WASHINGTON, February 5, 2012 — If you happen to arrive fashionably early at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater for a performance of La Cage aux Folles, you’ll likely be in for some unscheduled fun. A tall, sassy, blonde gal will suddenly materialize inside or outside the theater and stride purposely down the aisle. She’ll soon be plopping herself—umm, himself—down on the theater apron, the better to engage the audience in some witty, ad-lib repartee.
This uproarious bit of vaudeville redux, minus the obligatory rim shots accentuating the punch lines, primes the audience for the main event: the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of the classic drag showgirl comedy. Now in its final week at the KenCen,* the touring version of the show currently stars George Hamilton as—you guessed it—Georges. Christopher Sieber co-stars as Albin, aka “Zaza.”
George Hamilton and 'La Cage' chorus. (All photo credits: Paul Kolnik.)
Like any number of comic operas, the plot of La Cage is silly and simple, the better to let its clever musical and comic bits predominate. Georges and Albin are a committed couple, serving as virtual husband while the latter is perhaps a bit like Oscar Wilde’s fictional Bunbury. He plays the housewife at home while his alter ego stars in the couple’s popular drag revue in their trendy Parisian club.
There’s no comedy without a complication, though. In this case, 20-something Jean-Michel—Georges’ son via a long-ago and mostly forgotten het dalliance—shows up to announce that he and his fiancée are coming for dinner, along with her parents.
Since her dad is a notoriously puritanical right-wing politician who’s out to ban risqué entertainment venues, however, Albin must be banished from the premises. This leads to domestic issues. For Albin, at least, it’s a little like throwing your own mom out of your wedding party.
Georges (George Hamilton) and Albin/Zaza (Christopher Sieber) in a typical moment of high drama.
It’s all very fluffy stuff. But this early 1980s co-creation by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman is loaded with witty lyrics and one-liners and toe tapping tunes and dance numbers, transforming the show into an endearing evening of theater even for those who aren’t drag queen aficionados. Designed to be a bit more intimate than the original, the traveling show boasts modest but colorful sets and a small but animated male chorus line. It’s remarkably well suited to the Eisenhower’s cozy space, providing the audience with he very real sensation of taking in a revue inside a small, clubby French venue.
The best part of the production, though, is the work of its co-stars. For whatever reason, the slight-of-build, still dapper, 70-something George Hamilton pairs phenomenally well the strapping Christopher Sieber. The latter’s over-the-top drag queen persona of Zaza simply electrifies the entire production.
Hamilton gets plenty of witty lines and musical bits himself. But his major contribution to the show is his astonishing skill in serving as the usually patient straight man to Sieber, the better to draw out his hyperkinetic co-star’s mercurial outrageousness.
What’s surprising about this duo, however, is the unexpected genuineness of their odd-couple relationship. Drag characters onstage often serve as two-dimensional comic figures that are expected to play to type. Indeed, there’s certainly an element of that in this show.
Georges (George Hamilton) and Albin (Christopher Sieber) together again.
That said, however, Hamilton and Sieber really do come across as a committed couple, eliciting considerable sympathy for the strains that batter their relationship. This is particularly in evidence as Sieber’s Albin experiences the palpable pain of rejection when confronted with Jean-Michel’s arrogant demands.
As an extra-added bonus, Sieber’s vocal talents are also most impressive. Veering effortlessly from a mezzo-falsetto to a beefy baritone and back, Sieber’s powerful voice approaches the operatic when compared to the rest of the cast.
Vocally, George Hamilton doesn’t possess Sieber’s impressive skill set. But he’s still pretty good for a 72 year-old guy who’s not generally known for his singing ability. Furthermore, he seems to accept this, choosing to deliver his solo numbers in a more—shall we say—continental style, a route graciously traversed in the past by Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) and Richard Burton (Camelot).
As Jean-Michel, Billy Harrigan Tighe is a dashing, yet flawed junior romantic lead, filled with the impetuosity of youth, but knowing, deep down, that he has to become an adult. As his fiancée, newcomer Allison Blair McDowell is sweet, lovely, and charming both in her vocals and dance ensembles. As her parents, Cathy Newman and Bruce Winant prove to be great fun, particularly among our area’s politicrats, as they portray the churlish politician and his subservient wife with that pasted-on “Adult Swim” style smile.
The production’s only downside: the modest onstage orchestra depends a bit too much on electronic instrumentation, a budget-driven, increasingly annoying aspect of an increasing number of touring shows. Perhaps a full compliment of musicians is a bit too taxing for producers in today’s difficult fiscal environment, but we wish they’d start revisiting this precinct sooner rather than later as monetary difficulties begin to slowly ease.
Rating: *** (Three out of four stars.)
For tickets and information on La Cage aux Folles, visit the Kennedy Center website here.
* (Note to our readers: This review was completed late last month. The posting was delayed, however, due to a recent death in this writer's family.)
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