LA CAGE tour

[tcamp1]

Has anyone seen the touring production of La Cage with George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber? It's coming to my town and I was wondering if it is worth seeing?

Thanks!!

[Pippin]

It's still in rehearsals...... Should be out soon

[SondheimFan5]

have they announced the cast yet??

[TheatreFan4]

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/153562-Christopher-Sieber-Will-Join-George-Hamilton-in-La-Cage-Tour-Complete-Cast-and-Tour-Itinerary-Announced

[tcamp1]

Now that I know the tour has started, I'll ask the question again, haha. Is the tour worth seeing? Thanks!

[greensgreens]

Seeing it tonight - I'm sure it's wonderful. But, I'll verify that and report back. :)

[greensgreens]

Saw it last night and it was quite good. There are some really strong performances (especially Christopher, who was every bit as good as I was expecting). George has a damaged tendon, so his movement was stilted (not that I was expecting him to be prancing around the stage), but he is still charismatic and his voice is alright (he's no Kelsey Grammer - I noticed there were a lot of Albin/Georges harmonies that seemed to have disappeared from the score). The rest of the cast is good - there are a few weak links, but no more than there were on B'way with the replacement cast.

The only huge negative is George's age. He just isn't able to keep up with Christopher and their interactions are entirely uneven, which is distracting. But, George is selling tickets that the show would not otherwise sell, so I understand his casting. I just wish they had been able to find someone younger that would still sell to that demographic and be more compatible with Christopher.

This tour is also VERY cookie cutter. It really feels like no one was given an opportunity to create their own character - they all feel a little "forcely modeled" after their B'way counterparts. There were several moments that were exact replicas of previous incarnations, but they seemed forced and inorganic. I wonder if the actors had been given more latitude, if they would have found a different way to approach those moments or perhaps find different moments altogether that would seem more organic and authentic. Just my $.02. Overall, worth seeing (especially if you haven't seen this production before) but, I would not recommend shelling out for the cabaret tables.

[Bettyboy72]

George Hamilton sells tickets? Really? I think his age would be very distracting. He looks like the crypt keeper and Sieber looks so adorable. Kinda gross and of course it will fuel everyone in middle America's beliefs that old pervs go after young men.

[BrodyFosse123]

George Hamilton sells tickets? Really?

He is still considered part of Hollywood's Golden Age and he's kept himself quite relevant on TV: ABC TV's DANCING WITH THE STARS, countless guest appearances, TV commercials, etc., which has helped from keeping him off people's radar -- regardless of their age.

Everyone I've mentioned that George Hamilton was headlining the US Tour of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES responded with excitement. No one even knew who Christopher Sieber is AND that from people who've actually seen his work. Even friends who saw Sieber opposite Harvey Fierstein didn't know who he was.

I'm sure George Hamilton's entrance applause alone is fantastic.

[willep]

^My thoughts exactly about George Hamilton selling tickets. Call me crazy, but I have no idea who he is. i just googled him, and I still have no idea who he is. If I were to see this, it would be for Sieber, and not him. But that's just me.

[ACL2006]

well, from the looks of the cast list, it seems like half of them were in the Broadway production.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Which half of them,
the tops or the bottoms?

It seems obvious George Hamilton would have a trophy wife,
he was a Movie Star.

[EricMontreal22]

I'm no fan of George and his "career", but I can definitely see him selling tickets in many of the cities this would tour in.

[broadwayguy2]

Oh, Curtain... you know most drag queens are tops...

[xoffender45]

Has anyone caught the tour lately? I'm not sure if I should shell out the money to see it. How's George Hamilton at the stage door?

[DEClarke]

I saw it while it was in Houston. It was a good production and I really enjoyed the evening. George and Christopher played well off of eachother, but Christoppher steals the show. I also loved the Drag Queen that heckeled the audience before the show. It was fun. Nothing stellar and spectacular, but worth going to the theatre to see.

[ACL2006]

isn't this tour going non-equity come the fall??

[bwayphreak234]

I saw it a couple weeks ago. I really enjoyed it, but George Hamilton was pretty bad and was way too old for the part.

[DAME]

It is a good representation of the last Broadway production. Unfortunately it looses a lot in these huge cavernous theaters on the road. Definitely worth it for Mr Seiber. The rumor mills have him leaving the tour after the Los Angeles engagement for a break before Annie starts into production. So I would check to make sure he is still in it. As for Hamilton.. I don't know how many tickets he is selling.. since the show is not selling very well at all.

[canmark]

The tour is supposed to play Toronto in Oct/Nov. I hope Seiber doesn't leave, but if so, who would replace him? And will Hamilton have the stamina (he's over 70) to still be doing the show well into the fall?

The tour website has some clips of this production:
http://www.lacage.com/media.html

[blm2323]

Just saw it in Tempe (Phoenix) 2 weeks ago. Saw the understudy for Hamilton and really liked him - which was good since the local papers had ripped Hamilton for his performance. Seiber was wonderful.

I saw the original revival cast on Broadway and enjoyed the tour nearly as much. Sadly, touring venues are way too big to get the more intimate feel that I experienced in NYC.

[bwayphreak234]

Oh and Lilly White Ass was AWESOME during the pre show. Absolutely hilarious.

[RainbowJude]

Debonair he may be, but George Hamilton is and looks too old for this role. I know that for some here age doesn't matter (cf. the Denis O'Hare debate) and that the theatre can transcend our disbeliefs and prejudices (cf. the brilliant Sono Osato thread), but based on the publicity materials released I'm not sure I'd be totally convinced that either is enough to suspend my disbelief in the moment of live performance in this case.

[bwayphreak234]

^ Exactly. I saw the show live, and it was not possible to look past his age.

[canmark]

The La Cage tour is wrapping up in Toronto. I saw it and thought it was just OK. Hamilton was stiff (although I must say he has magnificent hair), and I shed no tears for Sieber's "I Am What I Am." Not as wonderful as I remember the original tour back in the day with Peter Marshall and Keene Curtis.

With the tour in Toronto for Halloween, I noticed this photo of Christopher Sieber as... Anderson Cooper? Or some other CNN reporter?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xtracanada/8146991976/

[Wilmingtom]

Saw it in Phoenix and Hamilton is fine in the part. His "Song On the Sand" isn't one for the ages but he sure has the style for Georges. Chris is, of course, terrific. BUT funny and affectingly heartbreaking. He's such a pro and he shows Hamilton off to his best advantage. Cast is good in general. I saw it in NYC and loved the scaled down, 2nd rate vibe of the club. Clearly it was a couple blocks off the main drag. It created a lot more intimacy than the original did for me. The tour recreates this as much as possible for...well, a tour. Enjoy it, Toronto.