BWW Reviews: Sieber Draws Big Cheers in Smaller-Scaled LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

It's interesting to note that the original Tony-winning Broadway production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES—whose now second revival is currently in residence at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts through August 5—debuted—sacré bleu!—almost 30 years ago!But despite the passage of time, the initially groundbreaking musical comedy's emotional and political impact as well as its real-life implications in today's climate have not lessened in its relatability as much as one would think, particularly because heated debates explored in the show still continue to rage to this day from opposing sides.

The timing of its feather-boa'd arrival in the more conservative Orange County (which immediately followed a two-week engagement at the Pantages Theatre) is actually quite fortuitous. Aside from the on-going chatter that's to be expected from an election year, its local debut earlier this week comes on the unflattering heels of a controversy sparked by the remarks of a major restaurant chain figurehead that doesn't exactly flatter the likes of the show's central characters.

But real-life political parallels notwithstanding, how is the national tour revival itself?

As presented in its current iteration, the show, for the most part, remains a genuinely entertaining enterprise—a cheeky farce filled with super silly situations, wildly outrageous characters, a witty book by Harvey Fierstein, and a memorable Jerry Herman score that will sear into you long after the curtain falls. Now revived in an era of post-Will & Grace/Modern Family/Glee histrionics, this musical comedy's origins seem downright revolutionary when you think about the time in history when this show first existed. Of course, its roots are even earlier: the musical is based on the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret.

In the middle of Saint-Tropez, drag nightclub owner Georges (played by infamously tanned George Hamilton) is facing a dilemma: he has just learned that his grown son Jean-Michel (Michael Lowney) is engaged to be married to a lovely girl Anne Dindon (Allison Blair McDowell)—who just happens to be the daughter of the head of the "Tradition, Family, and Morality Party." Understandably, Jean-Michel doesn't feel that the lifestyle practiced by his father and his "surrogate mom," Georges' longtime partner Albin (the jawdroppingly good Christopher Sieber) will likely be accepted by his future in-laws too well.

So, the young man—taking advantage of his parents' unconditional love for him—devises a plan to somehow shield the visiting Dindons from his parents' true flamboyant selves. As expected, Albin—whose alter ego is the superstar drag attraction ZaZa at his partner's club La Cage Aux Folles—doesn't like this idea one bit. And, naturally, hilarious high-jinks and sight gags explode like a glitter bomb when all things don't go exactly as planned.

As entertaining as it is, alas, something is a bit off in this otherwise fun-filled parade. Don't get me wrong. Laughs are still a-plenty in this production and the songs are just as lovely as ever. The story, of course, remains wonderfully familiar to many who've seen the similarly-titled 1978 movie version, or the superb Mike Nichols-directed 1996 American celluloid remake The Birdcage, or even countless other sitcoms and movies that have featured a plot dealing with a pre-nuptial meeting of culture-clashing in-laws. And, most importantly, the show has the extraordinary Christopher Sieber—who, alone, makes this show worth seeing.

But the show is far from perfect. Perhaps a victim of necessity in these less-extravagant times, this touring version of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES feels a bit, well, less extravagant. Dare I say it's less glitzy than I had hoped it would be. You know a show may be a bit in trouble when they feel the need to have a pre-show warm-up drag queen comic lobbing jokes before the show even starts (although, in hindsight, I actually liked this bit, only because it made for an unexpectedly spicy start). And you definitely know a show is in desperate need to fill in the gaps when beach balls are thrown into the audience (I, along with several patrons hated this bit. A lot). Seriously? Beach balls? I feel so awful for the older ladies who got smacked hard on the face with these things. Oy.

As fun as this show is in the grand scheme of things, part of this version's iffy-ness may be because the show appears to have been downgraded on many aspects: it features only six "Cagelles"—those hard-working, glamourous faux-gals that leap and plié with the greatest of ease—diminishing the show's wow factor. It also uses much more simplified sets—which banishes its band on raised "balconies" on opposite sides of the stage—that feel like they were repurposed from a shuttered South Beach hotel. And for a show that wants to celebrate the glittery allure of uninhibited self-expression, the show's palette is a bit middle-of-the-road in its color, and vibrancy. (In this case, when the story calls for our protagonists to "tone down" the overt homosexuality of their surroundings, they didn't really have to change that much).

In an effort to probably distract focus from its less-opulent machinations, a big name star has been brought in to fill in one of the lead roles. Actually, herein lies the show's biggest weakness. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of stunt-casting, especially if it means shutting out a more talented, albeit, less-known actor in favor of hiring a marquee name for a role.

Michael Lawrence Quintos is a quiet, mild-mannered Art Director by day. But as night falls, he regularly performs on various stages everywhere as a Counter-Tenor soloist, actor, and dancer for The Men Alive Chorus since 2002. He's sung everything from Broadway, Jazz, R&B, Classical, Gospel and Pop. His musical theater roots started early, performing in various school musical productions and a couple of nationally-televised programs. The performing bug eventually brought him a brief championship run in the Philippines' version of "Star Search" before moving to Las Vegas at age 11. College brought him out to Orange County, California, where he earned a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Film Screenwriting. He has spent several years as a designer and art director for various entertainment company clients, while spending his free time watching or performing in shows. Follow Michael on Twitter at: twitter.com/cre8iveMLQ.

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