Review: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at Rinker Playhouse Stumbles Its Way To Greatness

When talking about a great costume, there are elements you have to look for: color, design, construction, shape, etc. How the garment fits the wearer.

La Cage Aux Folles is and has always been an elaborate piece of clothing, designed for the stage and covered in sequins. The material is virtually untearable, thanks to Herman and Fierstein, a fact utilized by director Kimberly Dawn Smith in her thoroughly entertaining production. Most of the night stayed true to the show's unflappable formula, to great success.

For those unfamiliar with La Cage, its simplicity lies in its complexity: a drag club owner, Georges (Larry Alexander) and his long time partner Albin (Michael Ursua) are faced suddenly with their son's (Clay Cartland) pending engagement to the daughter of a notorious homophobe. The future of the family rests then on lies, secrets, and kitten heels. A groundbreaking piece it is, and it serves to remind us through humor of the power of love, self-acceptance, and empathy.

It's an undeniably fun show, brought to life most acutely here by its two leads. Mr. Alexander's voice and hat-tipping demeanor soar, especially when opposite Mr. Ursua, who happens to be the best thing about the entire production. His 'I Am What I Am' is a typhoon, that creates goosebumps lasting well into intermission, not to mention the fact that I would not object to watching him attempt to hold a piece of bread for four consecutive hours.. From the moment he first enters, Mr. Ursua snaps you to full attention, banishing any passing annoyances that may have turned you off in the minutes before you are introduced to him.

The problems with La Cage do annoy, for the simple reason that they all are problems that can be easily remedied. Call it opening night jitters, but throughout the show, I was hit with the glaring feeling that I was watching a slightly rough tech rehearsal, most obviously when it came to the dancing. (The show...girls? Showpeople? Showdancers? I digress.) These were qualified, underprepared dancers; it was obvious which sections of the dance breaks were rehearsed within an inch of their lives and which were learned and trusted to stay on the backburner. This, along with missed and flubbed lines, leave the impression that La Cage is a great show, that will be an amazing show- about a week from now.

Which is to say, crudely but cleanly, that La Cage's strengths lie in its principal players. Mr. Cartland is charming as Georges' and Albin's lovestruck son, Jean-Michel, alongside an absolute gas giant of stage presence known as Elijah Word, who plays Jacob, the family butler. As he will remind the characters, he is their maid, and I for one would like the phone number of the housekeeping agency that sends out maids like him.

As a whole, the shiny garment of La Cage Aux Folles is not one-size-fits-all. It suffers from costume malfunctions (A stray thought- why occupy two thirds of the stage with a massive staircase if the actors aren't going to use it?) and a host of spots that could use a patch-up.

But it isn't a designer dress bought off the mannequin. No. This costume is our favorite thing, that fits us like a glove, and even if your keys fall through its pockets, you don't feel the need to throw it out. It's perfectly good, after all. With the right tailoring.

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