Goodspeed, East Haddam, Conn.
through Sept. 10, 2015
By Bernadette Johnson
Glitter, glamour, and glitz! The perfect setting for
Goodspeed’s phenomenal production of “La Cage aux Folles.”
James Lloyd Reynolds and Jamison Stern are Georges, a
cabaret owner, and his partner, Albin, taken aback by “their” son’s revelation
that he is to marry “a girl”— not only a girl, but also one whose father is an
ultraconservative politico. Change is imperative in order to impress the future
in-laws. Not only must the home be sanitized, but also all appearance of
personal impropriety must be eradicated.
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Photo by Diane Sobolewski |
Stern is, without a doubt, totally and convincingly the
outlandish diva, whether applying “A Little More Mascara,” entertaining on the
“La Cage” stage as female-impersonator Zaza, interacting with the audience or
engaging in high drama as the inimitable Albin. Even a simple line such as “I
deboned a chicken” draws whoops and cheers, and his John Wayne imitation is as
side-splitting as his “I Am What I Am” declaration, the show’s signature
anthem, is heartrending.
Reynolds provides the perfect counterpart as the
down-to-earth “homosexual plain” to Stern’s outrageous transvestite. His “Song
on the Sand” and “Look Over There” are at once romantic and sensitive.
As the couple’s butler/maid Jacob, a wannabe performer, and
flamboyant homosexual, Cedric Leiba, Jr. is a standout. Appearing in
increasingly outlandish costumes, striking farcical poses and delivering
over-the--top commentaries, Leiba is a definite crowd-pleaser.
Other standouts include Conor Ryan as Jean-Michel, the
“prodigal” son. His “With Anne on My Arm” with Leiba and Jean-Michel’s
intended, Anne (Kristen Martin), is sentimental and heart-warming. And Mark
Zimmerman is inflammatory and moralistic as Anne’s father, Edouard Dindon.
Kudos are called for all-around. Michael Schweikardt’s
luxuriant sets and Michael McDonald’s glittering costumes provide the backdrop
for the Cagelles, transvestite performers who defy you to define their sex,
which proves quite the challenge thanks to Mark Adam Rampmeyer’s makeovers.
“You’ll find it tough guessing our gender,” is an understatement. No fair
peeking at the playbill.
Choreographer Ralph Perkins hits a high note with the
ensemble’s gilded birdcage number, a flight of fancy in green and gold plumage
by McDonald.
This production is flawlessly delightful, as Goodspeed’s
patrons have come to expect, and they showed their appreciation with a rousing
standing ovation.