A (now) classic musical brought back to the stage, La Cage Aux Folles bursts to colorful life at the award-winning Pasadena Playhouse.
Based on the French play by Jean Poiret (which later became a film and then the US remake “The Birdcage”), “La Cage aux Folles” tells the story of Georges (Cheyenne Jackson) and Albin (Kevin Cahoon), a gay couple who run a Saint-Tropez nightclub that features drag acts, including Albin’s alter-ego, “Zaza.”
While everything seems to be status quo, a surprise visit from Georges’ son Jean-Michel (Ryan J. Haddad) – the result of a random night with a woman named Sybil – proves to turn things on their head. One, he’s getting married to a girl named Anne (“Stranger Things” Shannon Purser), and number two, she’s the daughter of a conservative politician known for running the “Tradition, Family, and Morality Party.”
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Jean-Michel really wants his father to meet his new family, but he wants him to not only de-gay his apartment but also make sure the flamboyant Albin is not around. This doesn’t go over too well with Dad, but he understands and goes about telling Albin who… well, doesn’t.
Chaos ensues, lessons are learned, and fractured relationships are healed.
The best thing about this production is the cast. With eternally handsome multi-hyphenate Cheyenne Jackson at the helm, the star power is evident. But add in Tony Nominee Cahoon (“Shucked,” playwright Haddad (“A Murder at the End of the World”), Purser (“Stranger Things” fan favorite Barb), Michael McDonald (“MAD TV”), Nicole Parker (“Titanique”), and George Salazar (Seymour in Pasadena Playhouse’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors), you have an all-star cast of supremely talented folks.
The entire cast brings their comedic A-game, along with some pleasant vocals and mad-cap energy. Jackson brings a warmth to his Georges that is necessary for the plot to work without us hating him. Cahoon makes Albin’s messy, gay self come alive, while Haddad is a welcome diversion from all the madness surrounding him. McDonald and Parker bring an added dose of zaniness as the conservative parents but also as two Parisians who act as sort of emcees for the show itself.
That said, the set design betrays this a little, as it felt a bit like community theater, with a backdrop wall that seemed like the production didn’t have time to finish.
The direction by Sam Pinkleton (Broadway darling “Oh, Mary”) works, but nothing here elevates it to anything other than a local theater production. The drag performances felt constrained, and sometimes, some of the scenes felt like crowd control.
However, this is partly due to the show itself. With music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (“Hello, Dolly”) and a book by Harvey Fierstein, the humor feels dated, and the songs aren’t very memorable. The first act closer, “I Am What I Am,” is the best of the bunch and has become a Pride anthem for many an LGBTQ+ person.
But the first act drags a bit, with three different drag acts and only one that really contributes anything to the story. It’s all just a (kind of sad) set-up where Albin feels rejected and “othered” while Georges tries to convince him the plan to keep him away and invite Jean-Michel’s real mother is a good one.
Act Two, however, almost reverses what the first act brings by stepping up the comedy and making for a genuinely entertaining second half.
This is a historical piece I’m glad to have seen (it was my first time), and it will appeal to a good portion of the LGBTQ+ community. With its themes of discrimination, it couldn’t be more timely. But as successful as the show was in the past, it feels a little like a dinosaur with lipstick. In a world going through so many negative changes, this might prove to be the perfect (lip) balm for an escape.
La Cage Aux Folles runs through December 15th at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA.
For more information and tickets, visit PasadenaPlayhouse.org.
