the same facial expression during the entire show. Why is his performance "Tony worthy"?

"Robin de Jesus - Cute but nothing special"- I agree. He is a very versatile performer for sure, though.

"A.J Shively & Elena Shaddow - Oh my god...they were dreadful"- Agreed.

"Christine Andreas - I don't see why everyone is raving about her performance. It's so small and unimportant"- Agreed.

[keithp]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 5:12am

"Douglas Hodge - Dreadfully stereotypical"- I agree, plus he had the same facial expression during the entire show. Why is his performance "Tony worthy"?

you may not think his performace worthy of a Tony, which is your right but to say that he had the same facial expression during the entire show is plain nonsense.
In my opinion his performance is atony worthy because it is moving and funny and a lot of people think so hence the nomination and most of the reviews.

[alterego]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 6:39am

Quizking, I worried about your review from the moment you said it was better than watching The Birdcage. Is better than watching La Cage aux Folles, original French movie or stage musical?

[kryst22]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 9:22am

I'll comment on the student rush vs balcony question. My friend and I got the first two seats in the left box using student rush and the sight lines are really bad if you're not in the inside seat. You miss a lot of the choreography and staging that happens any further back than center stage. We moved to the balcony for the second act and I'd prefer those seats any day over the boxes.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:28am

The fact that Hodge is British,is a factor. It means he CAN act!!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:37am

"The fact that Hodge is British,is a factor. It means he CAN act!!"


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