"La Cage" at City Center — Page 6

man you all are tough on billy porter. he was phenomenal tonight, giving it 1000% (for better and sometimes worse), and bringing down the house to close Act 1.

i agree the production is pretty basic- this is my first time seeing this show, and im sure when you compare it to the better full productions, it feels wanting. but its a handsome, well paced evening, and they do ok with creaky book/story that doesnt feel all that vital in 2026.

porters voice is shot, we know this, but it lends the night a kind of suspense as you see him work some magic turning it into a very impressive vocal performance. he does some shtick that is overkill to me, but the audience eats it up and he really is perfectly cast as Albin. Brady is a nice foil, and the show really benefits from the delicious comedy Tonya Pinkins and especially James Jackson Jr.

As for being on book, there were a few book scenes where Porter leaned on a script, and one musical number he danced around with a binder---only the latter really distracted me. He did go up on a line and then made a comment like "ten days, bitches" and the place went nuts with approval. Shticky, but overall this was absolutely a fully developed and impressive performance. I Am What I Am was extraordinary.

I actually thought this was pretty well done.

As someone whose first and only exposure to La Cage Aux Folles was the dumpster fire that was Sam Pinkleton's production at Pasadena Playhouse, I went into this with a certain level of dread knowing my last experience with the show and Billy Porter's history (both as a person and a performer) could combine to make this a dreadful night at the theater. I must say, however, that it (almost) completely won me over. This is a very beautiful and simple show that is well performed and presented here.

To start off with, the biggest question mark of the night turned into the biggest thrill -- Billy Porter is pretty fantastic here. The voice is certainly incredibly damaged (though not as much as Cahoon's was), but he navigates it well for the most part and you forgive the few times it cracks because he's also acting his butt off. I do think it's a great match of character and performer here because it plays to his strengths and avoids his weaknesses. I also only found the book distracting in one scene, and for the other scenes where he was on book, he did a wonderful job of staying engaged and engaging in the scene nonetheless. And yes, his I Am What I Am is simply magnificent; there was an immediate and large standing ovation for him as he exited the stage.

The rest of the cast is quite solid; I was happy to see Wayne Brady, who I've been mixed on in the past, turn the charm up to 11 in a very suave performance. Tonya Pinkins is a hilarious Jacqueline, and James Jackson Jr. is scene-stealing as Jacob. I do wish that Alaman Diadhiou was a stronger singer as Jean-Michel, but you can't win them all.

The parts that did not work for me with this production were the modernization parts. It's a La Cage that does not know what time period it is supposed to be in, and it gets confused when they whip out a cell phone, or reference Beyoncé, or adlib modern slang. It feels weird, out of place, and adds nothing to the night. This is a minor grievance, though, and I do not think it breaks the night; it's a wonderful feel-good night of musical theater.

I only am familiar with George Hearn's Tony performance where he's in a suit for the song. His vocals in that recording are amazing.

inception said: "I only am familiar with George Hearn'sTony performance where he's in a suit for the song. His vocals in that recording are amazing."

Well, it was the 80s...

Unfortunately, the Tonys that year had neither the faith, nor the courage to allow Hearn to perform in costume (as was allowed other actors for that telecast). Hence, the tux.

In this clip, he's costumed like the mother of the bride, with "wings" from wrists to upper thighs (I believe meant to disguise his form, rather than flatter). ...and that wig

(I guess it was the 80s...)

Updated On: 6/22/26 at 12:06 PM

La Cage, Oh no….

I went last night and the entire experience was like riding a wave of queer euphoria before crashing into cringy and incoherent moments.

The Good:

- James Jackson Jr. and Tonya Pinkins both have mastered the art of making meals out of scraps. Having seen Christine Andreas and Debbie Kurup do the role previously in other productions, Tonya brought a sexuality to the role that made it less overtly camp. Jackson’s bitchy queen cadence that served him well in A Strange Loop and White Girl In Danger works well here. All the sass of a maid/butler while tall enough to looks like Albin’s bodyguard. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at someone trying to kick luggage down a runway in heels and got so close before accidentally sending it into the pit.

- Alaman Diadhou is really a rising star and you can see his talents on full display. He’s really a lovesick boy who is blinded to the consequences of his actions and not necessarily the traditional cad archetype. I actually liked his “Anne on my Arm” tap break since it felt like it harkened back to classic musicals.

- Billy’s “Mascara” - to me, THIS was the true number that made me a bit weepy because it’s an evolution from being sad, but picking yourself up and pressing on, tits, feathers, and all. It was also the only point during the night where I had hope that he was on a vocally steady track. Unfortunately, more on that later.

- “Masculinity” was a gas, mostly because that was a prime moment for Billy to properly be a ham in the midst of an absurd premise.

The Mixed:

- Wayne Brady is certainly amiable and charming, but fell a bit flat in the acting and singing. I was hoping for far more dynamism, especially during the emcee moments (and it made me miss Kelsey Grammer a bit) Granted, the role is constructed for someone who is passably an “actor who sings”, but you could tell he was exhausted.

- The overall concept of this production. I think Robert O’Hara made a good effort to put a lot of ingredients into this recipe, but then forgot to turn on the stove. The fundamental misstep, as others have noted, is the complete lack of understanding where in space and time we were - since it felt like every diva icon had some form of representation, but also the charming “old school” moments were in direct clash with the contemporary aesthetic. If given more time, things could possibly be fleshed out, but it’s not a surface level fix.

- I don’t like that the Renauds (the cafe owners) and the Dindons are separate tracks. Combine them like in the 2010 revival - seems easy enough.

The Bad:

- Billy Porter - I hesitated to put him in this column because it seems in vogue to pile on him. I give him a LOT of credit for getting himself back on stage to lead a musical of this scope after a life threatening illness. However, even allowing grace for that, Porter was simply not up to the task. His wheels really started coming off during the title number, where he needed to refer to the lyrics in the book and it deflated any chance to play with the audience. On top of that, it was the first vocal instance of “go on and pick a note, any note” riffing because the vocal fry prevented him staying on key. He also broke the fourth wall on purpose a few times, including simulating fellatio on a croissant, before stopping to laugh and say “I forgot this was a family show”.

- “I Am What I Am” - Unfortunately was NOT as good as had been reported. Porter dispensed with the entire musical buildup of the song and was all over the place. Albin is hurt in that moment, but throughout the song he finds his resolve. Here, Porter takes the “screw you, I’m fabulous” approach from the jump and it just didn’t work for me.

- WHY THE HELL DID THEY NEED 19 CAGELLES?! The opening number looked like a Drag Race Chorus Line Challenge. We only need 12. The Regent’s Open Air Park production in London had just as much playing space and made it work without looking like the cast was going to car crash into each other.

In summary - this really needed more time in the cooker. Obviously it’s a concert-style staging, but ultimately it felt like they tried to “Jellicle Ball” LA CAGE and ended up looking painfully quaint by comparison

Agree with alot of what Quizking has to say here-- there were way too many Cagelles, the production has no idea what time/space its occupying...

just surprised at the reaction to Porter. To each their own, and maybe I am just coming in with no understanding of how Albin should be portrayed otherwise, but i thought his character made sense--even his raspy inconsistent voice makes sense with the desperate and aging character he plays.

also surprised at the praise for Diadhou- hes playing a miserable jerk, and i didnt think he did anything to overcome that. probably more the fault of Feirstein and the fact that his attitude made more sense in 1985 than it does now.

CoffeeBreak said: "[...] but the tap is over choreographed (and oddly unnecessary). They should have spent more time on the rest of the show than over choreographing this song. Thought it was to cover his weak singing and weaker acting."

I think it's a tap number because of the significance of tap in Black history. It does seem to me to be a forced "round peg...", though. Anne on My Arm is the one number where tap seems to rhythmically fit as choreographed- but kind of awkwardly.

Ensemble1698878795 said: "A reminder that Ballroom and Drag are not the same Black communities. Placing Cats: The Jellicle Ball as a comparison for this La Cage, even if it failed, is disrespectful and shows the ignorancein how Black culture is comprehendedand lumped together in Broadway spaces. You don’t have to love either, but please research the difference."

To be fair, I think it’s the production that’s muddying the waters here. It wants a little of both but kind of commits to neither outside of Albin.

Ensemble1698878795 said: "A reminder that Ballroom and Drag are not the same Black communities. Placing Cats: The Jellicle Ball as a comparison for this La Cage, even if it failed, is disrespectful and shows the ignorance in how Black culture is comprehended and lumped together in Broadway spaces. You don’t have to love either, but please research the difference."

Why in the world was mention of The Jellicle Ball brought into this thread about La Cage?

I don't think Ensemble1698878795 is an actual person. Only an AI bot could manufacture a post that resembles human interaction, but actually makes no sense.

"Placing Cats: The Jellicle Ball as a comparison for this La Cage" isn't a phrase that makes any sense. Neither is: "Tell me you aren’t listening by negotiating fairness."

Even that screen name is computer generated.

Holy cats... (see what a real human did there?)

Updated On: 6/23/26 at 12:17 AM

Would love to know what Harvey thinks of this production and what his involvement was in rehearsal. Could this be the toned-down version from what was originally planned?

Porter's singing is very rough, often searching for pitch, riffing to cover vocal inadequacies - it is a performance that calls attention to Porter, not the character. Sadly, His voice has really suffered major damage in recent years and that shows in this kind of old fashioned musical theatre score.

This production of La Cage should not transfer. The "style" is all over the place without a clear or clean sense of style or intention. It is an adequate Encores concert version, but that's it. Disappointing to charge so much money for a concert version..

Do spare me the lecture - I know what the differences are, especially all the time I spend at C:TJB. I’m speaking about the use of black queer culture to approach otherwise decidedlywhite-lensedand offbeat 80s musicals

Did you ever think that maybe this is happening because in the 1980's Black Queer folks weren't embraced by Broadway? When gay stories first hit Theatre they're typically told through a white lens. It takes 3-4 decades and a DEI movement for these productions to even get an opportunity. Maybe try championing their existence instead of questioning or comparing their similarities. Don't look at the productions. Look at history, babe.