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Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol La Cage aux Folles Also see Fred's review of I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn't Even Smile
Georges (James Lloyd Reynolds) and Albin (Jamison Stern) are having quite a lively time of it as they facilitate a nightclub one summer in St. Tropez, France. Drag performers, quite uninhibited, are plentiful. The character of Jacob, ostensibly a maid, is played by Cedric Leiba, Jr. He, and all other actors are costumed to an extravagant hilt, by Michael McDonald. Enter Jean-Michel (Conor Ryan), who, at the age of 24, is to inform his father Georges that he will soon marry. Jean-Michel's fiancée's father is Edouard Dindon (Mark Zimmerman), whose aspiration it is to shut down drag clubs. We will discover that Dindon has a rather conventional if not backward perspective upon individuals' morals. Hence, Jean-Michel (planning for a group dinner) attempts to persuade his father to keep Albin away for an evening. Albin does transform, sort of, into Uncle Al. Georges and Albin are middle-aged, and Jean-Michel owes his existence to his dad's one night indiscretion with a woman. Albin, as he appears in the club show, takes on the character of Zaza. Whether as Albin or Zaza, the actor holds the audience captive in the palm of his hand. "I Am What I Am," he gloriously sings as the first act concludes. Georges, on the other hand, comes across as a man filled with poise and dignity. He must devise a means to calm his overtly agitated partner Albin, who (having been maternal as they raised Jean-Michel) reacts badly when asked to leave the scene when Edouard and Marie Dindon (Stacey Scotte) are to arrive. Their daughter Anne Dindon (Kristen Martin) is quite blonde, lovely, and appealing. She and Jean-Michel make an attractive couple. Theatrical productions, by definition, are received differently by each person who observes. This is probably magnified with La Cage, given the nature of the content. The performance benefits, too, from Les Cagelles, drag queens who open the evening with "We Are What We Are." They are gymnastic, elastic, over-the-top singer-dancers. The actors are sequined, and have feathers, too. Within the hands of director Ruggiero, who benefits from Michael O'Flaherty's music direction and Ralph Perkins' choreography, this show flies forward with gleeful flamboyance. In translation, the literal title means "cage of mad women" but the word cage is anything but a match for what occurs within the quaint yet inviting Goodspeed Musicals space. Ruggiero is known for his distinctive ability to tell stories, at TheaterWorks Hartford (as artistic leader and director) and elsewhere. This time, while honoring trappings, the script, and such unusual creations as the servant Jacob (Leiba, Jr., frankly, just a bit much), the director draws focus upon Georges and Albin. Increasingly, one learns, through lyrics and dialogue, more about them, about their evolution and current day circumstances. James Lloyd Reynolds is one disciplined, precise actor. Versatile Jamison Stern loves each moment the spotlight shines upon him; he soaks it up and will not be denied. When it opened on Broadway in 1983, La Cage aux Folles, a musical about gay people, was not, to understate, common. Now, with the Supreme Court taking its positive stand relative to marriage between people of the same gender, with Caitlyn Jenner jumping to media fame, one might have thought that this musical, which won a number of Tony Awards in 1984, might have lost its spark, relevance or purpose. Here is one skeptic who now gladly confesses that this most professional presentation is winsome and exhilarating. The Goodspeed rendering is cheerful and sometimes hilarious. While most theatergoers seemed to begin laughing from its first moment, the production's comic jabs and roundhouse punches, to me, were most effective after intermission. All the while, Michael Schweikardt's colorful set pieces provide terrific tone and atmosphere. Mark Adam Rampmeyer, in charge of hair, wig, and makeup design was, no doubt, busy. Call this La Cage a jubilant experience. La Cage aux Folles continues at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, Connecticut, through September 10th, 2015. For tickets, call (860) 873-8668 or visit goodspeed.org.
- Fred Sokol |
