Reviewed by Joan Tupponce
Extra Performances Added Through June 29
Richmond Triangle Players couldn’t have picked a better production to end its 20th anniversary season than La Cage aux Folles. The lively musical celebrates life and the notion of being comfortable with who you, a concept that is showcased in the powerful anthem “I Am What I Am.”
Jerry Herman’s and Harvey Fierstein’s 1983 Tony-award winning musical takes us into the glitzy world of Georges and his partner Albin whose alter ego Zaza is the star of the couple’s drag nightclub in Saint Tropez.
Their lives take a comic turn when Georges’ self-centered son Jean-Michel announces that he is getting married and, of by the way, his fiancé’s father leads the “Tradition, Family and Morality Party” and has declared that he will close all the drag clubs in the city.
Jean-Michel is worried that Albin will upset his fiancé’s parents so he asks his father to tell Albin to stay away when her parents arrive. Disappointed and saddened that Jean-Michel doesn’t want to acknowledge Albin as his maternal parent, Albin agrees to “man up” for the occasion. When Albin discovers that Jean-Michel’s real mother is a no show, he dons his wig and dress and plays the part he has played for decades. All goes well until he mistakenly throws his wig in the air. The hilarious chaos that follows is worth the price of admission.
Bringing this bigger than life spectacle to a small stage is no easy feat but director Joe Pabst and set designer Frank Foster have done a magnificent job. Even the theater has been transformed into a nightclub with flickering lights on cozy tables.
The ensemble of actors that make up Les Cagelles are fun to watch throughout the night. Always over the top and on the move, they perform everything from cartwheels to splits during their time on stage. Durron Marquis Tyre is a hoot as Jacob, a butler who changes clothes as often as he changes characters. The heart of the play however belongs to Georges who is played by Matt Beyer and Albin played by Kirk Morton. Beyer is extremely credible as the nightclub owner who tries to hold his family together even in difficult circumstances. His performance is heartfelt and honest.
Morton has great fun with his role as Albin and ZaZa. He is a hoot in the second act when he tries to learn how to walk and act like a man.
La Cage aux Folles is an entertaining night out at the theater that (if we’re paying attention!) teaches us that we are better being who we are than pretending to be someone else. The show runs through June 29. Tickets range from $28 to $32 and can be purchased at RTP Celebrates 20 Years!
