Review Roundup: Reprise Theatre Company's GIGI

William Atherton, Matt Cavenaugh, Lisa O'Hare, Millicent Martin and Jason Graae are the acclaimed film, Broadway and West End stars who lead the cast of Reprise Theatre Company's second production of the 2010-2011 season, "Gigi", playing February 15 to February 27, 2011 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. The musical - with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe -- is directed by veteran musical theatre director David Lee, with choreography by Peggy Hickey and musical direction by Steve Orich.

Tickets are available for "Gigi" at www.reprise.org or through the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101. Christine Bernardi Weil is Managing Director and Gilles Chiasson is Producing Director of Reprise Theatre Company.

Myron Meisel, Hollywood Reporter: Reprise's production style (bare suggestions of sets, limited choreography) may actually suit the material rather better than a fuller mounting, which would only have exaggerated the intrinsic vulgarity of the material. Everything is consistently executed with great professionalism.

Daryl H. Miller, LA Times: Undeterred, the musical-revival specialists of Reprise are poking around this dubious property. They approach the material with enthusiasm and, as they've been doing lately, they've found another underseen but captivating female lead. To Alexandra Silber in "Carousel" and Stephanie J. Block in "They're Playing Our Song" they add, as Gigi, Lisa O'Hare. Still, the results are wan. A faint glow of nostalgia gets smothered in an overall atmosphere of "eh."    

Don Grigware, BroadwayWorld: Cavenaugh, perhaps a tad too young for Gaston, is certainly a match. He makes the bored handsome Frenchman his own, is physically dexterous and sings sublimely. Lisa O'Hare does fine with Gigi as the intelligent pampered creature who refuses to give up her girlish ideals, but somehow she needs to infuse the character more with sparks of innocent playfulness.

Danielle Price, Neon Tommy: All vocal performances are superb, but the dancing is by far the most impressive element. Dancers move beautifully to difficult choreography in giant early 20th-century gowns and jewels. There are moments where ladies are suspended upside down in the air and others where at least ?ve are being twirled in the air in utter synchronization.

Les Spindle, Backstage: Especially captivating are the bubbly trio number "The Night They Invented Champagne" and Cavenaugh's hilariously biting "She Is Not Thinking of Me" and his soaring delivery of the title song. Peggy Hickey's exuberant choreography is a major plus, as is the terrific music direction of Steve Orich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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