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 The Menier Chocolate Factory production of La Cage aux Folles has now opened on Broadway, at the Longacre Theatre. Douglas Hodge has reprised the role of Albin, while the role of Georges is played by US comedian Kelsey Grammer. Read more.
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 INTRODUCTION
The 1983 musical La Cage aux Folles is based on the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret and subsequent 1978 French-Italian screen version.
The show opened on Broadway - with George Hearn and Gene Barry in the lead roles - in August 1983 to wildly ecstatic reviews. It won six Tony Awards out of nine nominations, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. Although La Cage aux Folles was the first Broadway musical ever to give center stage to a homosexual love affair, it is nevertheless a standard romantic musical comedy, with a bouncy and lush score, telling the story of a pair of mismatched lovers who eventually discover how deep their love really is.
In his review in the NY Times after the opening of the original Broadway production, critic Frank Rich described the show as "the schmaltziest, most old-fashioned major musical Broadway has seen since Annie, and it's likely to be just as popular with children of all ages."
The first West End production of La Cage aux Folles dates back to 1986. It ran at the London Palladium for 301 performances and starred Dennis Quilley and George Hearn, who had created the role of Albin on Broadway. |
SYNOPSIS
Albin and Georges are lovers as well as popular female impersonators starring in the drag queen show, Les Cagelles. Problems arise when Georges' twenty-five year old son, Jean-Michel, a result from a brief encounter years back, announces that he is engaged to Anne Dindon, the daughter of a well-known homophobic politician, Edouard Dindon. Anne's parents want to come and meet Jean-Michel's mother and father. Little do they know that Albin, a man, has essentially been Jean-Michel's mother figure his whole life. Jean-Michel wants to keep Albin away from the Dindons but Albin is hurt and insists on making an appearance. In the end, due to a little blackmail, the Dindons are forced to accept Jean-Michel into their family.
 Detailed synopsis
The characters in La Cage are living their lives out loud and having a wonderful time. They are respected in their community. That is still not the case for many people toaday, and there are still politicians and religious leaders who make a living out of preaching hellfire on this, and as long as that is the case, La Cage has a role to play in the world.
Jerry Herman
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MUSICAL NUMBERS Song Lyrics
ACT ONE
Overture
We Are What We Are - Cagelles & Georges
Mascara - Albin & Cagelles
With Anne on My Arm - Jean-Michel & Georges
With You on My Arm - Georges & Albin
Song on the Sand - Georges  / Video excerpt  (°)
La Cage aux Folles - Company
I Am What I Am - Albin
ACT TWO
Entr'acte
Song on the Sand (reprise) - Georges & Albin
Masculinity - Georges, Albin & M Renaud, Mme Renaud, Tabarro
Look Over There - Georges
Cocktail Counterpoint - Georges, M Dindon, Mme Dindon, Jacob, Jean-Michel & Anne
The Best of Times - Company
Look Over There (reprise) - Jean-Michel
Finale - Company
Listen to short audio samples from the Original Broadway Cast, with Gene Barry in the role of Georges (Source: Barnes&Noble)
(°) The audio and video excerpts are taken from the coverage shown on the programme Newsnight Review (BBC 2) on 11 Jan 2008. |
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In October 2008 La Cage transferred to the Playhouse Theatre, in London's West End, with a few members of the Menier cast reprising their previous roles. Before Quast's return to the role, Denis Lawson and Steven Pacey played Georges at the Playhouse Theatre.
In March 2009 La Cage won an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, while Douglas Hodge won in the category of Best Actor in a Musical. The show was initially nominated for 7 Awards. |
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In our incarnation La Cage... is a love story, the tale of a marriage of 20 years almost ruined by a son's thoughtlessness.
Harvey Fierstein
(read more in the Articles section) |
In 1996 a highly successful American version entitled The Birdcage, directed by Mike Nichols, was released. It was set in South Beach in Miami, and starred Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as the couple. |
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LA CAGE AUX FOLLES 
Musical Director: Nigel LILLEY
