Five-time Emmy Award® winner Kelsey Grammer makes his Broadway musical debut alongside Olivier winner Douglas Hodge in this funny and touching tale of one family's struggle to stay together... stay fabulous... and above all else, stay true to themselves. La Cage aux Folles, the splashy, high-kicking musical comedy, comes to Broadway this spring in a gloriously reconceived production that took London by storm. La Cage features Jerry Herman’s Tony Award-winning score, with such fabulous songs as "I Am What I Am," "The Best of Times" and "Song on the Sand," and a Tony Award-winning book by Harvey Fierstein.
When 'La Cage aux Folles' originally opened on Broadway in 1983, gay marriage was not on the horizon. At the time, Fierstein's book was considered groundbreaking for depicting a long-term gay relationship in all its domestic normalcy. In the nearly three decades since then, the idea of gay marriage is a reality, at least in some places. These days, Georges and Albin could be considered just another old married couple, yet their story as told in 'La Cage' could not be more timely and enjoyable.
But the show, newly revived on Broadway under the thoughtful direction of Terry Johnson, proves to be surprisingly sturdy — despite the three-inch pumps donned by the cross-dressing Cagelles at the Saint-Tropez nightclub that Georges and Albin call home. Herman's score is studded with melodic winners, including the gay-rights anthem 'I Am What I Am,' which closes the first act on a stirring and deeply moving note. Delivering that show-stopper is Douglas Hodge, a transplant from Johnson's 2008 London revival of La Cage. Hodge is practically perfect as the fey Albin, a tricky role in which an actor could easily slip into caricature or sentimentality. Hodge manages a careful balance, delivering a performance that is both hilarious and heartfelt; his character is admittedly over the top, but he always feels real. As his partner, the La Cage manager Georges, Kelsey Grammer proves to be an equal partner in carrying the show. Grammer has a surprisingly strong singing voice (better than his rendition of the 'Frasier' theme song might suggest), and he never makes you doubt his commitment to Albin or his son; you feel the anguish as he seeks to reconcile the conflicting desires of his two loves.
1983 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1986 | West End |
London Production West End |
1987 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2004 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2006 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2008 | West End |
West End Transfer West End |
2010 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
2011 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2023 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Douglas Hodge |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Lynne Page |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Matthew Wright |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Terry Johnson |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Robin De Jesus |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | La Cage Aux Folles |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Jonathan Deans |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Douglas Hodge |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Matthew Wright |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Terry Johnson |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | 0 |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Lynne Page |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Matthew Wright |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Terry Johnson |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Nick Richings |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Jason Carr |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Robin De Jesus |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Douglas Hodge |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Kelsey Grammer |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Barry and Fran Weissler |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Sonia Friedman Productions |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Menier Chocolate Factory |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Harvey Weinstein |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Nederlander Presentations, Inc |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Jerry Frankel/Bat-Barry Productions |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Allen Spivak |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Olympus Theatricals |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Independent Presenters Network |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Arlene Scanlan/John O'Boyle |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Raise the Roof 4 |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Richard Winkler/Bensinger Taylor/Laudenslager Bergère |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Matthew Mitchell |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Broadway Across America |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Bob Bartner/Norman Tulchin |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Edwin W. Schloss |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | David Babani |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Tim Shortall |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Jonathan Deans |
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