Customer Reviews

La Cage Aux Folles: New Broadway Cast Recording

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

On Sunday night, August 23, 1983, La Cage aux Folles opened at the Palace Theatre in New York, crowning the career of Jerry Herman which had begun 23 years earlier (with a slight flop entitled From A to Z.)
Is La Cage Herman's best score? Or is it Hello, Dolly!? Mame? Mack and Mabel? Dear World? Who knows.... and frankly, my dear, who gives a damn. Thank God for them all. In this year of great canonization for Sondheim, let us now praise the other musical genius whose times we are lucky enough to share. La Cage has been revived, again, for its third go 'round on the Great White Way. Hailed as a slimming down of the opulent original with more of a synthesized (synthetic?) orchestra, drag icon Albin is back, putting just a little more mascara on, bless her. The heart, the spirit and the love in the show remain, if the grandeur is a bit more gauche. The sounds emanating from star Kelsey Grammer seem more like noise and less than pretty and co-star Douglas Hodge sometimes sounds much more like a ballad singer imitating Tony Newley, but what's important is that the score and the show is being seen and heard by a new audience.
Love has a special place in all of Herman's musicals, and never more than here. There may be people in the world who can listen to the reprise of "Look Over There" without tearing up, but I don't ever want to know them.

"La Cage Aux Folles' wafted onto Broadway in 1983 wrapped in a pink cloud of feather boas, sequins and bugle beads and for good or bad the book was wrapped in that same cloud. Like the Cagelles the transvestite showgirls, the story was an illusion and ignored the real challenges of living the gay lifestyle and this fantasy made the show a huge hit and acceptable to all audiences. The production was also huge with overly glittery costuming and full-scale sets and inventive choreography by Scott Salmon and some of Jerry Hermans best show tunes.

The new production starring Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge is a re-imagined "La Cage.."--translation: scaled down. Gone are the extravegant settings and costumes and a smaller chorus and orchestra.

I haven't seen this production but except for a few quibbles the CD is good but not great. Gene Barry the Georges from the 1983 show was not the best of singers so Kelsey Grammer has it easy and doesn't suffer from comparing the two. Douglas Hodge can't hold a candle to George Hearn as Albin and the way he continually changes his speech patterns from dialogue to song to song to song is a bit irritating though you do get used to it but he sounds like a combination of Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, a bit of Mae West and Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie.

The songs "We Are What We Are", "A Little Bit More Mascara" "La Cage Aux Folles" "Song On The Sand" and especially "The Best of Times" still shine but I have a real problem with "I Am What I Am". The number was a tour de force Act One closer for Goerge Hearn back in 1983 and he sang the song with fierce pride and conviction. Douglas Hodge just sings it like he was some chanteusse in a second rate piano bar.

All in all a pleasant CD and it does include a few reprises not on the original cast album, but is this recording The Best Of Times? Who Knows? Who Knows? Who Knows?

I saw this superb production on Broadway in mid-October 2010. It was absolutely brilliant--an unmatchable combination of humor, heart, fun, and an overflowing supply of evergreen songs. Whenever I think back on the experience I feel like I'm a child again and it's the first moments of Christmas morning.

Douglas Hodge's heartfelt rendition of the show-stopping "I Am What I Am" is, standing alone, more than enough reason to buy this CD. This is the pinnacle of Broadway showtunes, the unsurpassable best. Melodic, moving, and bursting with conviction, it will bring many listeners to tears.

How many shows have this many terrific, instantly memorable songs? There isn't a dud in the batch, and several are genuine classics, including the magnificent "Song on the Sand," "Look Over There," and "The Best of Times" as well as, of course, "I Am What I Am." Jerry Herman is Broadway's greatest songwriter.

There's one life, and there's no return and no deposit. Buy this CD and your life will be greatly enriched. Bravo! And brava!

What a happy, funny CD this is! Jerry Heramn's lyrics always contain lots of humor and this is no exception. This is perhaps an album which one needs to have seen the play, with this cast, to really appreciate it. I saw it in May and loved it so much so I am going back in February. Douglas Hodge is beyond fantastic and Kelsey Grammer has a lovely singing voice. For me this has been a wonderful way to relive a delightful evening of theatre.
Sandra

I would love to say that this recording is wonderful, but the truth is that this revival depended totally on visualization. As a result the vocals on the cast album come off as well....bizarre..for lack of a better word. Douglas Hodges singing(?) is not great. Okay, I'll be honest, his singing is terrible, the man can't sing, so he makes up for it with a variety of voices, gurgles, slurring, and other unworldly sounds. Kelsey Grammer on the other hand tries to prove that he is the trained singer by ceaselessly bellowing like a drunken, washed up opera singer. I am sure on stage they were delightful, depending entirely upon charm and effects, the recording, however, is strange, and difficult to listen to without cringing.
The others on the recording seem fine, no more, no less. I really wanted to love this cd, having seen the original Broadway production in the 80's and loved the show since, that cast recording does justice to the score, but this recording without the spectacle, doesn't work.

I saw the original Broadway Production of La Cage as well as the national tour. I somehow always felt that the show was less than it could be. This production from London was a revelation. It was funny, touching and so well focused. Sadly, this recording is just a nice souvenir. The vocal shortcomings are all too evident without the flawless performances to excite me. Jerry Herman's score is still an overall delight of "show" tunes.

Adequate recording of a great show; however, lacks the drive of the original Gene Barry/George Hearn recording. Put it on the shelf to listen to again some time in the future. The time just wasn't now.

This production of La Cage might be hot on the seven-inch heels of the last, but who cares? Douglas Hodge is a hoot, delirious camp and playful to Kelsey Grammer's (comparative) straight man. There's a beautifully sustained energy and charm to spare here, and a remarkably touching sweetness too. If you're looking for a definitive La Cage recording, this is it.

I have many Broadway cast albums and this is one of the best i have heard. Kelsey Grammer & Douglas Hodge sound Great! I cannot wait till i see the show in February, if you love musicals this cd is a must you will love it! :)

I saw the original La Cage when on tryout in Boston. The original cast album was fantastic and I never thought that it would be surpassed, but here we are with a great cast and an even better recording. Took a bit of time to get used to a low English accent on one of the leads, but it does not take away anything from the performance. This OC album for me, has become the most exciting, fun and endearing OC album in decades. It reminds me what class and heart Mr. Herman had put into this score. Wonderful. It reminds me what a unique art form we once had called the Broadway show. I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes Broadway, particularly the kind of shows done before pre- Disney homogenization.