With a little guts and lots of glitter...
I’ve been tossing around the idea of doing a picspam of John Barrowman as Albin/Zaza in La Cage Aux Folles for some time now - ever since the promotional images started surfacing on the net, in fact. His run in the show has combined my current twin fangirl obsessions perfectly, even if he doesn’t make as good an Albin as Roger Allam. He’s good, yes, but Roger Allam pretty much achieved perfection.
Anyway. Like I said, I’ve been meaning to do the John-as-Zaza picspam for a while, and have finally been spurred into it to cheer an upset person on Journalfen’s Unfunnybusiness comm up. And while I’m at it, I figured, gorgeous men dressed as gorgeous women in sparkly outfits and with fantastic legs... like you can ever get enough, right? Plus, more people should know the genius that was the Roger Allam and Philip Quast run in La Cage. So this is not just the Johnspam, it’s the La Cage Aux Folles picspam!
I’ve divided it up into sections separated by LJ cuts, but be warned: THIS THING IS HUGE. Between the joint efforts of me, plum177 and niblick_iii, we must have acquired if not all the photos of Quast and Allam’s run on the net, then at least the majority. I haven’t used them all here, but I have used a hell of a lot.
And so, messieurs-dames, I give you... La Cage Aux Folles!
First up, a few random Zazas that I’ve acquired photos of. Includes Grahame Norton, Douglas Hodge, the Zaza (and Georges) in the current Parisian production, and at least one whose name I don’t know.
I actually think this may be Roger Allam, but the picture’s so small I’m not sure so it’s going here anyway. If you’re looking at the Cagelles’ legs with envy, prepare to get used to it.
Another Unknown Zaza! Isn't she pretty?
Terribly Eighties, admittedly. But pretty!
Another Zaza of unknown provenance! I think this may be movie!Zaza, though.
Parisian Albin and Georges! I snagged this photo of them on the Paris metro, back at the beginning of September when these posters were everywhere. I was sorry when they disappeared: they always made me smile, even though I haven’t managed to see this production yet. It’s had good reviews, though.
Another of the same basic shot, but you get a much better idea of this Zaza's legs in this one.
Parisian Albin and Georges again.
Et encore! I'm not sure I like the contrast between the two actors, to be quite honest, but that's just a visual thing.
Australian Zaza (Benjamin Howes, apparently, not that you can tell), with her Cagelles.
Grahame Norton as Zaza, plus her magnifique Cagelles. I’ve seen some clips of him playing Zaza and it’s really not good, but I do think he looks cute in that dress.
(ETA: I've just found this clip of him on the BBC, though, and he actually seems rather good. Hmm.)
Grahame Norton again, kind of in and kind of out of costume. I think he’d be a lot easier on the eyes here if his tights weren’t digging in so badly on his hips.
More Grahame Norton:
The lack of photos of him with his Georges (Steven Pacey) saddens me deeply. But at least there's the Cagelles! They're enough to make up for anything.
I love this shot. Pretty dress!
Same pretty dress, yay!
He puts a little more mascara on...
Another pretty dress! I am always in awe of the fact that the guys never trip over their versions (every Zaza gets her own) of this dress. Although you could just tell John Barrowman was being Very Very Very Careful about it...
I finally found a photo of Grahame Norton's Albin with his Georges, Steven Pacey! Albeit with Georges in the background. Albin is taking on the greatest-ever role: he's not just trying to be fabulous, he's actively trying to pass for a women: his adoptive son's real mother.
And the only other shot I've found of Steven Pacey's Georges, singing with Albin at the very end of the show. Awwww...
Finally for Grahame, a comparison shot of his Zaza with John Barrowman's! More of him later.
Douglas Hodge! At least, I think so. He’s my third favourite Zaza as far as singing voice goes, though I’ve never actually seen him in the role. Apparently he’s back in the show after John Barrowman’s run ends, though, so I should get to see him then.
Definitely Douglas Hodge this time, with Philip Quast during PQ’s first run as Georges. I’m guessing this is at first night party or somesuch.
Awww, family. With Philip Quast in character as Georges!
Playing Mama for the prospective in-laws...
Hodge and Quast again. I swear, Philip Quast has chemistry with everything up to and including the walls - admittedly, bolstered when he does things like this.
Ooh la la!
Further Hodge-ness. I admit, I rather like his Zaza.
Dodgy make-up aside...
As Les Cagelles make another determined attempt to grab the screen! It's okay, ladies, you'll get your turn soon enough.
Press night!
Douglas Hodge with his Other Man Georges, Denis Lawson. And that’s it for my run of Miscellaneous Zazary!
Next, some shots of the supporting cast, all from various 2008/2009 London productions.
Simon Burke - John Barrowman's Georges.
Simon Burke once again, this time with Gabriel Vick (aka Blandy McBlanderson, sadly) as his son Jean-Michele. Stuart Neal was much better.
The same scene, different cast: Denis Lawson as Georges and the aforementioned Stuart Neal as Jean-Michele.
The problem family: Jean-Michele's fiancée, Anne (played by Alicia Davies), with her parents, played by Iain Mitchell and Abigail McKern. From Philip Quast and Roger Allam's production!
Anne with her mother and the maid butler, Jacob. I LOVE JACOB. Fabulous doesn't even begin to cover it!
The best of times is now. I have absolutely no idea who's playing Zaza or Georges here.
Anne's father, Monsieur Dindon (Iain Mitchell), dancing with the local restaurant owner and general provider of awesome, Jacqueline (Tracie Bennett).
The first La Cages cast I ever saw, and the original reason for my obsession: Philip Quast as Georges and Roger Allam as Zaza.
So, remember what I was saying about Philip Quast’s chemistry with ... everything? Roger Allam is a good friend of his: they’ve worked together before, a couple of times, and known each other for years. They’ve both played famous Javerts in Les Miserables, and they’re both very, very, VERY good actors. So calling their chemistry ‘electric’ in this show is putting it mildly. (Also, as witnessed at stage door, for two straight guys they have a lot of trouble with the concepts of personal space and touching, especially when it comes to each other.) I am, therefore, not even going to bother attempting to comment on most of these images. I’ll just let you enjoy the fabulous.
Since it turns out, following a quick Google, that First Unknown Zaza was indeed the wonderful Roger Allam, here's a slightly bigger version of the same picture.
Concerned Georges is Concerned. Also, fabulous.
Mr Quast shows us all his skill with a cane...
Note the legs belonging to the ladies on the left. It’s not just the boys in this who’ve got enviable pins.
FLOOOOOFY HAIR! Also, evidence wrt: touching.
No, these two don’t ever actually stop touching. If there were any RPS writers in this fandom, they’d have a field day. NOT THAT I KNOW ANY, OBVIOUSLY.
This has nothing (as far as I know) to do with La Cage Aux Folles, but it's Philip Quast in drag and it cracked me up. His FACE.
And finally in this instalment, because it’s my picspam and I’ll do as I want to, a couple of stage door shots from PQ and RA’s last night, which was two days before my 21st birthday. plum177, niblick_iii and I dragged along two of our friends (not that they took much dragging), and naturally the five of us went to the stage door afterwards in order to fangirl. They took being adored by five twenty-something women remarkably well... ;)
That would be me grinning like a loon there, yes. I’d just been kissed and hugged by Roger Allam, so y’know.
And, okay, just one more: the Hive Mind and Philip Quast, take 1. Still my favourite photo.
And that’s all for this post, folks! Second instalment: John Barrowman and the Cagelles!
Anyway. Like I said, I’ve been meaning to do the John-as-Zaza picspam for a while, and have finally been spurred into it to cheer an upset person on Journalfen’s Unfunnybusiness comm up. And while I’m at it, I figured, gorgeous men dressed as gorgeous women in sparkly outfits and with fantastic legs... like you can ever get enough, right? Plus, more people should know the genius that was the Roger Allam and Philip Quast run in La Cage. So this is not just the Johnspam, it’s the La Cage Aux Folles picspam!
I’ve divided it up into sections separated by LJ cuts, but be warned: THIS THING IS HUGE. Between the joint efforts of me, plum177 and niblick_iii, we must have acquired if not all the photos of Quast and Allam’s run on the net, then at least the majority. I haven’t used them all here, but I have used a hell of a lot.
And so, messieurs-dames, I give you... La Cage Aux Folles!
First up, a few random Zazas that I’ve acquired photos of. Includes Grahame Norton, Douglas Hodge, the Zaza (and Georges) in the current Parisian production, and at least one whose name I don’t know.
I actually think this may be Roger Allam, but the picture’s so small I’m not sure so it’s going here anyway. If you’re looking at the Cagelles’ legs with envy, prepare to get used to it.
Another Unknown Zaza! Isn't she pretty?
Terribly Eighties, admittedly. But pretty!
Another Zaza of unknown provenance! I think this may be movie!Zaza, though.
Parisian Albin and Georges! I snagged this photo of them on the Paris metro, back at the beginning of September when these posters were everywhere. I was sorry when they disappeared: they always made me smile, even though I haven’t managed to see this production yet. It’s had good reviews, though.
Another of the same basic shot, but you get a much better idea of this Zaza's legs in this one.
Parisian Albin and Georges again.
Et encore! I'm not sure I like the contrast between the two actors, to be quite honest, but that's just a visual thing.
Australian Zaza (Benjamin Howes, apparently, not that you can tell), with her Cagelles.
Grahame Norton as Zaza, plus her magnifique Cagelles. I’ve seen some clips of him playing Zaza and it’s really not good, but I do think he looks cute in that dress.
(ETA: I've just found this clip of him on the BBC, though, and he actually seems rather good. Hmm.)
Grahame Norton again, kind of in and kind of out of costume. I think he’d be a lot easier on the eyes here if his tights weren’t digging in so badly on his hips.
More Grahame Norton:
The lack of photos of him with his Georges (Steven Pacey) saddens me deeply. But at least there's the Cagelles! They're enough to make up for anything.
I love this shot. Pretty dress!
Same pretty dress, yay!
He puts a little more mascara on...
Another pretty dress! I am always in awe of the fact that the guys never trip over their versions (every Zaza gets her own) of this dress. Although you could just tell John Barrowman was being Very Very Very Careful about it...
I finally found a photo of Grahame Norton's Albin with his Georges, Steven Pacey! Albeit with Georges in the background. Albin is taking on the greatest-ever role: he's not just trying to be fabulous, he's actively trying to pass for a women: his adoptive son's real mother.
And the only other shot I've found of Steven Pacey's Georges, singing with Albin at the very end of the show. Awwww...
Finally for Grahame, a comparison shot of his Zaza with John Barrowman's! More of him later.
Douglas Hodge! At least, I think so. He’s my third favourite Zaza as far as singing voice goes, though I’ve never actually seen him in the role. Apparently he’s back in the show after John Barrowman’s run ends, though, so I should get to see him then.
Definitely Douglas Hodge this time, with Philip Quast during PQ’s first run as Georges. I’m guessing this is at first night party or somesuch.
Awww, family. With Philip Quast in character as Georges!
Playing Mama for the prospective in-laws...
Hodge and Quast again. I swear, Philip Quast has chemistry with everything up to and including the walls - admittedly, bolstered when he does things like this.
Ooh la la!
Further Hodge-ness. I admit, I rather like his Zaza.
Dodgy make-up aside...
As Les Cagelles make another determined attempt to grab the screen! It's okay, ladies, you'll get your turn soon enough.
Press night!
Douglas Hodge with his Other Man Georges, Denis Lawson. And that’s it for my run of Miscellaneous Zazary!
Next, some shots of the supporting cast, all from various 2008/2009 London productions.
Simon Burke - John Barrowman's Georges.
Simon Burke once again, this time with Gabriel Vick (aka Blandy McBlanderson, sadly) as his son Jean-Michele. Stuart Neal was much better.
The same scene, different cast: Denis Lawson as Georges and the aforementioned Stuart Neal as Jean-Michele.
The problem family: Jean-Michele's fiancée, Anne (played by Alicia Davies), with her parents, played by Iain Mitchell and Abigail McKern. From Philip Quast and Roger Allam's production!
Anne with her mother and the maid butler, Jacob. I LOVE JACOB. Fabulous doesn't even begin to cover it!
The best of times is now. I have absolutely no idea who's playing Zaza or Georges here.
Anne's father, Monsieur Dindon (Iain Mitchell), dancing with the local restaurant owner and general provider of awesome, Jacqueline (Tracie Bennett).
The first La Cages cast I ever saw, and the original reason for my obsession: Philip Quast as Georges and Roger Allam as Zaza.
So, remember what I was saying about Philip Quast’s chemistry with ... everything? Roger Allam is a good friend of his: they’ve worked together before, a couple of times, and known each other for years. They’ve both played famous Javerts in Les Miserables, and they’re both very, very, VERY good actors. So calling their chemistry ‘electric’ in this show is putting it mildly. (Also, as witnessed at stage door, for two straight guys they have a lot of trouble with the concepts of personal space and touching, especially when it comes to each other.) I am, therefore, not even going to bother attempting to comment on most of these images. I’ll just let you enjoy the fabulous.
Since it turns out, following a quick Google, that First Unknown Zaza was indeed the wonderful Roger Allam, here's a slightly bigger version of the same picture.
Concerned Georges is Concerned. Also, fabulous.
Mr Quast shows us all his skill with a cane...
Note the legs belonging to the ladies on the left. It’s not just the boys in this who’ve got enviable pins.
FLOOOOOFY HAIR! Also, evidence wrt: touching.
No, these two don’t ever actually stop touching. If there were any RPS writers in this fandom, they’d have a field day. NOT THAT I KNOW ANY, OBVIOUSLY.
This has nothing (as far as I know) to do with La Cage Aux Folles, but it's Philip Quast in drag and it cracked me up. His FACE.
And finally in this instalment, because it’s my picspam and I’ll do as I want to, a couple of stage door shots from PQ and RA’s last night, which was two days before my 21st birthday. plum177, niblick_iii and I dragged along two of our friends (not that they took much dragging), and naturally the five of us went to the stage door afterwards in order to fangirl. They took being adored by five twenty-something women remarkably well... ;)
That would be me grinning like a loon there, yes. I’d just been kissed and hugged by Roger Allam, so y’know.
And, okay, just one more: the Hive Mind and Philip Quast, take 1. Still my favourite photo.
And that’s all for this post, folks! Second instalment: John Barrowman and the Cagelles!