“La Cage Aux Folles” two reviews-

[rating=5] Music Theater Works is known for their “family musicals” . For years, first as Light Opera Works, and for the past several years as Music Theater Works, one finds families fill the seats, but they have become more than just “family fare”. They are now spreading their wings and taking flight into a new world, and to truly show what they have to offer are presenting “La Cage Aux Folles” at their new home,at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in, of all places, Skokie!

Not only are they spreading their wings under the directorship of Kyle Dougan, but they have brought in Ginger Minj to bring the character of Albin ( also known as Zsa Zsa). Ginger is known for being part of RuPaul’s Drag Race and makes Albin truly worth the trip to Skokie. They have taken this show to a new level for the area. The costumes by “Project Runway’s” Justin LeBlanc are amazing. The direction by Dougan with musical direction by Kyra Leigh and choreography by Christopher Chase Carter are all top notch and the intimacy of the smaller stage in the venue makes sense. There are tables and chairs along the stage making the idea of being in a club work. Strangle, but for today’s show, all of the tables were taken by men. two people per table, all male. Chance? or purposely?

The book by Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman is a wonderful story about a non-traditional family with a son, Jean-Michael (Christopher Ratliff), who is about to marry, wants to bring his future in-laws to meet the family. It turns out, the future father-in-law is anti everything he grew up believing to be “normal” ( at least somewhat) and so he asks the person who raised him ( Albin) to not be there for the evening. What this brings about is amazingly insane and will have you laughing your A– off!

Let’s go back to the story- we are in a club, and the club is run by Georges( Jason Richards brings a great deal to this role) who is “married” to Albin ( the incredible Ginger Minj). They live upstairs of their club and they raised Georges’ son when his “wife” left the baby with them. They have a wonderful life and from the story we can see that they are in love. The club is their life with the exception of the boy they raised. The cast of players in powerful and in the case of the ensemble, you will have a problem determining who is a he and who is a she- doesn’t matter as they are wonderful and each plays their role as it was meant to be played. They deserve special mention as they are a major part of making this production effective:

Jordan Taylor, Riley Vogel, Brian Selcik, Gane Kohlbeck, Matthew Weidenbener and Daniel Hurst make up the “Les Gagelles”.

The actual “other” ensemble members are as follows:

Dane Strange as Jacob, the houseboy/maid/butler for Georges and Albin ( mostly Albin) who does everything with style and verve,  Honey West as Jaqueline ( who owns her own club), Darryl D’Angelo Jones, Anthony Whitaker, Caron Bulnis,,Thomas E. Squires and Heather Banks- very impressive in everything they do. In fact, the actors/dancers/singers also help change the set from scene to scene, as well choreographed as a dance set might be.

There are also prologue performers who will dazzle you when you enter the venue. They are Ariel Etana Triunfo, Michelle Hackman ( who tonight took on the roles played by Ms Bulnis), Shaun White and Gus Frachere. During the prologue you can also get one of the special cocktails offered by the Le Cage.

This is a story with lots of meaning and plenty of laughter. We have been held back during the pandemic period of our lives and this production allows us to sit back and laugh at the world and how people see things differently than others. It is okay to do so, but isn’t it better to be aware that each of us have our own lives, thoughts and loves. Sure makes life more interesting. While many people are unfamiliar with the show, many have seen “The Bird Cage” film which is the same story. This musical is based on the film and play by Jean Poiret. The songs that most are familiar with are “I Am Who I am” ( this ends the first act with a bang!, “With You On MY Arm”, “The Best of Times” and “Song on The Sand”. The scene where Georges tries to teach Albin how to be more masculine is hysterical and all in all, I can tell you that you are seeking a great musical experience this is the one to see. The problem is you only have  until April 3rd to do so.

The Northshore Center for Performing Arts is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd ( lust South of Golf Rd on Skokie Blvd) with plenty of free parking

The performance schedule is:

March 13th  2 p.m.

March 16th   1 p.m.

March 17th   7:30 p.m.  this one has been added

March 18th*  8 p.m.

March 19th  8 p.m.

March 20th  2 p.m.

March 23rd  1 p.m.

March 24th  7:30  added

March 25th   8 p.m.

March 26th  2 p.m. ** and 8 p.m

March 27th  2 p.m.

March 30th  1 p.m.

March 31st   7:30  ADDED

April 1  8 p.m.*

April 2nd  2 p.m. and 8 p.m.*

April 3rd  2 p.m.

Running time 2 hours 40 minutes with one intermission

• Gingersnap meet and greets
• Tickets range from $19.50 and are available at                 To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “La Cage Aux Folles”       .If you can only attend one musical this season, make it this one- “La Cage Aux Folles” is insanely funny!

A SECOND OPINION– PERFORMANCE FRIDAY NIGHT  BY Julia W. Rath

[rating=4]“La Cage Aux Folles” was considered radical when it first burst on the scene as a Broadway musical in 1983. Today’s production by Music Theater Works is relatively tame and does not astonish the audience as the original may have done. Instead it is a fun romp through a vintage script. Directed by Kyle A. Dougan with music direction by Kyra Leigh, this show is like a trip to the candy store: You don’t know what to taste first, but you relish how nicely all the flavorful morsels have been brought together in one place. The story, the music, the songs, the lovely costumes, the scenery, and, of course, the fantastic acting make this performance great. The star of the show is Ginger Minj, who plays Albin/Zaza to perfection. Her masterful skill, creativity, and powerful voice capture the audience. The way she transitions from a sexy drag queen to Uncle Albert is amazing! The sadness in becoming the person that “she is not” is palpable. Her emotional peaks and slumps seize us all. What a superior performance! Minj is paired with Jason Richards, who deftly plays her gay lover Georges (George); he too has a fantastic singing voice and stage presence. For the first time since I have been reviewing theatre, the audience gave the lead actress a standing ovation at the end of the first act!

“La Cage Aux Folles” was originally written by Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and was the first hit Broadway musical centered on a homosexual relationship. In the present iteration, the name of the show is literally the name of the nightclub, meaning “the cage of crazy women.” The story takes place in France in 1973 and describes the fiasco when Jean-Michel’s (Michael), played by Christopher Ratliff, wants to bring home his fiancé’s ultraconservative parents for dinner as a prelude to his marriage to the open-minded Anne, played by Heather Banks. Hence we witness how the main characters internalize what it means to live a conventional lifestyle versus an alternative/homosexual one. In the end, their conflicting views and opinions are eventually resolved and not necessarily to the satisfaction of all. One of the best parts of the show has to do with the meaningful song lyrics “I Am What I Am.” Today with the issue of sexual orientation being more mainstream and out in the open than what it was forty years ago, starting out the show with “I Am What I Am” works out well; and unlike the original stage production, the director doesn’t need to use this song solely towards the conclusion of the first act. And the closing song lyrics “The Best of Times” represents a hopeful end where all people can flourish.

Costumes by Justin LeBlanc not only capture the spirit of the cabaret performance but reflect the souls of each of the characters. From sexy leotards and tights to overgarments circa the early 1970s, the costumes are nicely conceived and delicately crafted. My only quibble is that I felt that Michael’s initial costume with the red, white, and blue striped slacks was somewhat gaudy and should have been better coordinated with the outfit being worn by Anne, his female love interest. His stripes and her plaid made it seem as if they were really not suited for each other. Plus her plaid slacks looked too much like those worn by Frances (Anthony Whitaker). The costuming should have made them look nothing like each other.

The scenic design is simple yet elegant, thanks to the work of Scott Davis. I loved the versatile sets backed by the words “La Cage.” The shifting letters are combined with portable props that the actors themselves moved, which propelled the story along beautifully from scene to scene. The various chandeliers hanging over the stage add a nice touch. In a production that I had seen many years earlier, statues of naked men were featured in erotic poses, and these lined the nightclub and also the living room/bedroom/dressing room upstairs from the club. The Music Theater Works version, in contrast, is more “family friendly.” The homoeroticism has been toned down but for only one relatively small suggestive painting that hangs in the center of the room. The painting is referred to only once and doesn’t add to the performance value or humor of the show. To my mind, the upstairs room should have looked a bit more like a pleasure palace, whereas its transformation into a morgue is much too severe and overdone. The tiniest fault occurs when Anne’s parents Mr. Dindon (Thomas E. Squires) and Mrs./Mme. Dindon (Caron Buinis) are visiting the upstairs, and Mrs. Dindon makes a remark about a large crucifix in the room. In fact, the Christian religious symbol in this scene is not a crucifix, but rather a French ringed cross, called the croix nimbée. She should have referred to it a cross.

The lovely and strategic lighting by Andrew Meyers adds charm to the show. Especially notable are the black light performances of some of the dancers, with their bright makeup, as well as the spotlighting of Zaza and the use of several gobo disks to spin the lighting around the room in feathery and frolicky patterns. I also enjoyed how well the letters of “La Cage” in the background were lit up so differently in different scenes.

I brought a guest with me in her nineties who knows theatre very well and has seen three previous productions of this show, including the Broadway original. She loved the performance but added that for today’s audiences, a portion of it could be easily trimmed. The entire show (including a 15-minute intermission) took 2 hours and 55 minutes. While I enjoyed every moment of it, she explained to me afterwards that there was one character who could have been cut almost entirely or consolidated with another without losing the overall plot. She thought that the humor that this character brought was too much of a typecast and might have worked better when the show was first produced but not now. Since I’m not going to tell you which character it is, you will have to go to the theatre yourself and figure this one out for yourself!

All that being said, “La Cage Aux Folles” is absolutely wonderful. Minj is outstanding in the way she carries the show: with aplomb, expressiveness, and authoritativeness. Her performance—as well as that of everyone else—is extremely heartfelt and charming. The show depicts a plethora of gayness and what it means to the various characters; this can be understood on many different levels. The whole production is so incredibly entertaining and scintillating that if you’ve never seen it before, then you should see it now. And if you have already seen it before, it is well worth seeing again. This is definitely a production you should watch!

“La Cage Aux Folles”, presented by Music Theater Works, is playing at the North Theatre, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, through April 3, 2022.

Tickets range from $19.50 – $106, depending on the date and time of the performance and seating availability.

Performance schedule:

Wednesdays – 1:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 7:30 p.m.
Fridays – 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays – 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 2:00 p.m.

To purchase tickets or to see additional information about this show, go to: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/la-cage-aux-folles/ or https://northshorecenter.org/event/la-cage-aux-folles/2022-03-20/.

Group discounts and discounted 2022 subscriptions to Music Theater Works are available through https://www.musictheaterworks.com/.

Music Theater Works is a resident company of the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. To learn more about the venue and their future offerings, visit: https://northshorecenter.org/.

Note that face masks are required indoors at all times unless actively eating or drinking. You will need to show your vaccination card and ID before entering the theatre. For more information, visit https://northshorecenter.org/health-safety-procedures/.

P.S. The team, introduced by artistic director Kyle A. Dougan, was serving themed mixed cocktails (at a cost) with slowly flickering lights in the bottom of each glass. Audience members could enjoy these drinks throughout the performance, and the lights were not so bright so as to detract from the stage.

One person, however, pulled out her cell phone in the middle of the second act, dialed a number, and started reading her messages. What nerve! The theatre was dark; we were in the midst of a very important scene; and this was quite distracting! Since she sat in the row ahead of me, I positioned my press folder directly over her phone so she couldn’t read the display and so I didn’t have to see the bright light in my face. (FYI: I took no joy in doing this.) She got the hint and put the phone away. The power of the press (kit)!