Belle of a revival
Former Disney princess stars in classic musical retooled for the girl- power era
HOWdo you solve a problem like “Gigi”?
At first glance, the Lerner and Loewe musical seemed ripe for a revival: The movie won awhopping nine Oscars in 1959, including Best Picture, and spawned the chestnut “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.”
Which is the issue right there, because that song was performed by an old dude ( Maurice Chevalier), and its unsavory implications have only worsened with time. Oh, and the title character is a teenager groomed to become a courtesan in 1900s Paris who falls for a potential sugar daddy— he’s even nicknamed the Sugar Prince. Double ouch.
Happily, the Broadway “revisal” that just opened— headlined by “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens— does a fine job retooling the plot so it’s more in line with modern ideas about women and romance.
The most visible tweak has to do with age. Gigi ( Hudgens) is now 18, rather than the 15 she is in Colette’s original novella. Her love interest, Gaston, is in his early 20s rather than his 30s, with a youthful demeanor reinforced by actor Corey Cott’s rosy cheeks and highpitched giggle.
Gigi and Gaston have known each other for a while, but they’re stuck in the friend zone. Raised by her grandmother, Mamita ( the delectable Victoria Clark), Gigi’s being taught marketable skills by her greataunt Alicia ( Dee Hoty), like howto properly pour coffee. ( It’s those two older women who get to rejoice about little girls in this version.) Meanwhile, Gaston’s cavorting with minxes like Liane ( Steffanie Leigh), their nightclubbing at Maxim’s duly covered on the Page Six of Le Petit Parisien. Rest assured, he’ll realize true love has been hiding in plain sight all this time.
Heidi Thomas’ retooled book isn’t quite a feminist call to girl power, but at least her Gigi’s making deliberate choices, considering the limited options available to women back then.
And while her trebly voice has limited range, Hudgens is comfortable onstage and gives the character a playful assurance. Later in the run, she may even feel comfortable enough to reveal more of the sly naughtiness she displayed in “Spring Breakers.” In any case, she has a warm rapport with Clark and Hoty, and youwant to see Gigi with them rather than with puppyish Gaston and his suave uncle, Honoré ( Howard McGillin).
Director Eric Schaeffer (“Follies”) has given the story an elegant casing, making good use of Derek McLane’s art nouveau– inspired set and Natasha Katz’s gorgeous lighting— elements that help compensate for the smallness of the ensemble.
This honorable “Gigi” may be a good pick if you can’t get into “Wicked” on Take Your Daughter to the Theater Day.