Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the play by Jean Poiret
Feb. 28-March 23, 2019
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
"Stylish, spirited and spectacular."-- Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatcch
"La Cage still sings and dances and shrieks like mad."
-- Richard Green, TalkinBroadway
"I’ve seen several versions of this story now, but I have certainly found my favorite one at New Line."
-- Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL
"La Cage aux Folles can be presented as simply a frothy, weightless farce, but here, directors Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor opt to show how love deepens over time, which gives their La Cage both weight and depth. That depth burnishes the laughs and sweetens the froth immeasurably."
-- Paul Friswold, The Riverfront Times
"Delivering a crowd-pleasing rendition led by Zachary Allen Farmer in a triumphant performance."
-- Mark Bretz, Ladue News
"Timely and important, and most importantly, fun."
-- Lynn Venhaus, St. Louis Limelight
"It's a treat all around."
-- Judy Newmark, All the World's a Stagee
"New Line Theatre is such a reliable source of great musical theater."
-- Steve Callahan, BroadwayWorld
What happens when the son of a middle-aged gay couple brings home the daughter of an arch-conservative politician -- and her parents -- for dinner?
Musical comedy ensues.
Set on the French Riviera, it's a night of love, laughs, illusions and truths, and the triumph of family over bullies and bigots.
In March 2019, New Line brought St. Louis audiences a very different take on Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's deliciously subversive comedy about real family values in a world that doesn't always value families. In its original 1983 production, the show was a safely old-fashioned musical comedy. But in its 2008 London revival and 2010 Broadway revival, the show was transformed from a lightweight comedy into a more serious story with a lot of laughs. Without rewriting it, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES has become a 21st-century musical -- and a New Line show.
Based on the 1973 French play and its 1978 film adaptation, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES tells the story of a middle-aged show business couple, grappling with aging, fidelity, kids, and holding on to their dignity when the world around them would rather strip it away. At the center is Georges, a St. Tropez nightclub owner, and his husband Albin, who is also the club's erratic drag headliner Zaza. When Georges' son gets engaged to the daughter of a right-wing politician, we see the politics and culture wars of 2019 onstage right in front of us.
The original 1983 Broadway production ran four years and 1,761 performances. The show received nine Tony nominations and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book -- beating out Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George. It's been revived on Broadway and in London multiple times. La Cage is the only musical to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical twice (2005 & 2010), and also the only show to win a Best Musical award for every staged Broadway production.
The New Line cast included Zachary Allen Farmer (Albin/Zaza), Robert Doyle (Georges), Kevin Corpuz (Jean-Michel), Tielere Cheatem (Jacob), Zora Vredeveld (Anne), Kent Coffel (M. Dindon), Mara Bollini (Mme. Dindon), Lindsey Jones (Jacqueline), Joel Hackbarth (Francis), and as the notorious Cagelles – Jake Blonstein, Dominic Dowdy-Windsor, Evan Fornachon, Tim Kaniecki, Clayton Humburg, and Ian McCreary. The intimate New Line production was directed by Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, with music direction by Nicolas Valdez, choreography by Michelle Sauer and Sara Rae Womack, scenic and lighting design by Rob Lippert, costume design by Sarah Porter, and sound design by Ryan Day.
Produced by arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., New York.
Want to explore more?
We recommend:
Jean Poiret's original play La Cage aux Folles (in French)
The 1978 French film version
The stage musical script
The piano-vocal selections
