'LA CAGE' to play The Playhouse WITH Graham Norton — Page 2

I'm glad it's Denis - he's long overdue for a return to musical theatre.

Besides Mr Hodge is there anyone from the original cast still in this transfer or have they started from scratch?

Word is is that it will be largely a new cast for this season!

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A great production that had Sian Phillips in fine form. A great CD. The Half Moon sent a few great shows into town in the 80s. A great venue sadly missed on the Mile End Rd.

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I really hope we get a cast recording out of this. I love the original cast, but I'd very much like to hear a more complete recording with today's better sound quality.

Has the cast been announced? Along with the two already said, Stuart Neal will be playing Jean-Michel. =)

Wickedboy2, sorry I can't resist this, the Australian production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre Sydney 1,500 seats in 1984 ( a full two years before London).

What is the set design like for this production?

The arrival of The London Palladium production was and still is regarded as one of the worst timed openings in recent memory.
It had been playing on Broadway almost 3 years prior to London.
The show opened in the middle of the media scare about the AIDS epidemic that was hitting the world. The show in London was branded 'The AIDS Musical' and never took off due to luke warm reviews with audiences just not booking and it plodded along for 8 months. I saw the show about 8 or 9 times and to sit in that theatre and see such a spectacular show being played to around 300 or 400 a night was heartbreaking and the whole building seemed to have a dark shadow over it.
London had a brilliant cast with George Hern from Broadway, the wonderful Dennis Quilley and a then very young Jonathan Morris!

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Updated On: 9/7/08 at 10:53 AM

I seem to remember announcing this a few weeks back.

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The whole AIDS scenario with the show happenned here too. It ran (between Sydney and Melbourne) about seven months. I recall being told that at one point things got so bad during the Sydney season one night they played to an audience of just 26. Both Van Johnson and Rock Hudson were rumoured to play Georges for the Melbourne season (taking over from the capable but never great box office name of Keith Michell), it never happened.

Arthur Laurents offered Geraldene Morrow and David Ravenswood the opportunity to repeat their roles of Edouard and Marie Dindon in London but they both declined. He thought them the best they had ever had in the show.

You mean this one?

I prefer the first, but the second will look better on the cover of a CD.