(Ann) We left Nashua bright and early and got to NYC with less than 15 minutes to spare before the start of our Wednesday matinee. We raced to the theater and made it right before the curtain went up on an amazing revival of
The Glass Menagerie starring Judith Ivey as the controlling, once-grand Southern Belle Amanda Wingfield. She plays the role to perfection with all of her Southern charm masking a woman terrified about the future of her and her daughter. Her son Tom is played by Patch Darragh with more sensitivity and subtle allusions to his likely homosexuality than other productions we have seen. The play is done in a fresh and honest way, and it is a four star revival of this American classic. Judith Ivy certainly deserved her Tony nomination, as did the play for best Dramatic Revival.
After the play, we checked into our hotel and ate dinner next door at Pigalli's before heading off to see the revival of
La Cage aux Folles around the corner. This revival stars Kelsey Grammer as the club owner, Georges, and the classically trained British actor Douglas Hodge as his transvestite boyfriend, Albin. This production is a must see. The music and dancing are great, but the biggest thrill are the performances by Grammer and Hodge. You can feel the love between these
characters, and that transforms this show from a campy show into a love story. The performance by Hodge as Albin is amazing in its complexity. He goes from thowing a hissy-fit as a transvestite diva to being a caring mother to Georges' son without missing a beat. We loved this show, and so did rest of the audience who cheered on and on after the final curtain call.
(Ann) We left Nashua bright and early and got to NYC with less than 15 minutes to spare before the start of our Wednesday matinee. We raced to the theater and made it right before the curtain went up on an amazing revival of The Glass Menagerie starring Judith Ivey as the controlling, once-grand Southern Belle Amanda Wingfield. She plays the role to perfection with all of her Southern charm masking a woman terrified about the future of her and her daughter. Her son Tom is played by Patch Darragh with more sensitivity and subtle allusions to his likely homosexuality than other productions we have seen. The play is done in a fresh and honest way, and it is a four star revival of this American classic. Judith Ivy certainly deserved her Tony nomination, as did the play for best Dramatic Revival.
After the play, we checked into our hotel and ate dinner next door at Pigalli's before heading off to see the revival of La Cage aux Folles around the corner. This revival stars Kelsey Grammer as the club owner, Georges, and the classically trained British actor Douglas Hodge as his transvestite boyfriend, Albin. This production is a must see. The music and dancing are great, but the biggest thrill are the performances by Grammer and Hodge. You can feel the love between these 
characters, and that transforms this show from a campy show into a love story. The performance by Hodge as Albin is amazing in its complexity. He goes from thowing a hissy-fit as a transvestite diva to being a caring mother to Georges' son without missing a beat. We loved this show, and so did rest of the audience who cheered on and on after the final curtain call.
