| RollingOut.com Sunday, October 05, 2008 A+E, Theater, Reviews portia cue - wearing the pants Leading Actress, The Little Prince Theatrical cross-dressing dates back as early as the 17th century, when women, who were required to be chaste by Christian standards, were banned from performing onstage. Men willingly played both roles. In the current liberated age, gender impersonation is simply comic relief. Contemporary examples of the art form include Flip Wilson (“The Flip Wilson Show”), Martin Lawrence (Big Momma’s House), Wesley Snipes (To Wong Foo), Eddie Murphy (The Klumps) and Tyler Perry (the Madea franchise). Baton Rouge, La., native Portia Cue is taking some bold steps in a similar direction. She’s flouting racial and gender stereotypes by not only playing the role of a man, but by playing the role of a white man as the lead in The Little Prince, which is now playing at 7 Stages Theatre. “The profundity lies in the fact that I used to watch The Little Prince when I was 7 years old. It’s really cool because I’m playing something that I used to love as a child,” she shares, dismissing the fact that her casting may be difficult for longtime fans of the 1971 novella to comprehend. Cue brings a sense of magic to the stage. “It’s interesting for an adult to be playing a child. That way you can bring your wisdom, but also play [on] the innocence of a child,” she says. –yvette caslin |
| Creative Loafing, June, 2009 Atlanta is bursting at the seams with stunning retro-style burlesque acts and Big City is no exception. The ladies of this troupe put on another packed show at 7 Stages on June 28. (Photo (right) by Jeff Riley) |
| Sunday, October 05, 2008 A+E, Theater, Reviews Magic ‘Prince’ Say hello to 7 Stages’ little friend By Bert Osborne Artistic director Del Hamilton’s production is frequently hypnotic nonetheless (with a nod to Jessica Coale’s lighting design). Of course, 7 Stages will be 7 Stages. The notion of casting black actress Portia Cue as the Little Prince initially feels like an indulgence or concession—another example of how the company relishes being different, sometimes just for the sake of being different. But Cue is so magical in the role that you’ re left instead questioning why the theater didn’t go all the way with it (the program and posters still depict the character as a white kid). There ought to be a greater sense of wonderment to John Benzinger’s portrayal of the pilot. Had he seen as many weird 7 Stages shows as the rest of us, he’d know how truly special "The Little Prince" really is. SP |
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Photo by Abby Gaskins
