Review: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at Pasadena Playhouse

When Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman  announces the production of La Cage Aux Folles currently running at The Pasadena Playhouse, he is sure to note with pride the way the show has been reimagined for contemporary audiences, toting a list of other classic musicals upon which Pasadena Playhouse has recently “put their own stamp”. From the moment the overture starts, it is evident director Sam Pinkleton has pulled out every stop to deliver a “reimagined” La Cage. Here lies the issue which plagues the entire endeavor. Unlike those dusty old classics like Oklahoma! and Anything Goes which require a bit of reupholstering to defend their places in the contemporary repertory, La Cage has aged remarkably well. After all, when musicals need revamping, to this day, we ship them off to Harvey Fierstein to make them work. Thus, he’s given us reworkings of Funny Girl and The Wiz. What do you do to revamp a musical which premiered with a Fierstein book already in place? As is, the book oozes with heart and sentimentality but is packed with enough quips to keep it from becoming precious. What original mark is there to leave on La Cage?

Pinkleton has thrown every prop gimmick and novel idea in the book at the show, and in the process has disrupted the stuff that simply works about the piece. For starters, an overture which allows us to see the full cast before any major reveal (including Albin for some bizarre reason) tramples the delicious suspense and natural build of the opening. Applause for Kevin Cahoon’s entrance is divided— after all, we’ve already seen him on stage. For the duration of the performance, the cast seems so flummoxed by intricate costumes and unnecessary props that the drag performances feel lackluster and amateurish. The shortcomings of the production numbers are unfortunately amplified by the inclusion of Salina EsTitties, a bonafide, LA-based drag performer, whose poise and polish feel out of place in the ensemble. Having seen EsTitties bring the house down in Precinct, I was elated to see her serving everything she had amongst Les Cagelles. It is difficult to present a drag performance in Los Angeles. After all, without even trying, you could stumble upon a world-class show in any number of clubs on any night of the week. Had Pasadena Playhouse tapped more local drag icons like EsTitties, perhaps the show would have packed a more impressive punch.

Cheyenne Jackson is very young to be playing Georges (more of a ‘daddy’ still than a ‘papa’) and something of the mistiness around ‘Song on the Sand’ gets lost when lyrics about feeling ‘young and in love’ are parked-and-barked by a strapping leading man who could still pull off ‘Younger than Springtime’. In fact, so much of the success of the show seems to rely on showcasing Jackson’s svelte physique that the love story at the core of the libretto feels completely neglected. Cahoon’s ‘I Am What I Am’, thus comes out of left field without the dramatic arch needed to justify it. Though his Albin existed in a heightened state of nasal exaggeration, I believe Cahoon could have nailed the Act I finale were it not for the Cabaret-Revival-esque clown getup complete with tearaway green bows. Even that iconic anthem— which certainly bears as much emotional weight now as it did 40 years ago— was bogged down with over-designed elements that evoke the SpongeBob musical more than a Parisian nightclub.

The supporting cast is delightful. As Jacob, George Salazar lands every punchline— no small feat when the maid delivers a joke with each utterance. Ryan J. Haddad and Shannon Purser imbue the young lovers with astonishing charm and warmth, making it easy for us to root for their marriage. Shea Diamond gives a stunning turn as Jacqueline, bolstering the energy for the titular song. Somewhere under all of the “reimagining” I think there is a solid production of La Cage to be found, which is frustrating as the world could use a solid production of La Cage right now.