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9 Works Theatrical’s ‘La Cage aux Folles’ is more than feathers and fluff
9 Works Theatrical's 2015 season opener "La Cage aux Folles" is slated to offer big production numbers, fabulous designer-made costumes, colorful make-up, and lots of feathers and fluff. But the theater company says the Tony Award-winning musical is more than that.
The cast and production team of 9 Works Theatrical's 'La Cage aux Folles' pose for the camera during the press conference in Rockwell, Makati City on February 10, 2015.
"My thesis of this production is family. It is about a family, literally of Georges and Albin, and their son who wants to get married,” director Robbie Guevara said in an interview with GMA News Online.
The musical set in the '70s centers on Georges, the manager of a drag club La Cage aux Folles in Saint-Tropez, France, and his partner Albin, who is also the star performer. One day, Jean-Michel—Georges' son from a confused fling with a woman—announces that he has decided to marry his girlfriend Anne, who was brought up by conservative parents. Not to mention, Anne’s father is a politician dedicated to close down drag nightclubs.
In an attempt to please Anne and her parents, Jean-Michel asked his father to hide his relationship with Albin, especially the drag performers’ flamboyant ways. What happens next is an unlikely meet-the-parents situation with Albin fighting hard for people to accept who he really is.
Theater stalwart Audie Gemora, who’s set to play Albin, and film and TV actor Michael de Mesa, who’s going to play Georges, said that they both can relate to the magnanimity of a parent’s love that the musical emphasizes.
"I am a father, too. And I am single father. I can totally relate to this person who is a non-traditional parent," Gemora said.
But the actor also pointed out that Jean-Michel learned to accept Albin as a mother despite his gender identity.
De Mesa then added, “It’s just a matter of loving somebody regardless of who he or she is. Like Audie said, no gender, it’s just pure, unadulterated love.”
Audie and Michael
Audie Gemora and Michael de Mesa perform 'With You on my Arm' at the press conference for 'La Cage aux Folles'. Photo from 9 Works Theatrical
Gemora and De Mesa, who's making a theater comeback after six years, both have "day jobs." Gemora is the entertainment director of Solaire and De Mesa spends most of his days taping for films or TV.
Given their demanding schedule, 9 Works could have opted to hire other actors. But executive producer Santi Santamaria said that there was no way were they going to do "La Cage aux Folles" without getting Gemora and De Mesa to play the leads.
Guevara also added that having them on board for the musical was an inspiration for him and the rest of the cast.
“Watching these two rehearse even if they’re still holding their script is like watching a master class,” he said.
Les Cagelles, dream cast
Just like the performers from that Saint-Tropez nightclub, 9 Works' Les Cagelles come from different backgrounds. The musical's roster of drag performers include veteran dancers on stage and TV, ballerinas, a pole dancer, a heartthrob actor, a Miss Saigon, and more.
“We knew our biggest challenge was finding dancers who can sing. We were able to assemble that,” the director said to GMA News Online during one of their rehearsals.
Les Cagelles will be the ones in charge of the musical’s big production numbers, which involve a variety of dance styles such as jazz, tap, and can-can—dances they must perform in heels. They are choreographed by Arnold Trinidad, PJ Rebullida, and Yek Barlongay.
The cast even insisted that the choreography for their tap dance is even more difficult than that of the production that won a Tony Award.
Although they’ll have to wear heavy make-up, colorful wigs, and sparkly and body-hugging costumes for the role, not all Les Cagelles are used to the flashy garb. Rafa Siguion-Reyna just finished a run as Kenickie in "Grease"; thus, the transition from tough guy to a drag performer was challenging for him.
"I think the challenging part was the movement, the habits, because I move like a guy," he said during an exclusive rehearsal sneak peek.
The cast during rehearsals
"We really try to pull it off so the audience will actually believe. That's the beauty of being in theater because you got to play someone else on stage... For example, these straight men are not actually drag queens," she said.
"People will have to wait and see each one of us and they're going to love what we can bring [to] them," Cagelle JP Basco added.
Other performers playing Les Cagelles are Randi de Guzman, Cheeno Macaraig, James Stacey, Mara Javier, Carlos Deriada, Chesko Rodriguez, and Dindo Divinagracia.
During the press conference, Guevara also said the audience should watch out for the number featuring theater veterans Raul Montesa, Sheila Francisco, and Noel Rayos.
“Because of their experience, they can actually steal the show,” he said.
Other cast members of the musical are TV actor Steven Silva, who will play Georges' son Jean-Michel, and ballet’s rising stars Missy Macuja-Elizalde and Joni Galeste alternating in the role of Anne. — BM, GMA News
La Cage aux Folles will open on February 28 and will run all weekends of March at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City. For more information, contact info@9workstheatrical.com.
