Skip to content
Capital Public Radio

Capital Public Radio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • beats
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    • California Dream
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Roots
    • Eclectic
    • Videos
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight with Beth Ruyak
    • The View From Here
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • Insight Music
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • CapRadio Travels
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support / Underwriting
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Volunteering
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Arts and Lifestyle
  •  

Theatre Review: La Cage aux Folles

  •  Jeff Hudson 
Thursday, August 21, 2014 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Charr Crail
 

Charr Crail

Lots of musicals feature lithe, leggy dancers in heels, decked out in feathers and sequins and bikinis… and not a whole lot else. The thing about “La Cage aux Folles” is that the dancers doing leg kicks are male. This gender-bender comedy from the 80's focuses on a gay couple who run a cabaret-style nightclub on the French Riviera. They also have a 20-year-old son who gets engaged to the daughter of an extremely conservative politician. How will the gay parents finesse this delicate social dilemma involving future in-laws from a completely different background? And how will Music Circus audiences, who tend to favor traditional Broadway classics, relate to a show with so many men dressed as women?

Tuesday’s audience sure seemed to be having fun as they were singing and clapping along.

0821JH-Cage -Em

(L to R) Brent Barrett (Georges), Alan Mingo, Jr. (Albin), Kevin Cooney (M.Dindon), Michael Lowney (Jean-Michel) and Julie Kavanagh (Anne Dindon) in La Cage aux Folles, produced by Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion August 19-24, 2014. Photos by Charr Crail.

And really, other than the gay couple at the center of the plot, “La Cage” is a pretty old-fashioned show. The story unfolds in the bubbly style of a black-and-white Hollywood comedy from the 1940s. And the music frequently tips the hat to Broadway icons like Irving Berlin with songs that sound a lot like “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” You could say “La Cage” is an homage.

Expect to see a parade of over-the-top costumes and Busby Berkeley-style choreography, as the good-natured men-in-drag pose as Marilyn Monroe, or a bevy of busty ballerinas in a bird cage. It all peaks in the second act with a nostalgic song in a fancy restaurant, triggering a heartwarming dance number between the future in-laws.

I’ll give this production plenty of points for feel-good sentiment and fancy footwork. And there’s a cute boy-gets-girl story to go along the feathers and falsies and wigs. It all makes for an entertaining show with an upbeat message at the end – something that almost every theatergoer enjoys.

The Music Circus production of “La Cage aux Folles” continues through Sunday, August 24th at the Wells Fargo Pavilion in Sacramento.

0821JH-Cage -Rot

Cast of La Cage aux Folles, produced by Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion August 19-24, 2014. Photos by Charr Crail.

 Music CircusCalifornia Musical TheatreLa Cage aux Folles

Jeff Hudson

Contributing Arts Reporter and Theatre Critic

Jeff Hudson has been contributing arts-related stories to Capital Public Radio since 1995, with an emphasis on theater and classical music. He attends over 100 performances annually, ranging from modern musicals to medieval masses.   Read Full Bio 

 Email Jeff Hudson

Comments

Sign up for ReCap

and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday.

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Most Viewed

California Is Giving Doctors Incentives To Ask Patients About Childhood Trauma

Caltrans Is Trying To Prepare California Highways For Climate Change

Ceres Pays $4.1 Million To Settle Two Fatal Shooting Lawsuits Involving The Same Officer

Sacramento City School District Gave Teachers Raises It Couldn’t Afford, State Auditor Finds

Dental Patients Face Years Of Debt, Inflated Bills

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

California Is Giving Doctors Incentives To Ask Patients About Childhood Trauma

Caltrans Is Trying To Prepare California Highways For Climate Change

Ceres Pays $4.1 Million To Settle Two Fatal Shooting Lawsuits Involving The Same Officer

Sacramento City School District Gave Teachers Raises It Couldn’t Afford, State Auditor Finds

Dental Patients Face Years Of Debt, Inflated Bills

Back to Top

  • 7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Recap Newsletter

Capital Public Radio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2019, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.