SHADE-O-METER RATING
4 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “SHE GAVE GOOD FACE – SHE SERVED IT”
What’s La Cage aux Folles? It’s a musical from 1983, which is based on a French play of the same name. Harvey Fierstein wrote the book, and Jerry Herman wrote the music and lyrics. The show is a farcical comedy about a gay couple’s son that’s marrying into a conservative family. The original cast starred Gene Barry and George Hearn as the couple. The play was also turned into the American film, The Birdcage.
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What’s the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)? It’s a new-ish theater in Lauderhill, Florida. The theater holds over 1,100 people, and it opened in 2016. It has two levels. Also, the orchestra pit, which was at the front of the stage, was the biggest one that I’ve ever seen, ready to gobble up a performer—who took one wrong step—like some kind of theatrical version of The Mighty Sarlacc.
How was the venue? The theater is nice enough, but, given its size, it’s more suited to big road shows or for big stars. The lobby is probably its most impressive feature. How was the parking? Weird. You’re directed to meander all around the back of the venue, just to get to a parking lot that’s directly to the right of the venue. Why can’t you just turn right and drive into the parking lot? In any case, parking is free.
Does the venue serve liquor? Only wine. How were the drinks? Fine, I supposed. One glass of wine, which was served in a plastic cup, was $7. Does the venue serve food? Only finger food and candy. Strangely, they have someone peddling popcorn. How was the food? We didn’t get any. How much were the tickets? $48 each. Where were the seats? They were in the orchestra. And any seat offers a good view. I can’t comment on the view from the mezzanine. Was the show sold out? Not even close.
How was the show? Regarding the book, it’s not quite as strong or as clever with the situational comedy as the original French film is (I never saw the play, so I don’t know about that). This is the first production that the Stage Door Theater, the longstanding theater company in Broward County, has had at their new residence, the LPAC. There are issues that have to be worked out with the audio, as the sound was cutting in and out at times. There were also some problems with the costumes. Some didn’t necessarily look of sufficient quality to be worn in the “hottest drag club on the Riviera,” and there was one number where the back of Zaza’s dress was either ripped or it wasn’t zipped up. In addition, strangely, some of the Les Cagelles dances—which are supposed to be drag performers—appeared to be biological women. But despite these minor complaints, the show was excellent. The production shinned in the numbers that featured the leads, Larry Buzzeo as Albin/Zaza and Jamie Michael Parnell as Georges, with appropriate humor and chemistry between them. What singing expertise Buzzeo may have lacked in some numbers, he made up for in the famous, “I Am What I Am.” And although Parnell might have looked too young to play Georges, rarely will one hear a voice of this caliber outside of the walls of a first-rate Broadway show. His numbers were hands-down the most enthusiastically received of the evening. Elijah Word cleverly channeled the edginess of the leads from the hit TV show, Pose, with his characterization of the couple’s longsuffering butler/maid, Jacob. Regarding the ensemble, they gleamed the brightest in “La Cage aux Folles,” with wild can-can-type dancing.
How was the crowd? They appeared to consist primarily of season pass holders, and, not to be ageist, they were rather on the elderly side. The company could probably stand to market to a younger demographic to even out the crowd. What could have improved the show? The audio needs to be fixed, and more attention needs to be paid to the costumes. Regarding the venue, to each his own, but, to me, much of the production’s energy is gobbled up by the vastness of the house. Maybe the runs should be shorter, in hopes that the theater would be fuller? It’s a shame that they didn’t build another house that held about 400.
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11thPlace, in Lauderhill, Florida. The production runs to September 23.
