La Cage aux Folles is an important musical with a message that still needs to be heard.
Loosely translated as birds of a feather, the story was taken up in the movie The Bird Cage, and its message is that love between adults, whatever its form, is something to be cherished and celebrated.
Set in La Cage aux Folles nightclub on the French Riviera, it introduces us to nightclub star, drag queen Zsa Zsa. In private life Zsa Zsa is Albin, the life partner of night club owner Georges, and the two lovers have brought up a 24-year-old straight son, Jean-Michel, the result of a one-night stand Georges had with night club dancer Sybil many moons ago. Jean-Michel announces he intends to marry Anne, the daughter of the anti-gay politician Edouard Dindon… so guess who’s coming to dinner? The ensuing mayhem provides both chuckles and belly laughs.
This is a story about true love, not who you should or should not love, and that is its power. Its hit gay anthem, I Am What I Am, is a proud statement of identity that should move the audience to utter silence.
In this production, Georges is played by West End and Broadway veteran Michael Cormick, while the flamboyant Albin is multi-Helpmann Award winner Paul Capsis.
Cormick is a terrific Georges, a strong character with great charisma, strength and subtle comic timing. And every time he sings, his voice is simply glorious. Cormick holds the show together, and there are beautiful moments in his relationship with both Albin and Jean-Michel.
While Capsis is a huge talent, in my view he doesn’t quite fit the role of Albin. He is a master of comedy but the poignancy and subtlety of character that rounds out the dual role of Albin/Zsa Zsa isn’t quite there. His vocals in the first act, including the iconic I Am What I Am just didn’t reach their mark. However, in the second act his singing seemed more secure, and he had some fine moments.
Of the supporting cast of Noah Mullins , Genevieve Kingsford, Debra Byrne, Peter Phelps, Genevieve Morris, Bev Killick and Loredo Malcolm, the honours must go to Mullins as Jean-Michel and Kingsford as Anne. Both performers had beautiful vocal work and were a delight in their interactions with each other and their parents.
Riley Spadaro’s direction had the cast playing for laughs rather than emotional subtlety, and I felt that detracted from the strength of the story.
But while I had reservations about this production, there were some wonderful aspects. It is a visual delight, with superb costumes by Jozef Zoda, and satisfying choreography for the Cagelles, the drag queen chorus, by Veronica Beattie George. Of the Cagelles, Nick Eynard showed a keen sense of appropriate comedy, and was most impressive.
Conducting a fine small ensemble was music director Craig Renshaw, and his band did credit to the terrific score.
The audience around me seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, leading me to think that if this is the first time you have seen La Cage aux Folles, it is easier to embrace it and go with the flow, than if you have seen other productions. While I had reservations about aspects of this version of La Cages aux Folles, there was still much to enjoy, and it has a terrific score that you come out of the theatre humming.
Photo supplied.
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Julie Houghton reviewed “La Cage aux Folles”, presented at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse at 6pm on November 12, 2023.
