Another French title, another star turn for a British actor. This time it was Douglas Hodge in La Cage Aux Folles. I don’t know if it’s because I lived in London during a very impressionable period of my life, but there is something about these subtle British actors that just slays me in a way that doesn’t happen as often with their American peers. Now, having written that, I suppose I can’t really say that Mark Rylance’s* performance in La Bete is in anyway subtle, and I found David Hyde Pierce’s performance in that show the epitome of subtle brilliance.
I had seen the West End production of La Cage Aux Folles almost 2 years ago, with Jodi, my former colleague at Nick Hern Books. We were a little embarrassed to see it, but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We didn’t have the good fortune of seeing Douglas Hodge’s performance though, so I was hoping to see it when he came to Broadway. And I’m incredibly glad that I did. The musical itself is a bit of a confection, though filled with hummable tunes and farcical situations. Hodge, however, is utterly heart-breaking as the aging drag queen cast aside by his son. Am embedding a montage from the show, which is probably more entertaining for me than for people who haven’t seen it, alas, but it gives you a good sense of how unapologetically entertaining the show is. Hodge and Kelsey Grammar are only in the show for another 3 weeks, I’d definitely recommend seeing them before the new (equally entertaining, but less subtle) cast members arrive.
* Speaking of Mark Rylance, apparently he came into the bookshop when I was on a plane to Los Angeles. But he also said he would be back. Fingers crossed. And, of course, I didn’t see any celebrities in LA.
