Too Soon for La Cage?? (A Debate About Revivals)- Page 2

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:42pm

Yes

The last one was not that long ago. I do not think Kelsey will be that big of a draw. Add to that the quick folds of the critically acclaimed Ragtime & Finian's & I would say not in this economic climate.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:46pm

Do you read the posts that came before yours or do you think your pearls of wisdom have enough sparkle on their own and people will just be dazzled by them?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:56pm

Am I really the only person who adored the '04 revival? I saw it around 15 times and loved it more and more every time. At the time I do remember it not getting the best reviews but that word of mouth was very positive and everyone I knew loved it. Interesting how history can sort of be rewritten about these things.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:56pm

London imports have been big audience draws as of late and I think the London buzz from this production will pull in a nice audience coupled with Mr. Grammer's presence.

Personally I find it more tragic that many people on this board see the same production of the same show over and over and over. That's beating a show to death. Seeing a musical in 2 different production in the span of 5 years is hardly overkill. Especially when the production is vastly different in concept than the prior 2 Broadway staging.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:02pm

Ben Brantley also made a strong case for this revival of La Cage when he reviewed it this summer. Unless something goes horribly wrong in transferring it overseas, he's on record as having enjoyed himself.

I've bold typed some of the salient sections:

"The season's other big cross-dressing musical is, uh, small. That's the surprisingly appealing revival of "La Cage aux Folles," Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's 1983 musical ... I was in no hurry to see "La Cage" after the slick and empty Broadway revival of 2004. But this version, directed by Terry Johnson and imported from the Menier Chocolate Factory in the Southwark neighborhood, triumphs by being anti-slick.

Starring the sublime Roger Allam (in a part originated, to acclaim, by Douglas Hodge in this revival) and Philip Quast as the couple who run a tourist-friendly Riviera transvestite revue, this "La Cage" is sweet, seedy and affectingly human. The nightclub of the title is presented as a run-down joint, and its "girls" are very (very) obviously men beneath their feathers and bustiers. The discrepancy between aspiration and reality is always clear.

Mr. Allam, a strapping fellow who wears his dresses with sincerity, and Mr. Quast traffic charmingly in the old-style conventions of the British music hall and melodrama. They're the most engaging old couple of tramps this side of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in the West End "Waiting for Godot.""


Complete link - NY Times

Updated On: 12/31/09 at 03:02 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:02pm

It is truly bizarre that Wicked is doing so well while Ragtime & Finian's are closing.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:09pm

Not too bizarre considering WICKED has more money than most small countries behind it promoting it in every city in the world making it a "must-see" with tourists whereas RAGTIME and FINIAN had closing notices attached to their opening notices.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:11pm

How is it bizarre? Spectacle dominated substance in the musical long before Wicked. It is based on one of the most well-known books/films of all time and appeals to a younger demographic than Ragtime or Finian's. Wicked is a name tourists recognize and it's far more appealing for them to see (and talk about when they return home) a name brand than take a chance on something they know little or nothing about.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:11pm

I feel Wicked is overrated. What can I say?

Enjoyed the original Ragtime & Finian's so much more but to each his own.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:14pm

I don't think anyone with theatre savvy thinks Wicked is higher quality than the 2 revivals.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:15pm

Mr. Roxy, you saw the original FINIAN?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:29pm

>It is truly bizarre that Wicked is doing so well while Ragtime & Finian's are closing.<

It really is not bizarre at all. Wicked (my own feelings aside) has so many things going for it: Wizard of Oz nostalgia, a throbbing pop score, two great roles for women, a lavish physical production and the element that I think turned it into a phenomenon, tween and teen appeal for disenfranchised young girls (and certain young boys).

Ragtime, despite its appeal to musical theatre die-hards, had a solid but not boffo original run. To those who don't know it, it sounds like Disney World's Hall of Presidents ... something you know you should see, but will get around to it when the lines for Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion are too long. Without ecstatic reviews, it would have been impossible for a show with such a large cast, physical production and orchestra to generate the image of a must-see, the way say South Pacific (a large cast, physical production and orchestra) was the talk of the town when it opened.

Finian - in better times - might have lasted longer. It's a glorious score and the show itself remains a total original. The reviews were mostly raves. But it's a relatively simple little fable that might be too delicate to play to audiences in 2009. The audience I saw it with felt a bit disengaged, applauding and laughing politely, but not ecstatically. I wonder if its word of mouth had people saying "it's a nice show" rather than "run, don't walk to buy tickets".

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:34pm

That was certainly the word that I was spreading after seeing FINIAN. "It's harmless, but you wouldn't be missing out if you skipped it."

RAGTIME, on the other hand, I started raving about while texting friends and colleagues during intermission. But it is a very niche show, with a very niche audience. Casual theatergoers who saw the original have no desire to see it again; regular theatergoers who saw the original want to see it.

LA CAGE, now more than ever, has appeal in this Proposition 8 era.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:38pm

I do think it's unfair that La Cage gets 2 revivals when pearls like In My Life are still awaiting their first.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:52pm

La Cage gets 2 revivals while Here's Where I Belong gets none?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:54pm

Taz, IN MY LIFE is being done at the Kennedy Center this year to commemorate it's 5 year anniversary.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 3:58pm

I don't think the marketing for either Broadway incarnation of Ragtime has been that good. They never focused on the human elements of the story- the fictional characters and how their lives became intertwined. Instead, all the marketing focused on the pageantry and nostalgia of the show, making it look like a giant celebration of Americana, which, as smaxie said, gave the impression it was a history lesson. The only characters they ever mentioned were the real-life characters, bolstering the argument it was a history lesson. Then, the revival started using a bizarre series of commercials with American presidents, yet again reinforcing the idea the show was like a middle school pageant. Completely missing from any marketing was the very real characters, with very real flaws.

PS- Smaxie, no one wait for Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion anymore!! The big Magic Kingdom draws are Space and Splash Mountain.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 4:09pm

Can't we leave crappy revivals of crappy shows in the crappy 00s?

No one will EVER top Arthur's original production. Ever. Next!

P

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/1/10 at 12:04am

To be fair, I did enjoy the last revival...it wasn't perfect, but I did enjoy it.

Granted, I was fortunate enough to catch Bryan Batt and not Gary Beach, so that might have had an effect. I was also seated next to Jerry Herman.

[CONAries]

Posted: 1/1/10 at 6:28am

I kinda agree it's too soon, but, (and I'm not one of the people who thinks this production "re-invents the show" But it is a VERY different show that has been presented before, its less glitz and glammer, and even though the script and book changes are VERY minimal, it seems to have more depth than before, this could be to do with the minimal set though!
It is the BEST show I have seen this year... Infact I've seen it 3 times this year and I just cant get enough, and sure thing, I WILL be catching this ATLEAST twice when I go to New York in August... trusting it's still playing of course!

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 1/1/10 at 12:41pm

I think Smaxie made an excellent point earlier in this thread: Having seen the sly, insouciant performance of Philip Quast as Georges, I can definitely see Grammer taking a similar approach and being very winning in this production.

Leaving aside the question of 'how soon is too soon?' I have to say I adored Philip Quast's twinkly-eyed and twinkle-toed performance of Georges in London and definitely see Grammer in a similar vein. Having only just seen Douglas Hodge's wonderful turn as Albin/Zaza this week I am now seriously tempted to try to make it over to NYC for this pairing.

Does anyone know when tickets go on sale?

Updated On: 1/1/10 at 12:41 PM

[frapperia]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:02pm

This closes tonight in London Hope the last performance is fantastic, buzzing and all that jazz. Good luck to Doug and Nick for the Broadway transfer

[MariusPontmercy]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:07pm

^ Nick as in Cunningham (Hanna)?

[mcalpine84]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:14pm

"Can't we leave crappy revivals of crappy shows in the crappy 00s?

No one will EVER top Arthur's original production. Ever. Next!"

I agree that the original was Phenomenal... but if we never revive or reinvent shows because the original was so great then we wouldn't see so many great shows returning to the stage!

I have seen the London production twice now (once when it first opened, and on Wednesday!) It is a very moving, lovely, quaint production. It is by no means a lavish extravaganza.... its much more stylistically like The Birdcage, a slightly run-down Drag club. But Douglas Hodge is great, and i think Kelsey Grammar is great casting. I hope it does well over there, as it is such a moving show with beautiful music and a wonderful, wonderful book!!

:)























Just a few

[frapperia]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:35pm

Marius - yes. Nick Cunningham is going over too (he's the tall, tall blonde one in those pics)! Must be really exciting for him - assume it's his Broadway debut.