They have been lovers for years, though a one-night stand years before resulted in Georges becoming the father of his now grown son, Jean-Michel (Conor Ryan). While there are a few touching moments when this fine actor could break your heart, the essence of his zany performance is the epitome of comic mastery.Ĭonor Ryan as Jean-Michel (left) with James Lloyd Reynolds His very flamboyant lover, Albin, is portrayed here by the multi-talented Jamison Stern. With a seemingly endless supply of handsome tuxedoes, and looking as dashing as Douglas Fairbanks, Georges (James Lloyd Reynolds) is the elegant and impeccable emcee and manager of the club. In this special circumstance, perhaps I could even risk saying the comedy is queen, because the nutty plot surrounds a gay couple that runs a very gay “drag” nightclub in Saint-Tropez called La Cage Aux Folles (with the French slang roughly translating as a “cage for very effeminate gays”). And I might add, that as lush and lovely as this musical score becomes in the hands of the show’s talented vocalists and musicians, the comedy is king here with the uproarious performances from this cast. Winner of six 1984 Tony Awards (including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book), the production works beautifully on many levels, but Director, Rob Ruggiero, and Musical Director, Michael O’Flaherty, never lose sight of the two primary elements that comprise a musical comedy.
Jamison Stern (left) and James Lloyd Reynolds Based on the play by Jean Poiret, this musical edition features the very witty book of Harvey Fierstein and the delightful music & lyrics of Jerry Herman, - clearly a winning combination. That was a wonderful first experience of Goodspeed for me, and this La Cage was a wonderful welcome home. Actress, Sheila Smith, and the great Broadway orchestrator, conductor (and one of my fellow members of The Lambs Club), Don Pippin, were collaborating there on a special Goodspeed event in connection with its production of MAME. The current Goodspeed Opera House production of La Cage Aux Folles is one of those times, and I think I have discovered that perhaps you really can, “…go home again.” Tucked away and off the beaten path in the little town of East Hadddam, Connecticut, it was in 2012 that I first had the pleasure of discovering this great theatre. There are rare times in the world of the theatre that all the elements just seem to come together perfectly.
Jamison Stern as Zaza in Goodspeed Musicals’ LA CAGE AUX FOLLES