This week we’re going back to the start of the 80s for a much loved and heartfelt piece of musical theatre. This week’s TONY Tuesday is:

‘We Are What We Are/I Am What I Am’ from La Cage aux Folles at the 1984 TONY Awards Ceremony. 

La Cage aux Folles is a musical based upon the French play of the same name by Jean Poiret. The story sees gay couple Georges, manager of a drag night club in Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin who is the star attraction. Georges’ son Jean-Michel brings home his fiancé and her conservative parents home to meet the family, and when he fears that they may not embrace them, Albin goes against Jean-Michel’s wishes of making himself scarce and instead does what he does best dresses up and puts on a show… as Jean-Michel’s birth mother Sybil. 

La Cage aux Folles has a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Jerry Herman. The production started out life when, off of the back of his successful film adaptation of Grease, producer Allan Carr wanted to adapt the film of La Cage for his Broadway debut. He was, however, only able to secure the rights to the stage play. He assembled book writer Jay Presson Allan and composer Maury Yeston to pen the score for an Americanised version called ‘The Queen of Basin Street’. When Fritz Holt and Barry Brown came on board as executive producers however, they fired the whole creative team which also featured Mike Nichols as the director and Tommy Tune as the choreographer. Fritz and Brown hired Arthur Laurents to direct off of the back of the 1974 revival of Gypsy that they had just produced and also hired Harvey Fierstein to pen the book and Jerry Herman to create the score. The reinstated the location and the title of the play and set about creating an optimistic and emotion song and dance show to shine a positive light on homosexual relationships due to the rise in homophobia as the AIDS crisis unfolded. Due to the rights disallowing them from including a mother for Jean-Michel as she was written specifically for the film, it allowed them to explore the concept of Jean-Michel naturally accepting Albin as his mother, and further embed the normalisation of queer family dynamics. 

The show commenced its out-of-town try-out in Boston. Herman was a born Bostonian and was concerned due to the conservative views of the city that it wouldn’t be successful. However, that was soon put to rest when it opened for previews to enthusiastic reviews. 

The production opened for its Broadway bow at the Imperial Theatre on 21 August 1983. It was directed by Arthur Laurents, choreographed by Scott Salmon, with set design by David Mitchell, costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge and lighting by Jules Fisher. The production opened to rave reviews nominated for nine TONY awards, winning six including Best Musical. The opening night cast included Gene Barry as Georges, George Hearn as Albin, and John Weiner as Jean-Michel. The production ran for four years, finally closing on 17 November 1987.

The West End production opened at the London Palladium in 7 May 1986, with George Hearn reprising his TONY winning performance of Albin opposite Denis Quilley as Georges. The entire original Broadway creative team reunited for the London production. However, the show only lasted 301 performances in London and its short run and financial failures were blamed on the AIDS crisis and rise in homophobia in Britain. 

The first Broadway revival opened at the Marquis Theatre in November 2004 starring Gary Beach as Albin, Daniel Davis as Georges and Gavin Creel as Jean-Michel. The production was directed by Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Jerry Mitchell. The revival, although having received several TONY awards garnered mixed reviews and closed in June 2005.

A Terry Johnson directed production opened at the Menier Chocolate Factory to strong reviews in January 2008. It starred Douglas Hodge as Albin and Philip Quast as Georges. The production was a success and transferred to the Playhouse Theatre in the West End with Denis Lawson taking over the role of Georges. The production won Oliviers for Best Revival and Actor for Hodge. It ran in London for two years before transferring to New York. Kelsey Grammar starred as Georges in the Broadway revival opposite Douglas Hodge’s Albin opening in April 2010. Again, the production opened to rave reviews receiving eleven TONY award nominations winning for Hodge, Best Musical Revival and Best Director of a Musical. The musical closed in May 2011. 

The musical toured the UK in 2017 starring John Partridge as Albin. This was the first time the musical had ever toured the UK. 

Besties, if you haven’t listened to this life affirming musical then you must absolutely get on it.

Cast recordings available on streaming services. 

FACTS

Music: Jerry Herman
Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Book: Harvey Fierstein
Theatre: The Place Theatre
Run: 21 August 1983 – 15 November 1987 (1,761 performances) 

TONYS:

(NOMINATED) Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Gene Barry, Best Lighting Design – Jules Fisher, Best Choreography – Scott Salmon

(2005) Best Performance by Leading Actor in a Musical – Gary Beach, Best Costume Design – William Ivey Long

(2010) Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Kelsey Grammar, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Robin de Jesus, Best Choreography – Lynn Page, Best Orchestrations – Jason Carr, Best Scenic Design – Tim Shortall, Best Costume Design – Matthew Wright, Best Lighting Design – Nick Richings, Best Sound Design – Jonathan Deans

(WON) Best Musical, Best Score – Jerry Herman, Best Book of a Musical – Harvey Fierstein, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – George Hearn, Best Direction of a Musical - Arthur Laurents, Best Costume Design – Theoni V. Aldredge

(2005) Best Musical Revival, Best Choreography – Jerry Mitchell 

(2010) Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Douglas Hodge, Best Direction of a Musical – Terry Johnson 

OLIVIERS:

(NOMINATED) Best Actor in a Musical – Denis Lawson, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Jason Pennycooke, Best Director of a Musical – Terry Johnson, Best Theatre Choreographer – Lynne Page, Best Costume Design – Matthew White

(WON) Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical – Douglas Hodge