La Cage Aux Folles - original London cast 1987

Dennis Quilley as Georges introduces the original London cast of La Cage Aux Folles at the 1987 Laurence Olivier Awards.

[@brit50ify]

Still to this day this is the musical and production I love the most. every song amazing. Acting flawless. I was front row far left and I could have sworn the dancers entered from the floor right in front of us to the stage. Oh well my memory is poor these days. maybe it was another musical..

[@Malindams]

La Cage was the first Broadway show I ever saw. It was 1985 and my first trip to NYC and first Broadway show! I started crying during the opening number...it was just glorious! The staging looked just like this London production. A great, great show!!!

[@vanessahicks1613]

George and Dennis were the most amazing company members I learned so much from these two remarkable men x

[@JudiNewall]

I remember seeing this and my friends husband asking plaintively "How much MORE are they taking off?" Denis Quilley and George Hearn were fantastic, and after "I am what I am" there was TOTAL silence then 90% of the audience stood for George Hearn. Thanx for the memories :)

[@MrCrowebobby]

My first professional dance job was as a "male" dancer with a drag show. It's been 60 years. Except for the fact that the club was mafia owned, it was a fun job and a great memory.

[@kennethwayne6857]

Back in the day, they were all mob-owned.

[@joannetailor4094]

Those day will never return but God bless us all that were there

[@MsCleggy1]

I remember this show so well. Saw it three times and Denis and George were incredible. Denis's wife used to teach me singing. I bought the cassette of this show and played it walking around London all the time on my walkman. As I young dancer i was in awe seeing this show. Great days.

[@Limpandtotheleft]

I remember being taken to see this show. Front row, stalls. And until the end, when wigs were removed, it wasn't clear which performers were men or women. Absolutely stunning! It was a disgrace that it was taken off in the midst of a tabloid-fanned wave of hysteria about getting AIDS from theatre seats!

[@kathybramley5609]

Um, yes, the aids hysteria thing was a total disgrace. But I still find it odd that hair length could ever be taken as definitive gender reveal! There's more layers to it, surely. And about stepping back from performance as much as anything. More than nailing gender back to some comforting binary certainty!?

[@user-rc7xc2jq8q]

I’ve seen many productions of this fabulous show , the 1987 cast were my first & to this day favourite Cagelles ! Pure class , where are they now I wonder 😮

[@warrenholborn]

happy Memories, worked on this show wonderful People, it opened at the London Paladium

[@tee2899]

I saw a performance at the Paladium in its last week. It was amazing. I've seen three different versions since over the years at Hull New Theatre.

[@DennisOnshaw]

Saw this London Original Cast production when it was on... season didn't last due to the hysteria of the time of the scare of AIDS... shame... it was such a wonderful production... with George Hearn...wish such stage productions were recorded and kept for prosperity sake ... and reproduced for DVD market ... which am sure there are lots of us out here would get a copy...for our library ! I am a musical fan...

[@OofusTwillip]

I saw it at the Palladium during a family trip to England. I already knew it from the Broadway album, and insisted on seeing it. My parents weren't happy, and wouldn't let me go to stage door afterwards. Mom totally believed the AIDS hysteria, and warned us not to use the bathrooms, or touch the arms of the seats. I was smart enough to know that was BS. I still remember the chills I got when George Hearn sang, "I Am What I Am", and stormed up the aisle.

[@kathybramley5609]

I'd love to see the whole of the original!

[@thnsock]

this is stunning quality superb costumes

[@edinburghmarc]

Love it! love it! Love it! Thank you for posting this clip xx

[@dwa22204]

Always a fan of Dennis Quilley since “Orient Express”!

[@gengs14]

i can't help but smile whenever i watch this!!!

[@trikeman2k]

A Masterpiece. I had the pleasure of seeing the Musical in NYC.

[@andrewjohnthorpe1462]

Brilliant! Really enjoyed this while working at Templar Records in London during the 1990's.

[@hairyeahyeah]

OHHH how supurb. thanks so much for posting this magical memory. I adore this show

[@extramite8]

I saw the show at the time and i don't think it has been bettered, they were probably the only production to use the deep voices at the beginning and it worked, George Hearn was also the best singer to play Albin and who could forget Dennis Quilley superb, it was a short run as mentioned before which was a huge shame.

[@grantc4516]

The Broadway and Australian productions also used the "deep voices" in the opening scene: (why would that not happen?) and the Australian production had a slight edge on the London production.

[@kennethwayne6857]

@@grantc4516 That edge might have been Keith Michell. But he and Denis Quilley were both great.

[@wulfrunian]

I worked backstage on the pro-am production at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. We used these costumes and those coats are very heavy.

[@natsuki3758]

i love all the comments from 10 years ago

[@costaismysin]

I saw Dennis Qulliey in this at The Palladium . awesome show!

[@wadedavid4375]

Went to see La Cage Aux Folles in the late 80s in Hollywood when Gypsy was the Host! They did a rendition of Streisand and Summer,doing No More Tears, Enough is Enough, Barbra holding the LONG note, while Donna looking at her, falling off her STOOL! It was a GREAT show!

[@kylejerel]

The ending note is beautiful!

[@philipwood5284]

I can't believe it is 30 years since I saw this wonderful show, at The London Palladium!

[@joannetailor4094]

OH!.Shit! Am I that old?

[@kennethwayne6857]

@@joannetailor4094 I'm afraid we all are. Tempus fugit.

[@shadyea]

Wow I've never heard of this show before but I'd love to see this revived 100%

[@ciceroparanhos5215]

Wonderful show!

[@nxmiles]

Their legs are better than mine will ever be

[@emiltiwaz1022]

Darling, you're not alone.

[@kathybramley5609]

Friendly as the intent may be, this is quite a reductive cliche. What about the people and the story behind drag, as shown in the whole musical? What about the personality behind yourself as well!? The version about makeup skills, more common these days, is very similar too. It should not be about a performative/goods-as-loaded competition, this life, for any of us, it's not about existing only in comparison to some elusive unattainable standard that's not actually *for* any of us: no, actually that's what needs fighting! What causes the problems!

[@raynachristian4627]

Kathy Bramley pretty sure it’s a complement to the actors

[@TheFOODYGUY]

this was the first musical I saw in London,, absolutely stunning show.

[@rachelmalleycooke3907]

Oh how I do soooooo wish there was more of this performance available to see, it is wonderful to see this but I would dearly love to see more.

[@joannetailor4094]

You Are not the only one mate

[@doolally69]

It is on at the Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue. A fabulous production!!!

[@TheJustinglen]

wonderful moves love it

[@dickwatson5329]

A wonderful Movie and stage show

[@SammPrice]

i wore the Pheadra costume in a production in Malvern.... loved it xx

[@Muttonchop_USA]

This needs to be revived...in Florida.

[@Thierrywilson]

Magnifique,j'adorrrrrrrrrrrrre!

[@guadalupevalle8560]

Wow!!!!!! Fabuloso!!!!

[@TheJOALM]

Awesome number, awesome show :)

[@maxnll]

@scottstm Scott, you were always glam! I remember you from the eighties ( when we were both twelve!). I know you through Dursley..Max x

[@user-kq8hx2se9j]

兎に角待ちに待った公演です。まだかまだかの日々です主演お二人の息の合った公演を楽しみしたいと存じます。

[@Jamessanxxx]

Tehe the one in the blue is my uncle Trevor xD

[@piecesofme8531]

Is he gay? Is he still alive? Are you still alive?

[@tee2899]

I saw a performance at the Paladium in its last week. It was amazing. It also starred Brian Glover and Jonathan Morris. I've seen three different versions since over the years at Hull New Theatre, one with Julie Goodyear in it.

[@kennethwayne6857]

Seen different versions too, but for me none will top the original which I was blessed to see twice on Broadway in the '80's.

[@claustern7216]

Excelente!!!

[@warrenholborn]

I worked on this Poticular Prodiction in the 1980's

[@benbarrie4235]

Soho Lord did you work at the Pallidum?

[@tumloveguy2883]

ชอบมากๆ

[@manuelangel4102]

Geniales !!!

[@beth7527]

They´re amazing!!!!

[@velugarcia]

Unforgettable!

[@sylviadran]

yes , i have heard so.

[@antondoesbolton]

Sad that there has never been a 21st century revival ... or even a movie not counting birdcage lol STUNNING

[@Multitudes22]

rip jerry :(

[@RoxanneHenare]

We are at tropez!! 😀😝🌹

[@noecox933]

Genial

[@brightsunshine]

@jeff5761 I just saw it last night...so different from this...but incredibly phenomenal! Best show I've seen!

[@zajournals]

I might have been in that audience.

[@jessenord9962]

Excellent 💜💖

[@thomaslowdon5510]

I saw this back in the opening weeks in london..l didnt think ot ran till 87 tho....it only ran a few weeks. Due to aids fears...like if you saw the show you get aids ffs.

[@thegaythespian]

so George Hearn did WE as well? Kewl, he's awesome

[@tommytimp]

OH MY GOD MOST OF THEM ARE MEEEEEEEENNN

[@tee2899]

You don't say ..........

[@Velimattiranta]

YES!!!!

[@bradick75]

I knew "La Cage aux folles", a play by Jean Poiret (1973) that made thousands of spectators laugh in Paris. I knew the French / Italian film (1978) which was extremely successful in the French-speaking countries and in Italy. I saw both sequels. I know that the Americans made a remake in 1996 (Birdcage) but I did not know they had made a musical. I saw some excerpts. I have not found the Latin comic spirit but it looks pretty good. Apparently it was very successful .... Bravo!

[@brunoyvres4939]

Screw utube. Les Cage will win. ❤

[@user-mt2px1yr9s]

verylongleg!!

[@huhuluihuhu]

is the new one, in london, as good as this?

[@jakeooo2344564]

loled at this in music class :L

[@jenfleming7938]

Hi is Michael Hervieu in this ??

[@JulieGraves-wl6bh]

Yes he was

[@jenfleming7938]

@@JulieGraves-wl6bh thankyou

[@reneadoduplesis]

all u can understand?

[@LordSuppenhuhn]

Hilarious moment when they start singing xD

[@import26]

Uhh, you're a few decades late.

[@claudinefaure9090]

The original Albin was more like a femme fatale. (On stage Zaza Napoli and the boys).

[@PacifistDungeonMaster]

I didn't realize they were men until they started singing

[@tracer740]

...all but three are men.

[@79mlvc]

who is the cast here?

[@tee2899]

Brian Glover and Jonathan Morris were in the London show.

[@muddygobeille]

Happy Pride!

[@neshannockfez]

portugal did it better last week >_>

[@kathybramley5609]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Kind of odd that head-hair length can be taken by some as a kind of definitive gender reveal, then or now/recently-ish (looking in the comments): but anyway I guess it's more about taking it back from performance. Extra layers besides that, or in that, too. Choosing that song for the Awards ceremony performance, where it might be trying to be more apologetic to the mainstream and detracts from or repackages the overall message, as I understand it. But I need to see the play! I've just seen Rowan Ellis mention it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmOup4qGasSEb80

[@miamiracer]

The choreography is a little manic. It was changed by the time it got to Broadway.

[@OofusTwillip]

The Broadway production was before the London production.

[@grantc4516]

Original Broadway production: 1983. Australian production: 1985. London production: 1986.