La Cage Aux Folles - review with 30 photos - Open Air Theatre

The Open Air Theatre's production of La Cage Aux Folles is a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the class musical comedy and of gay love and parental devotion. Songs include the anthem I Am What I Am and the touching Look Over There from the pen of Jerry Herman.
How does the Harvey Fierstein's story of homophobia and being true to yourself hold up after 40 years? Is the final show from Artistic Director Tim Sheader a worthy swansong?
Carl Mullaney and Billy Carter star as the gay couple whose son wants them to pretend to be straight. The former plays the star drag artist in a cabaret club managed by the latter.
Dazzling dance numbers are choreographed by Stephen Mear with stupendous costumes by Ryan Dawson Laight. Colin Richmond provides a glittering set design.
La Cage Aux Folles was at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park until 23 September 2023.
The 30 plus production photos used in this review are by Johan Persson and Mark Senior.
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[@christophercobb249]

Lovely review, thank you. As a member of the LGBTQ community who has a particular love for this show due to its significance in our community, I so appreciate your obvious respect of gay and other LGBTQ people. I am old enough to have grown up in an environment where, even then, homophobic slurs were tossed around casually. Like many others - and especially those LGBTQ people who came generations before me and were true pioneers - I will of course hear "I Am What I Am" as a song of defiance. It's difficult not to hear it that way, when I could never forget how it felt to be targeted at a young age due to being different. So it's really nice to hear how others resonate with this song, and with this show. What came through in your review is that you are a respectful and empathetic ally to our community of LGBTQ people, and allies are so very important. They deserve to be celebrated, too. Your reviews are always thoughtful and worthwhile, but this one had more of a personal resonance to me as a person for whom this show means something so big and important for my life and my community. While it may be easy to think homophobia and transphobia are things of the past, they are not. I fear at least one person in every new generation will grow up feeling different due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. If even one person feels this way, then there is a need for La Cage Aux Folles and shows like it. Not to mention, the music is just so great and the show is just so fun. Thank you for the thoughtful and empathetic review. I wish that all people who want to be allies could be so intentional about this level of respect and empathy. And as you stated, the US is backsliding toward terrifying trends in homophobia and other forms of bigotry. Those of us in the US in the LGBTQ community are watching in horror. So it seems this show is relevant yet again.

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

Thank you for your comments. I agree that we must continue to build societies that respect differences and be ever vigilant for those who seek to destroy them. One of the things I like about La Cage Aux Folles and the arts in general, is the revelation of shared humanity, whatever our differences.

[@christophercobb249]

I agree! It's my favorite thing about the performing arts. I also have a secondary career as a singer, primarily covering the Great American Songbook and musicals to about 1980. My favorite aspect of performing is storytelling and finding shared humanity. I've been amazed as a performer how the songs I sing tap into quite visceral and deep aspect's of people's lives. People will share very personal anecdotes of their most meaningful life moments, after hearing me sing certain iconic songs. Most recently it was "I'll Be Seeing You," which turned out to be a couple's wedding song who were in the audience. The power of connection through live performance!

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

How rewarding that must be