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Disagree on the look of GIGI

Posted by:	jimvar1 03:18 am EDT 05/08/15
In reply to:	"Gigi" last night - solid, middling show with some charms - *MarloManners** 05:10 pm EDT 05/07/15

Of the 7 shows that I saw, I thought this GIGI was the most elegant of all. Costumes might not have been too authentic to Paris 1900; and as you said, Mamita was a little too well-dressed. But what would you have them do with Victoria Clark, when she is a somewhat svelte and well put-together woman? Mak her more frumpy? What role model would that be for Gigi? Besides, she was like her sister, Alicia, ex-courtesans...so she would age well, and still dress as elegantly as her sister. It was only Arthur Freed & Minnelli who made her into the more dowdy Hermione Gingold. But back to this GIGI. Visually, it was sumptuous and while I somewhat hankered for some projections (as the other big-budget musicals seem to be doing), but on second thought, probably didn't need them. Corey Cott is a little too gawky for Gaston but he renders a devastating GIGI! Wasn't too comfortable with Bergasse's choreography for the Maxim's crowd and especially for the lawyers' movements in THE CONTRACT. Why did he have them acting like buffoons in that number -- which I thought was a perfectly competent number showing how seriously they took the whole "mistress" arrangement back then -- with signed contracts no less. Anyway, I thought GIGI 2015 was a lot more elegant and sumptuous than the 1973 version which, while Agnes Moorehead was superb, looked a little dowdy compared to this outing. Finally, am so glad they used and restored the full score (original and new) and that all of Loewe's glorious music has finally come home and together at last.

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Thread:	re: Disagree on the look of GIGI - *MarloManners** 09:54 am EDT 05/08/15

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