'La Cage' kicks off Marriott's 40th season
For Joe Leonardo, directing “La Cage aux Folles” at The Marriott Theatre was like catching up with an old friend.
They were close once — Leonardo directed the same production at the same theatre in 1994. But time passed; other projects came and went. This past fall, he was approached to direct the show again and, despite new challenges, he was surprised at how quickly and naturally things fell into place.
“The process has been different this time around,” he says. “It's been exciting.”
“La Cage aux Folles,” one of Broadway's all-time biggest hits, begins previews Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. The production, which kicks off the 40th anniversary season of the Chicago area's longest-running musical theatre, continues through March 22.
The six-time Tony Award-winning musical from 1983 is based on the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret and a successful 1978 film version. The musical has been revived twice on Broadway in 2004 and 2010, both times winning the Best Musical Revival Tony Awards. “La Cage aux Folles” also inspired the popular 1996 film “The Birdcage” starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.
The show is set against the glamorous background of a St. Tropez nightclub and focuses on gay partners Georges and Albin, and the chaos that ensues after Georges' son Jean-Michel announces that he plans to marry the daughter of an ultraconservative politician.
For Leonardo, whose Marriott directing credits include “Sunset Boulevard” and “Miss Saigon,” returning to “La Cage” presented an opportunity to take a new approach.
“I hadn't thought much of the show (since I directed it),” Leonardo said. “I thought it might be interesting to return after such a long time, especially since (cultural attitudes) have changed in terms of acceptance of gay marriage.”
Technology has also changed, and the production features more flying this time around. There's also a bigger focus on set transitions, including transformations from the nightclub stage to the apartment. “It's been a bit of a challenge,” Leonardo says. “It's a big show, but hopefully we'll get it done.”
Leonardo lost many of the mementos he had from the original show — previous scripts and boxes of costumes and props. But it turned out to be a “great blessing,” he says, because it forced him to start from scratch. “I came up with some really new and rather fascinating ways to put this piece onstage,” he says.
The time away also allowed him to bring a more seasoned, unique perspective to the show, he believes. But that doesn't mean directing was without its challenges. One of the biggest difficulties he faced was dealing with pacing — finding a way to keep the energy moving so there's a natural cinematic flow and the energy and excitement builds.
Stripped of all the glamour and glitz, “La Cage” is about the way people connect with each other.
“The show may take place in a big glamorous night club with drag queens — and the piece is filled with wonderfully clever farcical sequences — but what's amazing is how quickly those situations can become something very real and emotional in relation to family,” Leonardo said. “Ultimately, the piece is about acceptance and love and family.”
The audience will relate to the main characters because their needs and wants are the same as everyone else's, he says. “I want the audience to walk away thinking: 'These are people I'd like to know.'”
“La Cage aux Folles”
<b>Location:</b> Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 634-0200, <a href="http://www.MarriottTheatre.com">MarriottTheatre.com</a>.
<b>Showtimes:</b> 1 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, from Jan. 28 through March 22.
<b>Tickets:</b> $50-$55