Back to Lauren, if I may. I saw Lauren last night, and while she has an amazing voice - really not expected - she just did not fit the role. She tries, but the key to that role is to be able to just lay on the hamminess just as strong as the male roles, otherwise the scenes are just superfluous. As they were last night. But I do think the role is harder than it looks. There's a real balancing act there in being a goddess and a ham at the same time.
On another note, Simon Russell Beale is a true delight, in many ways superior to Tim Curry. There's an earnestness there that just makes him so endearing. As for Hank Azaria, I personally preferred Alan Tudyk in those roles. Hank just ad-libbed and mugged too much last night, even when the audience wasn't biting. But Chris Sieber, David Hyde Pierce and Michael McGrath are just as spectacular as ever. And Christian Borle just steals the show...I still wonder why he never got as much attention during Tony time.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
Updated On: 3/4/06 at 11:01 PM
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