Report: Gary Beach to Be Albin in La Cage - playbill.com

[Craig]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 9:32am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=38478

Although not news, I am looking forward to seeing Gary in the role...

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 9:44am

I knew about that several months ago.
Gary is one of the most talented men in the business and he is also charming.
Good for Gary. Updated On: 7/23/04 at 09:44 AM

[DAME]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 11:59am

This is interesting since Kelsey Grammer; when promoting the Frasier finale; was saying on all the talk shows that he was doing this.

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:04pm

Gary would be the best in that role.
I met Gary a few times and he is the nicest man on Broadway.
He also takes the 104 bus.

[DAME]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:11pm

But; those he need to do this kind of thing again?

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:15pm

Why not? He is perfect for the role!
We love you Gary!

[DAME]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:18pm

I would have rather seen someone else. Not saying he wont be great. I just wanted them to be a bit more original than that. It sounds now like this revival will be pretty standard tourist trap issue.

[etoile]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:27pm

Where's Gary's bus stop? I need to add that to my notes in "A Guide To Broadway Stalking" booklet (complete with maps - $12.99). You can never have too much personal information on the daily habits of performers.

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:28pm

I can't wait. I love the show. I think Gary is perfect for the role. He can sing, dance and act well.
Who would have been better? I could see Harvey in it but Gary is perfect.

[G]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:33pm

DAME - I totally agree! The choice is too obvious and boring. Why is he doing camp again?!!

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:33pm

Corine, do you happen to know what bus Harvey takes?

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:37pm

Sweetie-
I only see Gary on my bus rides home from the theater.
Please don't stalk him. I have no idea what bus Harvey takes.
I have run into Gary on the 104 bus three or four times over several years.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 12:39pm

Run INTO him, or run OVER him?

I assumed that Kelsey Grammar would play Georges. That's probably the "star". And I really doubt that Gary is really THAT much of a tourist magnet.

[DoReMi]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 1:27pm

Kelsey, Gary...bleaaaahh.

None are exciting enough to want me to see this.

Gary needs to do something a little more challenging.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 1:29pm

Can anyone else see Mr. Beach as a great Sweeney Todd?

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 2:05pm

I dont really know that much about this show, but I was watching The Birdcage on TV the other night. Is Albin the character that Nathan Lane played?

[HeartinNYC]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 2:29pm

I'm thrilled to see Gary is cast as Albin! Ok, he does need to branch out a little, but the guy is a truly excellent performer and will be perfect in the role.

You can't win. Either you play the roles you're typed as very well and people complain that you're stagnating; or you try to work against type, it doesn't work, and people complain that you're overreaching.

Updated On: 7/23/04 at 02:29 PM

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 2:47pm

Gary has been in the running and pretty much first choice for months. I also see that Grammar was mentioned in Reidel's column today so I guess he was being wooed by someone if you want to believe Michael:

The Nederlanders wanted Kelsey Grammer and were prepared to offer him quite a hefty salary, but he passed. Doug Sills, who was also in the running, has opted to star in Mike Nichols' "Spamalot" instead.

[magruder]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:15pm

Harvey in La Cage? Couldn't imagine something more ghastly. His croaking voice was part of the gag of his delicious performance in Hairspray, but he'd just murder those La Cage songs.

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:24pm

I think Gary is the best choice for the role.
He has a great voice and is a great actor.
Macgruder- I do think Harvey would be great in La Cage.
But I think Gary would be better.
God, Gary would have been a great Edna! Updated On: 7/23/04 at 03:24 PM

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:26pm

schizophrenia?

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:32pm

I didn't like La Cage the first time I saw it on Broadway with Hearn and Gene Barry........even though I thought they were both wonderful...........I thought many of the Cagelles numbers were simply toooooo long and I thought the book by Harvey Fierstein was dreadful.

I saw it a couplea years later with Keene Curtis and Peter Marshall, again at the Palace theater, and the second time seeing it, this show worked its magic on me. I loved it. Maybe its simply because I had much better seats the second time???

Anyway, I adore Gary Beach...........but I am a bit surprised they are not going for names with a little more star wattage. Beach is a star in the Broadway community for sure, but I don't think he will add much to the box office.

I was hoping this revival of La Cage might be more in the Jerry Herman tradition of his shows having great well known stars, as did Hello Dolly, Mame and Mack and Mabel throughout their Broadway runs.

Many people have said that La Cage closed prematurely in part because of the AIDS crisis (people simply uneducated about the subject, some say, were literally afraid to go to the Palace theater thinking they might catch AIDS there.)

I think La Cage would have stood a better chance of keeping profits coming in at the Palace theater had it had a continual succession of marquee value stars............

Again, I adore Gary Beach and he will be a great Albin. However, his casting is rather predictable and almost a bit disappointing. Then again, I am glad that Mr. Beach will finally get his name OVER THE TITLE on a Broadway show. He is indeed a star who will twinkle and glow as Albin.

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:34pm

Lock up the women and children! Unleash the dogs!

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:34pm

How can you not adore Gary.
He is adorable!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 3:43pm

That's kind of how I felt when I saw the production photos for THE FROGS. Hasn't Nathan done the toga thing already? Why would you pick a show that is sooooo close to something you have done? C'mon, Nathan and Gary, don't EVER do a show that have you wearing something similar to what you have worn in the past or you may get typecast.