reviewvancouver: La Cage aux Folles

Burlesque is back with all its delicious vulgarity. And if burlesque gives us shows like the Vancouver Playhouse production La Cage aux Folles (The Birdcage), I for one hope that it’s here to stay. This engagingly ludicrous revival of Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein’s musical, centres on the hilariously mismatched David Marr and Greg Armstrong-Morris in the roles of Georges and Albin.

The plot, such as it is, is less flagrantly controversial than when the show first hit the boards in the early eighties. Georges and Albin are a middle-aged gay couple in a long term relationship who together operate a tacky night club on the French Riviera named La Cage aux Folles. Georges is the impresario, Albin is the show’s flamboyant transvestite star, known to (her) fans as ZaZa. The pair have shared in raising Georges’ biological son, Jean-Michel (Scott Perrie) who despite his ‘parents’ best intentions turns out to be straight. When Jean-Michel invites his fiancée (Tracey Power) and her bourgeois parents over, Albin is required to abnegate the role of ``mother.``

Director and choreographer Max Reimer’s device of casting real drag artists as the Cagelles, the revue’s bellicose six-member corps de danse works brilliantly. Performers with the unlikely names of Kiki Lawhore, Peach Cobblah and Iona Whipp – Puleeze! – collectively acquit themselves well without ever threatening to steal the show.

Armstrong-Morris is outrageously camp as Albin (a.k.a. ZaZa) perhaps capitalising on his previous experience with androgynous characters (he once covered Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Lotus Hotel). The role appears to be tailor-made for him and he plays it up to the hilt. David Marr is a perfect foil to his more colourful partner. Far less interesting are young lovers (Perrie and Power), who are somewhat vanilla-flavoured compared to their more excessive senior counterparts.

Neither Marr, nor Armstrong-Morris have great voices, but make the most of Jerry Herman`s likable, but uninspiring show tunes. Marr does particularly well with the poignant ballad Look over There and Armstrong-Morris is incredibly affecting closing the first act with I am what I am.

Phillip Clarkson`s extravagant clothing and Pam Johnson`s exorbitant sets bring an extra dimension to the production, while musical director Bill Sample gets the both the saccharine and satirical tunes dead on.

La Cage aux Folles works best as lightweight revue and less well as sentimental theatre. It does offer one life lesson though. We need our parents' support more than we realise – even when we feel they embarrass us.

Is it a man? Is it a woman? It's a transvestite!

These were some comments I heard as I was leaving last Saturday night's performance (December 10).

Although there was a standing ovation, I felt that this musical was passe. I guess the standing ovation was meant more for the performance, but not the musical itself. It did win a number of awards more than 30 years ago when being gay was beginning to be a "pride" issue, when gays were getting out of their closets, and when it was shocking to have gender changes.

Yes, I remember those days. Generalisimo Franco had just passed away in Spain in 1975, and all of a sudden, Spain became European. The closet cases came out in the open, and films about transvestites, and the Playboy and Hustler magazines were out in the streets-- a radical change from the strict censorship and gay-bashing during Franco's regime.

So I found this show slightly boring, passe, as I said, and I'm just curious what gays would say now. For the old gays, this show is a somewhat sentimental journey. But for the young gays, I think it's pure, nostalgic entertainment, just like disco music of the 70s.