Alexis Michelle & Tom Story Will Lead LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at Barrington Stage

Barrington Stage Company (BSC) has announced casting for the launch of its 30th anniversary season with the new production of the multi-Tony Award-winning musical, La Cage aux Folles. The production will play June 11-July 6 on the Boyd-Quinson Stage (30 Union Street). Opening night is Sunday, June 16 at 3:00 PM.

With a book by Harvey Fierstein (Broadway: Kinky Boots, Torch Song Trilogy) and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (Broadway: Hello, Dolly!, Mame), La Cage aux Folles is based on the play by Jean Poirot that also inspired the 1978 French film of the same name and its American remake, The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

BSC’s production will be directed by Mike Donahue (Off-Broadway: The Legend of Georgia McBride, Phoebe in Winter) and choreographed by Paul McGill (Broadway: Associate Choreographer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Off-Broadway: The Legend of Georgia McBride). Angela Steiner (BSC Cabaret) is musical director.
The original Broadway production of La Cage aux Folles opened in 1983 and won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical, Best Original Score (Herman) and Best Book of a Musical (Fierstein). Two subsequent Broadway revivals won Best Revival of a Musical in 2005 and 2010, respectively. La Cage aux Folles is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. concordtheatricals.com  

Set in St. Tropez on the French Riviera, La Cage aux Folles is a riotous and touching musical comedy about a gay couple, Georges and Albin, who must disguise themselves for one night in order to impress a local ultra-conservative politician who is threatening to shut down the couple’s drag nightclub where Georges serves as Emcee and Albin as the star attraction, Zaza.

The production will star Alex Michaels, aka Alexis Michelle as Albin and Tom Story as Georges.

Alex Michaels/Alexis Michelle (Albin) was most recently seen on “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8” (Paramount), finishing in the top 4. Other television credits: “True Colors” (PBS), “One Voice: Broadway” (PBS) both with The American Pops orchestra, “Blue Bloods” (CBS), “Dragnificent!” and “Drag Me Down the Aisle” (TLC). Alexis was cast on Season 9 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1), and after triumphant turns as Kris Jenner and Liza Minnelli, made it all the way to Top 5. In addition to performing her cabarets at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below and Club Cumming in NYC you can find her singing, lip-syncing and dancing all over the world. Training: LaGuardia H.S. for the performing arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts and B.F.A. University of Michigan in Musical Theatre.  You can keep up with Alexis on her Facebook artist page, as well as TikTok & Instagram @AlexisMichelleOfficial.

Tom Story (Georges) is an actor and director based in Washington DC.  He made his Barrington Stage Company debut last summer in Cabaret. He has appeared in over 75 productions in DC, New York City, and in many cities throughout the country. He is an Affiliated Artist at The Shakespeare Theatre Company where he has starred in works by Shakespeare, Noel Coward, Stephen Sondheim (A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum, directed by Alan Paul), David Ives’ School For Lies and many others. He is a Cabinet Member at The Studio Theatre where he has been featured in many contemporary works. Favorites include AE Houseman in The Invention of Love and Lewis in The Wolfe Twins by Rachel Bonds and directed by Mike Donahue.  He recently directed At The Wedding to critical acclaim at Studio where he made his directorial debut with MOTH. He also directed Terminus by Mark O’Rowe at Studio. At Berkshire Theatre Group, he has acted in 16 productions, including The Heidi Chronicles and Moby Dick: Rehearsed. At BTG, he directed the critically acclaimed Design For Living. He has directed at American University, Solas Nua, Imagination Stage and he helmed the box office hit The Legend of Georgia McBride at Roundhouse Theatre. Tom is a graduate of Duke University and The Juilliard School. He has received nine Helen Hayes nominations and a Fox Foundation Fellowship.  He studied acting with Michael Kahn and directing with Joy Zinoman.

“La Cage aux Folles is a delirious farce, with Harvey Fierstein’s hilarious book and Jerry Herman’s exuberantly tuneful score,” commented BSC Artistic Director. “But it needs a believable couple at its center for the show’s beating heart, and we’re extremely fortunate to have Alex Michaels, perhaps best known for their drag persona Alexis Michelle on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and the dashing Tom Story as our Albin and Georges. With a brilliant cast and helmed by Mike Donohue with high-flying choreography from Paul McGill, we think BSC audiences are in for a treat.”  

The cast will also feature Noah Wolfe (BSC: A Little Night Music) as Jean Michel, Sally Shaw (Regional: The Wizard of Oz) as Anne, Phillip Taratula (Lincoln Center Theater: The Skin of Our Teeth) as Jacob, Tanesha Gary (Off-Broadway: Fat Ham) as Jacqueline, Don Noble (Broadway: Once; National Tour: An American in Paris) as Edouard Dindon, Michele Ragusa (Broadway: Flying Over Sunset, Young Frankenstein) as Mme. Dindon, and Drae Campbell (Off-Broadway: Room for Cream, Pictures of the Drowned) as Francis. Also starring as the “notorious and dangerous” Cagelles will be Jonté Jaurel Culpepper as Bitelle, Gabe Friedman aka Kiki Ball-Change as Chantal, Jules Geiss as Clo-Clo, Aaron Graham as Angelique, and Kyle White as Hannah, with Raphe Gilliam and Drew Minard.

The creative team includes Alexander Woodward (Scenic Design), Rodrigo Munoz (Costume Design), Philip Rosenberg (Lighting Design), Ken Travis (Sound Design), Bobbie Zlotnik (Wig Design), Kyle Kreuger (Makeup Design), Robert Aronowitz (Whip Consultant). Sara Ford is Production Stage Manager. Casting is by McCorkle Casting (Pat McCorkle, CSA; Rebecca Weiss, CSA).