La Cage aux Folles: Fun show with periodic glitches
When La Cage aux Folles premiered on Broadway in 1983, the award-winning show was often described as the coming out of musical theatre.
Flamboyant, funny and potentially touching, the main theme was the power of love and the many ways it can be expressed.
In the 40-plus years since the play on which the musical is based hit the stage, the world has grown in understanding and tolerance. Therefore, the shock value of a show about a gay couple, with one of the pair the drag-queen star of the nightclub they run is virtually non-existent. That their son is about to become engaged to a young woman gets a mild reaction on stage only. The problem is that she is the daughter of a crusading homophobic deputy and the boy wants to bring his girl and their parents home to meet his family
In the Suzart Productions presentation of La Cage aux Folles, directed by Susan Fowler-Dacey, one of the most poignant moments is when Albin — the man who has nurtured his partner’s son for more than 20 years — is told to make himself scarce during the parental visit. In fact, Kraig-Paul Proulx as Albin and his alter ego, Zaza the drag queen, delivers a dramatically and musically strong performance at all times. Without question, he is the focal point throughout. …
