This performance of "La Cage" featured direction by Scott Parry, choreography by Mark Davis and musical direction by Amherst's Director of Instrumental Music Mark Lane Swanson.
With flashy costumes and spunky attitudes, the ensemble chorus featured an entertaining assemblage of transvestites.
The aesthetic value of "La Cage" is unparalleled. Set in a myriad of locations in present-day St. Tropez, France, the musical revolves around Georges, played by alumnus and present choral society assistant director Chad Mills '04. Georges owns the nightclub "La Cage Aux Folles," which translates to "the birdcage." Georges' longtime lover is a transvestite named Albin (played by Five-College student Michael Devlin) who transforms into La Cage's leading lady, Zaza, by night.
Georges plays the role of emcee at his nightclub, and clearly enjoys his life very much. His performers, known as "Les Cagelles," open the musical with the song "We Are What We Are," which becomes a recurring theme throughout the performance.
Though Georges claims to honor openness and honesty, a desperate request from his son challenges Georges' integrity. Played by the fraught and hopeful Max Rosen '07, Georges' son Jean-Michel is a romantic who has fallen in love with a young woman named Anne (Ashley Sugiyama '05). There is only one small problem-Anne's father is none other than Edouard Dindon, head of the T.F.M. party, otherwise known as the Tradition, Family & Morality Party. Dindon is up for re-election and hopes to eradicate night clubs as a main tenet of his platform. Jean-Michel begs Georges and Albin to cooperate for just one night and attempt to appear as a traditional family-one without Albin. Although Albin is incredibly hurt at first, he agrees to go on with the plan. At the last minute however, Albin presents himself as Sybil, Jean-Michel's mother. Of course, madness ensues, and Albin is found to be a man in the end.
The musical addresses many important issues through its sharp wit and poignant musical numbers. Albin sings of the value of escapism in the upbeat ditty "Mascara." Perhaps the most moving of songs is also sung by Albin-"I Am What I Am."
The musical was a bit unsatisfactory in that it introduced many issues of paramount importance only to cloak them with idealistic rather than pragmatic solutions.
The sacrifice Albin makes for Jean-Michel is never fully explored but nonetheless remains extremely problematic. Here is a man who is comfortable in his own skin, and he is asked to literally disappear from his son's life. It can only be assumed that he has endured great difficulties to get to the point of this comfort; to be rejected by his own son must be the most painful rejection of all.
Also swept over is Dindon's realization that his daughter is to marry the son of a homosexual and a transvestite. Tantamount to perhaps an American evangelist like Dr. James Dobson or the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Dindon is of course against the union of his daughter and Jean-Michel. However, due to a trick of the gorgeously alluring Jacqueline (Kate Stayman-London '05), Dindon is forced to accept the union and escape from Georges' apartment in drag.
However, tragic musicals are a rare occurrence and the entertaining plot development here serves its farcical purpose. The plot highlighted the performances of the actors and actresses. Rosen's voice is classically beautiful and resonant. His reprise of "Look Over There" featured a sound with which you can't help but fall in love. Mills' talent was best manifested in the romantic "Song on the Sand." Mills' flexibility as an actor is a tremendous asset to "La Cage."
In the fast-paced numbers, "Les Cagelles" (Nick Brentley '06 and Five-College students Zoe Block, Kyle Phipps, John Courtney, Joshua Chelmo, Nicole Mayne, Christopher Kane and Jaime Citron) were almost parodies of themselves. Such parody was best represented by the character Jacob, played by Pat Savage '07, whose swaggering hips and flippant attitude are truly over-the-top. Stayman-London was also quite noteworthy as the owner of a popular restaurant, "Chez Jacqueline." Her subtle megalomania kept the rest of the cast on their toes. However, Devlin's talent was unrivaled. He was movingly poignant at times and downright zany at others.
The musical is dazzling. The final scene features the entire company in sparkling drag and glittery smiles. Although the audience knows that nothing has really been solved, they can't help but hope that these really are what the final song calls "The Best of Times." If only dealing with these issues were just as simple in real life as presented in "La Cage," we would all be better off.