Horrible casting. Hodge is a fantastic actor and a great talent but there was just a revival of this show a few years ago with major stars. They're going to need an equal amount of name recognition to get people interested in spending money to see this show again so soon.
I loved Hodge in LA CAGE! Can't wait to see him tackle this role, although I agree with Jordan, the casting is very blah so far. Then again, it is Roundabout. They'll probably get Frank Langella to play Roxane. Blah.
I agree...the last revival had wonderful reviews and had one of the best American stage actors alive (Kevin Kline)...there is NO NEED to port everything over from the West End...NO NEED
I love Douglas Hodge so I'm really excited to see him back here on Broadway. I can't say Cyrano would have been my first choice-but I bet he'll be really good.
He may be terrific, but after seeing Kline, Garner, and Sunjata just a few years ago, I have no desire for another Cyrano any time soon, especially since I DVRed the recent revival on PBS, and I can watch it whenever I want.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Then again, it is Roundabout. They'll probably get Frank Langella to play Roxane. Blah.
I would lay a bet that Roxane will be played by one of the many actresses who are frequently and/or currently employed by Roundabout. Someone like Charlotte Parry, or Kristen Bush, or Tracee Chimo. Now that they have their "star" (if Hodge can be called that) the rest of the cast will likely be pretty off the rack.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
This isn't a port from the West End. It's a new production.
I love Cyrano and I think Hodge will be fantastic. I agree that no one was exactly clamoring for a new production, but with Hodge in the title role I'm optimistic.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
If I had only seen Hodge in La Cage I wouldn't be that excited either but I was able to catch him in the Donmar's Inadmissable Evidence in London last season and he was overwhelmingly great. Cyrano is another story of course but I'm thinking this guy can do anything.
I do find it interesting that my post some weeks ago expressing disappointment with Roundabout bringing back Cyrano, unless they had a major star attached that they were holding of on announcing, was deleted.
Am I happy Cyrano is coming back? No. Is Hodge a good yes? Yes. Do I believe it justifies the revival? Hmph.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008