Sunday, April 18, 2010
‘La Cage’ Imports Douglas Hodge, a Pinter Regular
NYTimes.com: AT a rehearsal of the Broadway musical “La Cage aux Folles” this month the British actor Douglas Hodge paused during the number “The Best of Times” to hash out a detail with the director, Terry Johnson. Mr. Hodge asked if he could improvise where to sit on the lip of the stage as he banters with the audience midway through the song. “There will be people who are too embarrassed to talk back to me,” Mr. Hodge explained. Mr. Johnson said he trusted the actor to choose his spot; nodding, Mr. Hodge began silently conversing with invisible theatergoers, feigning delight at their imagined responses.
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2 comments:
It is interesting to see how invested someone gets into their role and is able to conquer it to the point where the writer says- that is the character. To take knowledge from other roles, and styles and combine them into a role like this that is almost the complete opposite is quite interesting. I can't wait to see this show and see all that it has to offer. Reviews agree that Mr. Hodge isn't just one performance, but 10 great performers in one. It will be interesting to see how a show about drag queens, gay themes, and such does on Broadway though. It will last for sometime because of it's star power but not for long.
I think it's fascinating to see how different actors/directors/production teams approach the same show, and in the case of Doug Hodge, I think that the fact that he has these discussions with his director, to really analyze how he can interact with the audience, shows his experience and value as a performer. And it is people like this who are most important when reviving a show and trying to explore new possibilities.
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