Who's seeing the first preview of La Cage tonight?/Reviews — Page 5

"The entire score is brilliant, actually. As for De Jesus, he's playing the last character he did but this time in drag. While you're there please tell him he doesn't need to put a period at. the. end. of. ev.e.ry. wor.d. And that if he is trying to do a Rosie Perez impression, its the saddest one I've ever seen."

Okay, Mr. Contrarian. Listen I thought the score was mostly boring. All of George's songs sounded the same to me and they weren't catchy at all. This may be because for the most part I hate songs for males, I find most to be incredibly boring and fall flat often. As for De Jesus, he can play the same role over and over and I will still love him. He knows how to get the laughs and is incredibly entertaining.

I'm sorry, but those of y'all who found this show underwhelming are nuts. I attended yesterday's matinee and was amazed...by everything.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I still think y'all are nuts :)

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I saw this show this past Tuesday and could not have possibly enjoyed it more. This is my first exposure to La Cage and it was such a treat. Douglas Hodge was truly mesmerizing in the role and should be a lock for Best Actor come Tony-time. My only complaint about his performance would be diction. I was raised mostly in Marbella (Spain), which is kind of like this melting pot of Europe. So I had friends with accents ranging from places like Wales, Brighton, Scotland, London, Croatia...you name it. I pride myself on my ability to understand pretty much anything that is said. And even I had trouble understanding some of what Hodge was saying - at first. Once the show got going (probably around or after "A Little Mascara") I really fell for his interpretation. The only other note I would give the actors (particularly the two leads) is to speak up. There were a few times I wanted to shout it out to the cast, but I realize I wasn't at a production of Fences so that's not kosher.

What surprised me is how the piece is not the least bit dated. I really expected to go in and see this over-the-top lampooning of gay issues, obviously weighed down with a family story everyone can relate to. Instead what I got was something that could not possibly be more appropriate, especially considering how hot gay issues are right now. Another shocker for me was how little I found funny. Don't get me wrong - the moments intended for comedy got laughs. Robin De Jesus in particular was astounding and pretty much stole each and every scene he was in.

What made it clear that I was getting something different than others was watching the video PalJoey posted of the 2005 La Cage revival. There, Daniel Davis talked about the madcap hilarity than ensues when a son brings the bigots home to dinner. Perhaps that was how that particular production was directed, but with this one I thought it could not be further from the truth. Yes, I laughed at the scenes with Albin pretending to be the Mother. Yes, I thought the comedic bits (including everything with The Cagelles) hit perfectly. But I was also so touched by it all and almost mortified by Jean-Michael. Many here cite his acting as not-so-good, but I actually found it to be quite effective. Unfortunately, the effect it had on me was hatred for the character. Though I am a gay man, I also have a straight friend with two mothers. For some reason, instead of picturing myself in the role of Albin (or even that of Georges) for these scenes, I thought of the Moms I know so well.

For that reason, it just hurt so much. When Jean-Michael tells his family how hard it was for him growing up, I just wanted to slap him and burst into tears. Here was a man (or, rather, two men) who gave up everything for Jean-Michael, as perfectly illustrated in "Look Over There". Yet the son could not be more of an ungrateful pri*k. It wasn't until the end when he apologizes to Albin, and hugs him, that I really cared for (and understood) the character.

So I'm echoing what most here have said about enjoying the show. Yet where most people laughed, I couldn't help but cry. Cry at how beautiful this show is, cry at how fortunate I was/am to see La Cage in my life (you have to realize I live in Las Vegas and only make a trip or two a year), cry because it moved me, and mostly cry because I really, truly felt for these characters. It wasn't just a man in drag on stage. It wasn't just Frasier crooning out songs. This was true people, flesh and blood, giving it there all. And the real testament to that is definitely Mr. Hodge, who gives every last bit of himself to the audience. I didn't even realize how much I cared until the end of Act One (after "I Am What I Am") when the person next to me silently handed me a bunch of tissues. I had been so enthralled in what I was watching that I hadn't even noticed just how much my eyes were leaking. Now THAT is good theater.

I've got to recommend this highly.

I was left on a high after today's matinee, for many reasons.

Douglas Hodge is intoxicating in this role. Somehow, he manages not to sacrifice comedy nor complexity in his performance, and delivers a portrayal that is both effortlessly funny and sincerely touching. I don't understand the few accusations I've read that he either he can't sing (he certainly can, though it's not the antiseptic Broadway sound you may be used to) or isn't believable as a woman (as if mere trickery were the object of it). This is a very special performance that is on its own worth the price of admission.

The show stoppers are true show stoppers. In contrast to the 2005 revival, in which the big numbers were appreciable mostly for all the hard work that seemed to be going on up there, this one delivers the thrills. There's a unity of directorial vision, choreography, design and performance that keeps it from being only about showing off.

Kelsey Grammer was more than I expected; he does not chew the scenery, as I thought he might. He is elegant and restrained and actually has a pleasant voice.

The show itself is no masterpiece - there's a string of forgettable tunes and silly book scenes in act two, and virtually none of the supporting characters are written with any depth (though some talented actors here do their best). But the central love story - that of Georges and Albin's romance - is genuinely touching, and the show has a big and generous heart. It's really impossible to resist.

The only major flaw with the production is Robin de Jesus, who does a broad parody of Rosie Perez which is weirdly out of synch with the rest of the production.

Updated On: 4/17/10 at 11:18 PM

Perhaps there's been a change, but at today's matinee Grammer was definitely not doing a French accent. He sounded pretty much exactly like Frasier Crane.

I didn't have a problem with any of the accents. It seemed to indicate that the characters had origins from all over the place - America, the UK, France - and settled in St. Tropez. Fine. The only one that bothered me was Robin de Jesus's, not because of the fact that he had an accent but because it was so distractingly bad.

In the London production, the actors used their normal accents with the exception of Hodge and the characters of Jacob and Jacqueline who used a French accent and it did work.