“La Cage Aux Folles”

I’ve long been a fan of Jerry Herman’s life-affirming, full-out Broadway style that mixes sentiment, warmth and hummable melody and incisive lyrics. When I first heard that there was going to be an import of the Menier Chocolate Factory’s acclaimed production of La Cage Aux Folles, my first reaction was “It’s the new Gypsy!” The turnaround for musical revivals on Broadway is getting shorter and shorter.

Was it too soon for a revival of La Cage? I don’t think so and as it turned out, neither did the majority of the critics. The show has its detractors, but I enjoy Jerry Herman’s lively score and am apparently one of the few people who had enjoyed the 2004 revival at the Marriot Marquis (Remember the Daniel Davis debacle? I attended the first performance after he was fired). Its reception at the Menier led to an extended run on the West End. The Broadway transfer of this production ultimately took place because of the buzz surrounding Douglas Hodge’s Olivier-winning performance as Albin/Zaza.

With news that the stars would be departing, I finally bought my ticket for their last performance; I had been holding off on the production but figured it was about time. The atmosphere at the Longacre Theatre is quite playful, with a drag queen greeting (and roasting) patrons on their way into the theatre. This continues with a pre-show warmup session, surveying birthdays, anniversaries and whatnot. (There was even a particularly amusing reference to Kelsey Grammer’s marital woes). It’s one of the most ingenious strokes of the entire production because it instantly brings the audience into the world of the play.

I enjoyed the show, but with considerable reservations. While the relationships were well-explored, the staging and choreography seemed thrown together. Director Terry Johnson made some smart choices such as establishing the play as a 70s period piece and anchoring the main relationship between George and Albin with genuine emotion. However, La Cage Aux Folles, warts and all, has always been a farce from its original French incarnation onward. We gain more heart (commendable) but at the loss of many laughs. I admired the production, but will admit I had more fun as an audience member at the Marriot Marquis.

The musical staging is especially pedestrian. I understand that this stripped-down revival pushed the nightclub into seedier territory and was trying to emulate a run-down, second-rate atmosphere, but choreographer Lynne Page has neither the wit nor talent for such a task. There has got to be a way of presenting this conceit without it looking cheap and lazy. Ms. Page was also responsible for the uninspired choreography in the recently closed revival of A Little Night Music across the street, in which she all but ruined the sumptuous “Night Waltz.” The Menier Chocolate Factory continues to grow in esteem and I hope that in the future they will consider hiring stronger choreographers.

Grammer is every inch a star. His presence, panache and charm were complemented by his profound sincerity. His singing left something to be desired, but he sang “Song on the Sand” and “Look Over There” with such feeling it hardly mattered. Hodge’s Albin was a fascinating creation, to be sure, but I confess it took me a while to warm up to him. He was at his most endearing in the second when his performance was less about the camp and more about the individual behind Zaza. They had outstanding chemistry together, made especially ebullient by the occasion of their final show (when the audience rose in ovation for Hodge’s entrance, Grammer smiled warmly at his colleague and applauded him as well, prompting a visibly moved Hodge to take his entrance one more time). Hodge won the Tony for his performance, but I daresay Grammer was even more deserving of the honor.

A.J. Shively, who became overwhelmed with emotion during his big number, was outstanding as Jean-Michel, making him seem more misguided than cruel (as he seemed in the 2004 revival). It’s a joy having the sublime Christine Andreas back on Broadway as the bawdy Jacqueline. The seemingly ageless Andreas was a vision in purple and her distinct soprano is as glorious as ever. Fred Applegate and Elena Shaddow, whom I adored in last year’s revival of Fanny, were absolutely superb in their limited roles. Robin de Jesus is playing the “maid” Jacob, with a performance that seemed strangely incongruous to the rest of the ensemble.

Unlike Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music, I wasn’t as appalled by Jason Carr’s reduced orchestrations this time. Then again, this is the first Menier transfer to play Broadway in a size-appropriate venue. Thankfully the PS Classics cast album captures the best of the revival and is the best aural experience for this particular production (and overlooked by the Grammy committee? I think so).

Following the performance came an instant standing ovation as flowers were distributed to the four departing cast members (Aside from Hodge and Grammer, de Jesus and Applegate are also moving onto other projects). Hodge spoke first about how much he was going to be on a plane to England that very night. He discussed his gratitude for the hospitality he had experienced in New York, adding that he hoped to return as soon as possible. He also requested that everyone involved in the backstage crew come out onstage to take part in the bow expressing his thanks to each and every member of the company. His final comment was about forging a new and close friendship with Grammer, something he said was as important as any award he had won for the role. He then turned it over to Grammer, who quipped about the year he had (with his very public divorce proceedings) and then earnestly offered his praise and thanks to the company before offering his gratitude to his family and fiancee in the house.

The revival continues at the Longacre with brand new stars Jeffrey Tambor and Harvey Fierstein. As a diehard Arrested Development fan, I’m thrilled that Mr. Tambor is back on Broadway. I am most curious to see Fierstein as Albin as I think he will bring more authenticity to Albin than anyone else who has played him. His vocal limitations notwithstanding, I think he’s going to be a glove-fit for this production.