La Cage Aux Folles (The SOB Review) - Longacre Theatre, New York, New York
***1/2 (out of ****)Chalk my earliest appreciation for
Jerry Herman's
La Cage Aux Folles to a backyard conversation I had with my childhood next-door-neighbor Virginia Hug back in 1983. Mrs. Hug made routine visits to New York City to get her fix of Broadway shows.
After coming back to Mequon, Wisconsin, from seeing the
original Tony-winning production, this meek and mild -- and traditional -- grandmother had nothing but raves to share. Never mind that
Harvey Fierstein's book centered squarely on a family that was anything but traditional. Mrs. Hug was captivated by its universal themes of love's unbreakable bonds and was practically singing its joyous score for me. Sadly, I never had a chance to see that incarnation.
Fast forward to 1996 when I was absolutely repulsed by the film "
The Birdcage" (based on the same source material ), which I detested for its stereotypical, self-loathing gay characters. I couldn't help but think, "I don't know any gay people like this." I remember leaving the movie theatre beside myself.
So when I finally saw the first
Broadway revival of La Cage in 2004, I was bracing myself for the worst. Instead, I was swept away and cheering for Albin's declaration, "I am what I am." Even if it wasn't a perfect production, I liked it.
I love this
La Cage Aux Folles even more. Revived with unmistakable sparkle, however tarnished, by director
Terry Johnson, this downsized
La Cage is what it is. It's a solid period piece populated with men who may dress in drag, but have more guts, ironically enough, in coming to terms with who they are than their less flamboyant counterparts.
While standing up to homophobia, Harvey Fierstein's book and Jerry Herman's glorious tunes get to the heart of how any relationship, gay or straight, endures. And as performed by
Kelsey Grammer (Georges) and
Douglas Hodge (Albin), it's not only deeply moving, it's practically heartbreaking. Hodge in particular scores with his defiant and scorching "I Am What I Am."
La Cage Aux Folles still may not be the perfect Broadway show -- the second act just doesn't measure up to the first -- but it may be the best version of the show you're ever likely to see anywhere. I only wish Mrs. Hug was still around to see it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Douglas Hodge, Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Herman, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage Aux Folles, Revival, Terry Johnson, The SOB Review
Rain Man (The SOB Review) - The Apollo, London, United Kingdom**1/2 (out of ****)You have to hand it to director
Terry Johnson.
Just as he attempted to turn another much-beloved, award-winning
Dustin Hoffman flick (
The Graduate) into enthralling stage fare back in 2002, the mediocre reviews from that effort haven't detered him one iota from returning to the same well for another film-cum-stage mounting.
This time, with fresh adaptation by
Dan Gordon of
Barry Morrow and
Ronald Bass' Oscar-winning screenplay,
Rain Man is recreated with a post 9/11 sensibility. But aside from the Herculean efforts of
Adam Godley in the plum savant role for which Hoffman won an Academy Award, there's little sense or rationale in tinkering with
Barry Levinson's 1988 Academy Award-winning
Best Film. It all seems so superfluous.
Call me a skeptic, but this
Rain Man appears more intended to reignite the flagging
film career of would-be heartthrob
Josh Hartnett, who makes his West End (and possibly worldwide) stage debut here as wheeler dealer Charlie Babbitt. To paraphrase that infamous indictment leveled by
Dorothy Parker against
Katharine Hepburn's acting prowess, Hartnett exhibits a range of emotions stretching from A to B. Here, I'm sorry to report, the charge is more than fair.
Making me even more cynical are the corporate sponsorships. Could it be that with
Armani as one of the leading underwriters -- Hartnett
is the new star of the
Diamonds for Men cologne campaign -- the young actor from Minnesota has become the ultimate product placement?
And speaking of product placement, or conspicuous lack thereof,
American Airlines is also a major sponsor of
Rain Man. Yet quite curiously, during the famous scene recreated here in which Raymond rattles off all the airlines that have crashed, now including
United Airlines' flights on September 11, 2001,
no mention is made of American, which tragically lost two of its planes that same horrific day. With that omission, Gordon's script becomes utterly dishonest. Could it be that the sponsors overreached into the script itself?
Fortunately, there's Adam Godley, who's a revelation as Raymond. I've previously enjoyed the actor in bit parts in British flicks. Here, he takes second billing to Hartnett. No matter. Not only does this English actor wisely choose not to mimic Hoffman's silver screen portrayal, but he easily wins our hearts and makes us forget this role ever belonged to anyone else. If there is reason to see this
Rain Man, it's the true star of this production: Godley and his tender, funny humanity on display throughout an otherwise mediocre play.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Godley, American Airlines, Corporate Sponsorships, Dustin Hoffman, Film, Josh Hartnett, London, Play, Product Placement, Rain Man, Terry Johnson
It's Raining ManWhile many of you may be contempla-ting whether to join in the frenzy known as
Black Friday, yours truly has been contemplating one of a different variety here in London. After much hand-wringing, I've decided to take in the new West End stage adaptation of
Barry Levinson's 1988 Academy Award-winning Best Film "
Rain Man" this evening.
Helmed by
Terry Johnson (
The Graduate) and adapted by
Dan Gordon from
Barry Morrow and
Ronald Bass' Oscar-winning screenplay, this production stars twice-nominated Olivier Award actor and 2002 Theatre World Award winner
Adam Godley opposite
Josh Hartnett in his West End debut.
Now, I'm not sure what it is about Johnson directing latter-day stage incarnations of
Dustin Hoffman flicks, and I'm hoping he'll spare us a stage version of "
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," but I find
Rain Man intriguing, if for no other reason, trying to understand how Godley and Hartnett, who bear absolutely no physical resemblance to each other whatsoever, let alone accent, can pull off the brotherly duo of Charlie and Raymond Babbitt.
Perhaps it's a possibility only a savant could contemplate.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Godley, Dustin Hoffman, Film, Josh Hartnett, London, Play, Rain Man, Terry Johnson
